Wardrobe Contest/Greece Trip

So, when the Wardrobe Contest (then called Sewing with a Plan, which raised somebody's copyright hackles) was announced I was all gung ho about it. I don't have a plan, that's part of being slapdash, so at first I objected strongly to the idea of *planning* sewing. It seems to defeat the fun. But I do go through color themes/manias (take your pick as to whether you prefer the cheerful or the psychologically loaded term) and I was hoping to make this an orange and yellow summer and call my wardrobe "Orange Juice and Lemonade." I bought a lot of fabric, natch, but couldn't find enough yellow to slake my thirst and of course wandered off to do a bunch of other projects. I completed only my orange plaid dupioni self-drafted skirt and then gave up on the idea (well, technically the jacket in the previous entry was also part of my plan, so I didn't give up on it wholly. And I'm not buying any fabric in July and August so eventually I'll probably get around to some of the orange and yellow fabric previously purchased).

Now I am trying to decide whether to revive the dream. I leave for Greece in about six weeks and it's time to start planning what to wear. On my trips is the only time I do create interchangeable wardrobes. At home I have a giant closet full of goodies to choose from and abhor looking the same from day to day. Traveling, I choose a color theme, buy or make a bunch of tops and bottoms that go together, and make an accessory to tie it all together. To honor the blue and white architecture of Greece that I love so much (in pictures anyway), my colors are blue, green, and white. For Italy my colors were black and pink and I made a purse (using my ultra-spy burglar detector of choice in the remote chance of a pickpocket--velcro) out of a pink sparkly fabric, the remainder of which I just gave to Cidell, on which I embroidered a big flower when I was going in for surgery.


For Scandinavia, my colors were green and brown with a little bit of purple, and I made a sash belt with a hidden zipper in the lining I used to store my extra credit card in, again in case of pickpockets. I do not believe in money belts, that seems way too extreme, but I do like the idea of having two credit cards and separating them (I travel alone). For Italy, I sewed tiny velcro pockets into the waistbands of my skirts that held the extra credit card.



I have now found out that the rules for the Wardrobe Contest have been changed to coincide almost exactly with my philosophy. 10 items total, one of which must be an accessory that goes with everything. 3 bottoms, more tops than bottoms (meaning at least 4), 1 accessory, and the rest can be filled out with dresses or jackets.

I am stuck on tops. I really only have one blouse I know I want to make in my queue, an eyelet (using up the rest of those "curtains") one based on a Marc Jacobs dress. I have some great vintage fabric in a sheer that I have been looking for the perfect pattern for, but I still haven't found the perfect pattern. I also have some green/blue knit leftover from my 80s top that I could use for a top, as it matches my blue/green/white theme. I just don't know what pattern to use that's worthy of the cool fabric. I've been thinking of making another twist top but I don't know if that's special enough. And I don't even have any other ideas. Well, thinking about it, I think the top I'm making for the one pattern, multiple looks contest will match the plain skirts, but I don't think it's *quite* in the right colorway to really go with the rest of the group (it will be teals and browns with some green).

Skirts I can make a plain green bias skirt (should be easy--it's an elastic waist pattern), a skirt out of some Ikea upholstery fabric I got, and a skirt from Patrones out of some linen-ish fabric that's been in my stash since who knows when and needs to be used or tossed.

I've already got three dresses (made since May!) that will fit in, which is one too many (as there are only 2 free slots after 3 bottoms + 4 tops + 1 accessory).

The accessory will be a big sunhat, for which I purchased buckram when I was visiting Cidell in Baltimore.

The catch, of course, is the deadline is July 31! It started May 1. I have a three day weekend of sewing planned, but I'm pretty sure there's no way I can finish everything this weekend, and I'll be spending every night next week (not that I sew during the week anyway) reading Harry Potter. I will also have next weekend but it's only a two day weekend that I think will be filled with sociability and catching up on sleep lost to staying up late to reading Harry Potter.

Well, I never officially click "enter contest" until I have something to enter so I can ponder this for a while longer.