Considerin' the SWAP...

I haven't participated in the annual Sew With A Plan wardrobe competition in a long, long time...after doing it a couple of years in a row, I really didn't need to...and then  life got too busy and I just didn't have time.

I don't expect life to be a heck of a lot less busy this spring, but this year's musical is 'Fame' so I am not anticipating a ton of costuming.  Certainly nothing like last year. 

And I need clothes.

So I am thinking I may tag along this year...even if I don't finish all the garments in the plan on time I will have done SOME wardrobe sewing and, at this point, anything helps.

This year's SWAP rules are a little different; we are to make 3  3-packs ( a 3 pack consists of either two  tops and a bottom; a top, a bottom, and an outer layer;  or a dress, a top and a bottom) and 2 'wild card' pieces.  They all need to work together and look coherent...but they don't have to be completely interchangeable.

So I've been pondering this, thinking about my particular wardrobe needs.

You all know that the choir wardrobe kinda drives my closet selection;  my basic work wardrobe really isn't very different from the sum total of what I need for choir.  So if I focus on the neutrals we use in choir, then I should be able to have a basic plan to which I can add a top here or there or accessories to fill out what is needed to work with the colors of the month.

And, if I work the neutrals carefully, they might even work together :-)

The basic choir neutrals are Black, Gray,  Tan, Cream,  with Brown and Navy sometimes making an appearance; all I have to do is figure out how to beak that down into 3-3's and two wild cards.

Now, I am not kidding myself here.  I've seen what some of the other folks are doing for their SWAP wardrobes, and we are talking high end sewing.  This is NOT going to be high end sewing...at least, not the bulk of it.  This is not going to make anyone ooh and ah over it.  I'm going to make a neutral canvas that can be expanded upon.  Plain t's, a button up or two, some pants and a jacket.

Actually, my real inspiration is the Vivienne File's 'Common Wardrobe'.  Janice first posted that back in Sept of 2012, and since then she's used it as a foundation for all kinds of combinations, mixing with particular colors or accessories or adding a couple of other items to expand it.  It has really intrigued me; that's the way I want to dress...basic, simple, interchangeable.

And I need basics.

So...I'm ponderin'...I'm considerin'....