Planning

We see a lot of the end product in the sewing world but you don't see much of the planning stages.

Do sewists buy a pattern and shop their stash or the other way round?

I tend to only buy fabric as and when I need it, I get inspiration from everywhere, clothes shops, Instagram, other sewcialists. Usually I look for a specific pattern for the garment I have in mind and then buy the fabric (see here for a list of online resources.

Rarely do I buy fabric and then try and fit a pattern to it, although my Miette skirt fabric was originally going to be a Clemence skirt, not much of an adjustment though.

When I was younger I used to love drawing, specifically I would draw young women in Victorian clothing. I love that fairy tale feeling of long flowing locks and skirt, the romantic swish of linen and cotton. Aah I miss summer and wearing floaty, delicately patterned fabrics.

Anyway, back to the planning stages, I originated planning garments by writing lists. I'm a really visual person and I like to be able to imagine how the dress will look so I bought a moleskine and drew out my outfits. I liked this for a short time but I used it to write lists for crochet and knitting and the book got messy.

I originally saw the fashionary sketchbook on Lauren's blog and immediately lusted after it. It has the faint dot outlines of a woman in a walking pose which you then draw over and fill in the outfits.

I managed to get the last one in Paperchase and immediately drew 3 Marianne dresses. Told you I loved that pattern! 

Now I have some work outfits planned and even the beginnings of A/W 2015 all drawn up! I love this sketchbook because it allows you to be fairly neat and it looks professional. I would like to use more colour in future but I really do not need another time consuming hobby!

How do you plan what you're going to sew/make?

P.S. I keep seeing the use of the word "sewjo" and it's probably the worst word ever invented. I cringe irrationally every time I see it!