I need to name my SWAP!

The more I look at my current SWAP plan, the happier I am with it. I am usually my own worst enemy when it comes to trying to plan out a wardrobe like this (I was going to attempt the Wardrobe Contest over at patternreview.com, but could NOT make up my mind on what I wanted to make or what I wanted the wardrobe to look like). I think it helped that I have a specific need/desire in mind. When I was attempting create a summer wardrobe I didn't really have a need, and then I got pregnant and needed a "maternity wardrobe", but the contest was practically over and I had no desire to do anything but sleep!!!

But back to the current SWAP...I may have some additional tweaking to do once I get the rest of my fabrics in, but I think it's pretty much "the plan". I'm looking at this wardrobe as a *hopefully* somewhat sophisticated transitional wardrobe that will help me not only transition from post-pregnancy weight back to pre-pregnancy weight (and then finishing the weight loss I started before I got pregnant), but also transition from a more casual work wardrobe to a more professional work wardrobe. Even though my office goes anywhere from casual to professional and everywhere in between - I want to start maintaining a more professional appearance at work to go along with the promotion I received this week.

Since my color scheme is black/gray/white/purple, I've been trying to come up with a name that fits. I was originally thinking something that had to do with a cityscape at night with the dark colors with a splash of white, but I'm having a hard time coming up with a name that suits that theme. So far, the only name I've been able to come up with is "Smoke on the Water." There are several reasons why this name fits:
1. It is the name of a song by the band "Deep Purple" - being that the only real color in my wardrobe is purple, it fits.
2. The color of smoke can be any of the three remaining colors: black, gray, white.
3. When I think of the name "smoke on the water", aside from the song, it reminds me of a picture I saw of a forest fire near a lake. The photo was taken at dusk and the sky was several shades of purple, with the blackening lake, gray smoke and the glint of white from the moon reflected off the lake.

But I am open to new ideas. I still would like to come up with a name to represent a cityscape at night before I make a final decision as to the name...anyone have any ideas??

SWAP plan

After careful deliberation, I am going to make every attempt to complete the Timmel Fabrics SWAP. Since I will be in dire need of some transitional clothes once the baby is born and I go back to work. I don't anticipate having a lot of baby weight to lose, but I know I'm going to want comfortable clothes and then I plan on rejoining Weight Watchers to lose the rest of the weight I had to lose before I got pregnant. All in all, I'm expecting about 20lbs total. I have a lot of casual clothes, but not a lot of dressier work clothes.

So, this brings me to SWAP. With 11 garments, plus a couple of extras, I'll have a wardrobe that will be perfect for work, business trips and special events. Even though I won't be wearing any of these items during the fall or most of the winter, I have decided on a color scheme of black, gray, white and shades of purple. There are four reasons I chose this color scheme:

1. I'm a little bummed that I can't wear most of the gorgeous fall and winter styles that are coming out this year, so I'm going to wear them a season or two late (woman's prerogative).

2. My favorite maternity clothes (one top and two dresses) are in this color scheme and I plan on altering them to be wearable post-pregnancy, so they will be added to the final wardrobe to expand the number of options.

3. Purple and gray is one of my favorite color combinations and black and white are business wardrobe staples. Even though I can wear pretty much whatever I want to work, one of my plans for next year is to make a conscious effort to dress more professionally.

4. The majority of the wardrobe pieces (especially the bottom pieces) will go with many of the mis-matched tops I made for my early pregnancy and will allow more options for the transitional wardrobe.

Without further ado, here is my plan. I currently have one additional top and bottom piece than the SWAP rules call for, but this gives me a little bit of flexibility in decision making.



My chosen wardrobe pattern is Butterick 5101:


I chose this wardrobe pattern primarily because it was a knit wardrobe and knits are better for my post-pregnancy transitional plan. The reason I chose this over the many other knit wardrobe patterns was the fact that the top and skirt together look like a wrap dress, but will give so many additional options for a SWAP wardrobe. I like the wrap dress that comes with the pattern, but I really like the handkerchief hem of the skirt - my combination will be a black version of the all brown look on the far right of the picture.

As soon as all of my fabrics arrive, I'll post some photos of more detailed plans.

ok...so i've been giving this some thought

and I need some suggestions of some good patterns that I can possibly use for a transitional wardrobe SWAP. I need items for a primarily business-casual environment (once I'm back at work) that aren't too fitted and that I can make and mostly fit in the hip/bust areas while I'm pregnant. I don't think I'll really have too much baby weight to lose, but I want things that will be more comfortable than my fitted clothes I wore prior to becoming pregnant. I'm going to try and use as much of my stash as possible so that this wardrobe will only cost me whatever patterns I may need to buy and some notions...especially since I'm sure there are some pieces that I will only be wearing for a short time.

So if anyone has any pattern ideas of what would be appropriate for the office, yet still comfortable for a new mom, please let me know!!!!! Thanks :)

oh my goodness!!

I can't believe it's been more than a month since my last post. Unfortunately, there is still no sewing on the horizon. The house is chugging along, although it's going a lot more slowly than I had hoped. Hubby has been gone for the last month on a job training and is finally coming home in one day!!! In the meantime, I've been fighting with the contractor who is supposed to paint and install baseboards - they don't want to talk to me because hubby is the one who they have been dealing with. Oh well, at least I have beautiful new cherry hardwood floors.

I have contemplated participating in the 2008 Timmel SWAP, but since it doesn't start until January there really isn't any point. I was going to make a maternity SWAP if it started earlier, but since I'm due in early February I don't really want to make a whole wardrobe I can wear for only a month. I have some time to plan, maybe I'll make a post-partum transitional wardrobe to wear while I lose baby weight. Ooooh, that's actually a really good idea! Ok, now the ideas are rolling...time to rethink not participating!!

Well, I guess that's about all that's going on. Pregnancy is going well, hubby is coming home, work and school are taking up most of my time right now - but everything should be back to normal very, very soon.