We all know that sewing is fun, but what’s even more fun than sewing is talking about sewing with a bunch of people whole are equally obsessed. That is just one of the reasons that the twice-annual Design Your Wardrobe party is a blast! For three weeks, twice a year you have even more of an excuse (not that you needed one) to chat sewing and create a concrete plan for your sewing over the next few months. 

This round a few of us here at Seamwork HQ decided to join in on the fun. Read on to see how we used Design Your Wardrobe to help us plan our fall sewing. 

Chelsea's Honeymoon Collection

This round of DYW I designed a small collection of clothing for my honeymoon at the beginning of September. I wanted to have clothing that would pair well together, cover a variety of activities (hiking, exploring downtown, nice restaurants, relaxing, etc.) and most importantly, travel well (focusing on fabrics that won't wrinkle and pack easily). I wanted to do all of this within a very neutral color palette, which my current wardrobe lacks.

What obstacle did DYW help you overcome?
The biggest obstacle I encountered was picking out the right amount of separates. I'm usually the type of person who just loves to sew up dresses, but always lacks in tops and bottoms, so I wanted to make sure I had a healthy amount of variety for this wardrobe. I tried to be specific when looking up inspiration images and patterns that were multiple pieces for a look, so I wouldn't be tempted to throw a dress in the mix.

What was your biggest take away after completing DYW?
I would say my most significant discovery about myself is also my biggest takeaway, for this round of DYW. I had to learn to let myself embrace truly casual lounge looks. I sometimes have difficulty going out doing things if I don't feel I'm up to the weird standards I've set for myself when it comes to what I'm wearing. I know my honeymoon is going to involve SO much walking and hiking and exploring and I need outfits to match that. I can't exactly go out in the woods with a dress or woven, frilly blouse, so I had to learn to think more realistically about what is appropriate for this occasion.

What is first on your DYW to-sew list?
The first item on my to-sew list will be the Seamwork Shelly leggings and the True Bias Hudson joggers, so I know I'll be ready with some comfortable pants/leggings right away.

Wallis' Weekend Athleisure Collection

My collection is named Weekend Athleisure. Most of the time on the weekends I'm nesting at home or going to the park with my dog (sometimes a foster too). I've learned the hard way that you should always wear something machine washable, warm, and allowing freedom of movement to the park. I wanted this collection to be practical, but also cute enough to wear out to grab a coffee or run to the store. The collection includes leggings, joggers, hoodies, pullovers, and tees that can mix and match.

What obstacle did DYW help you overcome?
Going through all of the exercises really made me think about how all of these pieces would coordinate. This made me rethink some of my original fabric choices. For example, I had some striped french terry that I couldn't decide how to make it coordinate with the rest of the collection, so I decided not to use it for the collection and instead make a dress.

What was your biggest take away after completing DYW?
I originally was thinking of basically repeating my ideas from last year's DYW that I never finished, but looking back there's a reason I never made it (spoiler alert: it wasn't actually practical for my lifestyle). I have now come to peace with making what I would call a "lazy girl" wardrobe because that is what will make me happy and get worn the most.

What is first on your DYW to-sew list?
A casual moto-style jacket, most likely knit, so it pairs well with leggings or joggers. I'm not like a regular dog mom. I'm a cool dog mom.

Robin's Everyday Collection

With three small children at home, I have very little time to fuss with my wardrobe-in regards to both wearing and sewing. My pieces need to work together seamlessly so that I can get dressed quickly in the morning. When it comes to sewing, I don't have the time to make a bunch of things that aren't going to get major play on a monthly basis. For DYW, I really thought about what I feel most comfortable and put together in, and I looked for patterns and fabrics that fit the bill AND worked both with each other and with what I currently own. 

What obstacle did DYW help you overcome?
Analyzing all that I already have, and what types of things really work for me on a daily basis.

Did you discover anything new about your personal style through the DYW process?
I really want black, blue, and cream to be the main colors in my wardrobe.

What was your biggest take away after completing DYW?
How important it is to narrow your focus when deciding what to sew. I pinned lots of patterns when I started the process but was able to weed out the less versatile ones as I proceeded through the course. The ones that made the final cut will be the bones of my wardrobe, then I will choose a couple of the others as wild card projects, probably with statement colors or prints for a nice pop!

What is first on your DYW to-sew list?
I'm going to start with a quick sew knit first—the Seamwork Rio tee. Then I'm going to ride that momentum into a bigger project—the Burnside Bibs from Sew House 7.

Haley's Loungewear Collection

I titled my Design Your Wardrobe collection Cozy Mama. This December, I am expecting my first child. I know that the first couple months of her life I will be spending a lot of time at home healing and bonding with baby. I wanted to create a comfortable loungewear wardrobe that met my needs as a new mama (easy to launder, quick breast feeding access, to name a couple). It was essential to me that all the pieces mix and match easily, so I don't have to think about it when getting dressed. 

What obstacle did DYW help you overcome? 
I think the biggest hurdle was planning for what my needs as a mom will be. I took a lot of advice from my mom friends (Thanks, Robin!) and tried to focus on being practical and let aesthetics take a little bit of a backseat. 

Did you discover anything new about your personal style through the DYW process?
I have never been one to put a ton of thought into my loungewear wardrobe. It has mostly consisted of old T-shirts and sweats. I was surprised by how fun and easy it was to design something cuter that was a better reflection of my personal style. Best of all, most of the patterns are easy things I can whip up in an evening sewing session!

What was your biggest take away after completing DYW?
My biggest takeaway is to stop ignoring the auxiliary portions of your wardrobe! Those parts of our closets need and deserve love too.

What is first on your DYW to-sew list? 
My collection involves a lot of batch sewing since many items are variations on the same pattern. I am going to kick off my sewing with a few Tacaras (both tunic and top lengths) hacked with a deeper neckline.