Spring inspiration

Along with everyone else it seems, we've been having a decidedly wintery spring so far. However the sun now appears to be making its presence seen, if not yet felt (yup, still wore a scarf and gloves to the swing park today. In April!), and this therefore puts me in mind of what I might like to sew and wear this summer.

I've never been one for deciding these things in advance. I've never felt the need to create a mood board for my wardrobe, being more random, impulsive and just plain fickle in my approach. I tend to see something, like it and therefore buy/make it. I might covet an expensive or hard to make/source item and carry that thought around with me for a bit, or I might have a crush on a particular style or item that carries through for a while, even year to year (e.g. pleats, or breton tops, or the colours green and coral), but I don't think I've ever come up with a "look" for the season ahead. I've even admired Colette's Palette Challenges from afar, appreciating the idea, but deciding it not for me. I don't even have the inclination, skill or knowledge on how to create such a thing!

At some point, this year though, that has changed. I don't know if it's because I'd got to the stage where just making random items of clothing, as and when I found a pattern or fabric I quite liked the look of, has resulted in surplices and deficits in my wardrobe and in my sewing skills. Or whether something from reading others' blogs has rubbed off on me. Or if it's discovering Pinterest. Or if it's just for once I've been struck by inspiration all on my own (regardless of what the magazines would have me wear)! But what I do know is that for me, spring/summer 2013 will be all about the Sixties.

Now I'm not talking Mary Quant/Vidal Sassoon kind of 60's, more a relaxed, casual approach, which is a vision I have in my head, but I've struggled to find pictures to support from the actual era, so I may have just made it up. But it's capri pants with ballet flats and gingham sleeveless blouses. It's knits with pleated skirts and kitten heels. It's shift dresses. It's button back blouses with peter pan collars worn with pencil skirts. It's Brigitte Bardot in a breton top. It's An Education. (all photos from my Pinterest boards, unless otherwise stated. Very lazy referencing, I agree).

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OK, so An Education is a bit more formal, but you get the idea. There is definitely a scene in the film where Jenny rocks the capri look, I just can't find a still of it.

With this inspiration in mind, here are some patterns that I currently own that contribute towards this look:

So, does this constitute a fully formed sewing plan? Not really, but it hopefully provides me with some focus. Given my tendency to overcommit to challenges and to changing my mind, these are not promises but aspirations I'd like to achieve this summer:

1. Cropped/capri trousers. I have never made trousers, but I am totally inspired by these and would love to make something similar. I have signed up for this Craftsy course, which I am hoping to use to copy some RTW trousers I already own.
2. Gingham sleeveless blouse from view 2 of the plaid blouse pattern, top right above.
3. Another summery (bright) Charlotte pencil skirt. Or 2.
4. Laurel shift dress. Isn't this pretty?
5. Either the knife pleat dress above, or the top left sleeveless dress in the patterns above. Or both.
6. Another Violet (previously made one, not yet blogged)
7. Blouse and possibly also the skirt from the Simplicity 6304 above.
8. Another Sorbetto (previously made one, not yet blogged). And/or a Deer & Doe Datura.
9. Oh, and look a pretty summer coat! (I can tell you now, this one will not happen unless I win the lottery, give up my job and start sewing full time!).
10. A Mathilde, with either slimmed down, or no sleeves.

This is quite a lot and I've actually just listed these without even consulting my current wardrobe, so some will definitely not come to fruition. But I guess this list, in itself, acts as inspiration. If I am tempted by a sewalong or challenge, or a new pattern release, I just need to refer back to this post and remind myself that doing something else will mean achieving one less thing on this list. There will be other items I want to make that don't feature here (another Kelly, a coastal print Miette and a "proper" Elisalex, to name 3), but I'm OK with that. Again, I just need to decide which I need or want more. This post isn't a binding contrast, it's a brain dump and a curated, cherry-picked Pinterest summary. And most of all, it's designed to cheer us all up and get us in the mood for summer! After all, if we start behaving like it's spring, maybe the sun will start to get the hint!

Do you have any thoughts about your Summer wardrobe (or upcoming Winter wardrobe if that's more relevant!)?

P.S. On a related note, I have finished my Mad Men dress! Hurrah! Post to follow once I get some photos taken.