Stash SWAP 2009

The President reminded me today that success is necessarily built on failure. Therefore, I am not going to let my past failure to complete either of the two SWAPs I entered deter me from having another go at it. If I finish in time that will be a good thing. In the past, all I've needed to do is announce my intention to join a SWAP, then the pixies get indignant at my hubris and usually find me some illustration work to do. All of a sudden, there's no time to sew. That would be a good thing too, considering. So, forward––– march!

I have no right on earth to go fabric shopping of course so went into the stash for project materials.

The Pattern Review SWAP requires ten garments. Five tops, four bottoms and one topper, a jacket or coat, a cape, I suppose for the really dramatic, would be alright. I have ever been averse to the very idea of capes myself. I always imagine a cape would be a dangerous liability if you had to escape from a subway car or a stuck elevator. For this same reason, I am equally opposed to flip-flops in town. Nothing seems more foolhardy–– but I digress.

I began with the topper fabric, a wool broadcloth I have had for about twenty years. It is a salmony terra cotta color (absolutely the choice of someone 20 years younger than I am). I spent some time pulling yardage out and trying to make connections. Of course none of the stash was acquired with even a faint notion of compatibility. I got some things going but the next day, realized it wasn't right. Then I remembered the

Color Schemer program. I'd played with it once on line and went back again to find coordinates for the salmon/terra cotta. The program is aimed at web designers, allowing them to test out page design color schemes. Above you can see some of what I came up with. And once I started, I realized this is also the same information in a number of the painting books in my library as well as an excellent book by Deb Menz: "Color Works". I decided that I didn't have to restrict myself to either a complementary, split complementary or analogous palette since I wasn't likely to wear all the items at once. All I have to do is make choices that coordinate with the topper color; oh, ----- and make garments that can be worn with that topper. By this I'm referring to fabric to garment compatibility. That dark green velveteen can't be made into a shirt because that would be uncomfortable to wear under the jacket, for me anyway.

I just realize one fabric is left out of my storyboard up there.

This is a wool jersey from my mother's stash. It will turn into one of the tops.

I did have some consternation about my penchant brightness and color contrast. I'd checked out a Hot Patterns interview where the nice lady forecast the monochromatic palette for the upcoming season. Then I saw this photo on my favorite fashion site: Advanced Style. Well alrighty then! This is where I'm headed.