A Different Kind of "Boxing Day"

The changing of the season means the wool sweaters go into hibernation and the linen shorts and sundresses reappear in the wardrobe line up.  Boots to the back of the closet, sandals center front.  Down coats get swapped out for rain jackets and everything lightens up.  

Spring is also the time in my workroom for the "swapping of the boxes."  (I'm going to have to come up with a much more glamorous term...)  I keep my 'inventory' in plastic tote boxes.  The cotton knits in one, the wool in another, you get the drift.  In the Spring and the Fall I fold and replace any of the out going season's projects that didn't make it to the cutting table and gather the upcoming season's possibilities from the totes.  I love this ritual.  It's as much a part of Spring and Fall for me as daffodils and apple picking.  

It would probably make sense to do it in February so I might have a spring project ready when April rolls around, but somehow getting the linens out in the dead of winter just seems wrong.  So when the time changes so do the fabrics in my workroom.

The fabrics tend to collect themselves into groupings either by color or for a series of garments that will work as a 'capsule wardrobe.'  (I've been doing this for years and just recently realized that I was making 'capsule wardrobes,' I feel so on trend).  I also gather together notions and patterns that might work.  I have often found an inspirational photo or two from the enormous volume of catalogs that show up in my mailbox that also get added to the pile.  Or sketches that I have been making in my journal waiting for the new season.

Whatever I might have had in mind when I purchased a particular fabric has long since been forgotten and any 'coordinating' fabric was probably sewn into something else years before. But that is the beauty of the 'swapping of the boxes,' each new season that rolls around brings a whole new gang of possibilities with it!  New combinations happen, old fabrics become new in the light of a current style trend, forgotten pieces are like old friends turning up and surprising me.

So....ready for the spring 2016 sewing season....fresh from the plastic tote inventory....This year's contenders....

Pile number 1:  

• Grey light weight cotton jersey(which is hard to see under the khaki jersey) the two may end up in a layered and embroidered t-shirty thing 
• Brown plaid and striped jersey, another summer top that's been percolating for a while
• Charcoal rib knit that is thinking about becoming a jacket of some sort using the Petersham trim somehow
• Khaki linen that is destined for shorts or a skirt
• Hale Bob border print silk with grey challis, still pondering...
• Variegated yarn (in the works as a cool bias knit tank top, should be finished shortly!)
• Wool yarn probably a longish cardigan at some point.  

Pile number 2: This one started to support the knitted tank top in the upper right hand corner of the photo

• Tan and light grey double sided gauze with a really cool selvage (under the buttons), the stuff feels like a cloud!  
• A light grey linen tablecloth that I found at Marshall's that will never see a table!  
• White linen print that looks good in the pile, but hasn't decide on a garment yet
• Cool cotton lace???  
• And the khaki linen, a carry-over from Pile 1!

...And the inspiration for some of the ideas....

I hope you realize that these piles are the ultimate 'pipe dreams.'  I never (EVER) get all of the stuff sewn in a season!  But making the piles is almost as much fun as sewing the clothes, and if they don't happen, they have a chance for a starring role in next season's line up!

Happy Boxing Day!