The weather is changing here on the East Coast and it's getting warmer. I've been wearing some of my newer dresses along with some of the dresses I made last winter. So with the warmer weather approaching, I'm forced to look at the summer clothing that no longer fits.
Mentally and emotionally I can only do about 10-20 garments at a time. There are too many memories associated with each piece. As happy as I am for the weight loss, the amount of time invested in creating each garment slaps me up side the head as I add it to the pile. Even though the donation pile is getting larger and I know that someone else will get some joy from these pieces, it still hurts as each one is placed in that pile.
Now I just knew that my Vogue 1250 dresses would still fit. I've made 9 of them from some very pretty knit fabrics. They have all hit the donation pile and this was a huge blow. I loved those dresses. I'd managed to make them fit my bodacious body and they kept me on trend.
Now they are all too big, seriously swimming on me from the waist down. The curved centerback seam is halfway down my backside. To make them work, I'd have to take them apart and resew them...but here's the rip. When I pull them closer on me, it's just not an attractive look. I now understand why this dress didn't work on some of my fellow sewists.
Here are a few of the Vogue 1250 dresses, all made in 2012-2013, that hit the donation pile ~
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This dress also hit the pile ~
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Again too big! I thought about trying to save it but fat lifts things up...when it's gone everything just flops. So that beautiful waistband falls in a very unappealing place. Hopefully someone else will appreciate it's beauty.
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I removed the embellishment from this dress last year and now it will be donated. Just not worth fixing. I was much puffier last summer ~ 30 lbs puffier ~ and I was actually happy wearing this looser fitting dress but donation is its best fate now.
There were a few more pieces that went into the pile but not worth mentioning. I'm slowly but surely making my way through the closet, determining what I can save, what needs to go and what I may try to make again.
I've found some interesting pieces in the closet that I will keep...some need some simple alterations ~ an hour's worth of corrections at most ~ some fit right off the hanger. Two of the better finds are below ~
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I loved this dress and haven't been able to wear it in years. YEARS! It just had such a sentimental attachment that I was unable to give it away. It was made in 2007 from a piece of fabric that I loved. It's a silhouette that I've used often for a dress but the sleeves on the topper got tight and I moved on. To say that I was thrilled to have it fit again is an understatement. Though I'm now 10 lbs lighter than I was in the picture above.
There were two dresses that encouraged me to continue on in my TNT dress journey ~ the first one is a pink silk dress and this one ~
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It doesn't fit perfectly now. I will have to remove the zipper and pull in some of the center back seam to give the dress a closer fit. But it's worth the time it will take to keep it in the closet and make it wearable.
There will be more closet cull posts. I want to give some of these pieces the proper goodbye that they deserve. I've spent loads of hours thinking about & plotting how to make them, as well as, sewing them so there is much sorrow at parting with them. I know that I will make more. I know that styles change and everything wouldn't have remained in my closet forever...but they will be missed!
I have noticed something from this exercise though, everything that I've made in the last six years is now too big. I've been my most prolific in the last six years so quite a bit is being donated. Loads of techniques, hours of thoughts, designer interpretations, etc. are now being given away...*sigh* I know that this is part of my creative journey but it makes me very sad...
...as always more later!
Mentally and emotionally I can only do about 10-20 garments at a time. There are too many memories associated with each piece. As happy as I am for the weight loss, the amount of time invested in creating each garment slaps me up side the head as I add it to the pile. Even though the donation pile is getting larger and I know that someone else will get some joy from these pieces, it still hurts as each one is placed in that pile.
Now I just knew that my Vogue 1250 dresses would still fit. I've made 9 of them from some very pretty knit fabrics. They have all hit the donation pile and this was a huge blow. I loved those dresses. I'd managed to make them fit my bodacious body and they kept me on trend.
Now they are all too big, seriously swimming on me from the waist down. The curved centerback seam is halfway down my backside. To make them work, I'd have to take them apart and resew them...but here's the rip. When I pull them closer on me, it's just not an attractive look. I now understand why this dress didn't work on some of my fellow sewists.
Here are a few of the Vogue 1250 dresses, all made in 2012-2013, that hit the donation pile ~
This dress also hit the pile ~
Again too big! I thought about trying to save it but fat lifts things up...when it's gone everything just flops. So that beautiful waistband falls in a very unappealing place. Hopefully someone else will appreciate it's beauty.
I removed the embellishment from this dress last year and now it will be donated. Just not worth fixing. I was much puffier last summer ~ 30 lbs puffier ~ and I was actually happy wearing this looser fitting dress but donation is its best fate now.
There were a few more pieces that went into the pile but not worth mentioning. I'm slowly but surely making my way through the closet, determining what I can save, what needs to go and what I may try to make again.
I've found some interesting pieces in the closet that I will keep...some need some simple alterations ~ an hour's worth of corrections at most ~ some fit right off the hanger. Two of the better finds are below ~
I loved this dress and haven't been able to wear it in years. YEARS! It just had such a sentimental attachment that I was unable to give it away. It was made in 2007 from a piece of fabric that I loved. It's a silhouette that I've used often for a dress but the sleeves on the topper got tight and I moved on. To say that I was thrilled to have it fit again is an understatement. Though I'm now 10 lbs lighter than I was in the picture above.
There were two dresses that encouraged me to continue on in my TNT dress journey ~ the first one is a pink silk dress and this one ~
It doesn't fit perfectly now. I will have to remove the zipper and pull in some of the center back seam to give the dress a closer fit. But it's worth the time it will take to keep it in the closet and make it wearable.
There will be more closet cull posts. I want to give some of these pieces the proper goodbye that they deserve. I've spent loads of hours thinking about & plotting how to make them, as well as, sewing them so there is much sorrow at parting with them. I know that I will make more. I know that styles change and everything wouldn't have remained in my closet forever...but they will be missed!
I have noticed something from this exercise though, everything that I've made in the last six years is now too big. I've been my most prolific in the last six years so quite a bit is being donated. Loads of techniques, hours of thoughts, designer interpretations, etc. are now being given away...*sigh* I know that this is part of my creative journey but it makes me very sad...
...as always more later!