I’ve had so many fails since I started making my own clothes, but each one has helped me better understand how to create a handmade wardrobe of garments I actually wear and love. It’s all in the planning! 

I’m going to share how I decide what to make each season and I’ll summarise at the end with 5 steps you can follow, to build and curate your own handmade wardrobe each season.

For me, a successful handmade wardrobe is made up of pieces that can be worn together to create outfits that work for my lifestyle. When I started looking at which shop bought pieces I wore most often, and began replacing those with handmade alternatives, my handmade wardrobe really grew and started to work for me. I embraced sewing with stretch fabrics and knitted sweaters in colours that were really wearable. 

Current Wardrobe

I try everything in my wardrobe on to see what fits, what needs mending and if there’s anything that should be retired. I take note of the things I’m excited to wear and the things that don’t make me feel good anymore. I analyse the fit, fabric, colour and style to see why something does or doesn’t work. Then I can take what I’ve learnt into the planning stage. 

Planning for the season ahead

Every season I look for holes in my wardrobe that could be filled, what’s new in the shops that I could recreate and if there are any new trends that would fit my style. 

I start a new Pinterest board and Pin anything I like without giving too much thought at this stage. It just has to fit the season and be a look I love. Then I see if there are any common themes. Usually I’ll start to see a particular colour palette I’ve been drawn to and garments of a similar style.

For example, I pinned several linen trousers, all with an elasticated waist, pockets and a tapered leg that was more fitted at the ankle

Mood board

I start editing my Pins down until I’m left with a selection of outfits that include garments similar to those I own, that fill a hole in my wardrobe or add something fresh. 

I like to save all my favourite Pins and create a mood board in Canva that I can print. I find it really inspiring and motivating to have a physical copy somewhere I can look at often, and if I was going to a yarn or fabric store I’d take it with me. 

In this mood board I already have the white shorts and striped long sleeve tees. The linen trousers fill a hole in my wardrobe for a trouser that’s not a jean or a sweat pant, and the light spring appropriate sweaters are something I’m missing too. The white blouses are something new that will update my wardrobe for the season and I can mix with the basics I already have. 

Now here’s the important bit! If a garment in my closet doesn’t fit with this plan but I still love it, I’m going to wear it. This isn’t about scraping what you’ve got and starting from scratch each season. Having a plan is about making smart choices going forward so you’re always building a wardrobe of considered, wearable pieces.

When I feel myself getting swept up in the excitement around a new pattern launch or yarn update I can see if it fits with my mood board and check it really is in keeping with my style.

Make a list

Next I trawl the internet for patterns, yarn and fabrics that I can use to recreate the looks on my mood board. Having a plan means I can budget for projects and set aside time to work on them. Knitting is more easy to work on at odd intervals, but sewing takes space and time. I don’t rush to make a whole new wardrobe, I break projects down into small steps. If I’m sewing, one day I’ll print and tape the pattern together, another I’ll cut the fabric and so on. I want to enjoy the process. 

Try not to cut corners

I know it’s tempting to skip this but an important step to creating a wardrobe full of wearable garments is to swatch and make a toile or muslin to make sure the finished pieces fit properly. I spend quite a bit of time choosing my size and selecting the right yarn or fabric so I have a better chance of success and a well fitting garment.

So, how can you apply this to creating your own spring wardrobe?

1. Try on everything you own that’s seasonally appropriate and see where the holes are in your wardrobe. Note which are your most worn and loved items. What makes these pieces work so well compared to other less worn garments? Is it the fabric, fit, colour or style?

2. Create a mood board of outfits you love that include favourite pieces you already own, garments your wardrobe is missing and a couple of new styles you think will update your wardrobe this season.

3. Choose one outfit from your mood board to recreate. Find a pattern and gather your materials.

4. Before you cast-on or start cutting into your new fabric make a swatch or toile so you can be sure of the fit before you start.

5. And finally, you’re ready to start your first make of the season! Take your time and enjoy the process.

I aim for quality over quantity when it comes to building my handmade wardrobe so I work on pieces slowly and purchase fabrics and yarn thoughtfully. The goal isn’t to make everything on my mood board this year it’s just a guide and a source of inspiration when I feel like starting a new project.

Subscribe to my YouTube channel now, and you can follow along each month to see the projects I’m working on to build my handmade wardrobe.

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Linden Sweatshirt and Hudson Pants

Lark Tee and Hudson Pants

For me, the perfect handmade loungewear capsule wardrobe combines pieces that are comfortable but not too oversized. The look is casual but I still feel put together and not like I’m wearing pyjamas.

The three patterns I’ve included in my round up of handmade loungewear staples is the Linden Sweatshirt, Lark Tee and Hudson Pants. I’ve sewn these multiple times and with a few tweaks to the length they fit just how I want them too. Now I can cut out and sew each pattern in an afternoon and I know they’ll fit seamlessly in with my capsule wardrobe if I choose fabrics that work with this colour palette of navy and grey.

Linden Sweatshirt

Pattern: Linden Sweatshirt by Grainline Studio

Variation: View A

Size: 8 (I’m 5ft tall and I have a 36” Bust Measurement)

Fabric: Lightweight grey jersey from Fabric HQ

Modifications:

• Shortened Front & Back Body pieces by 2”

• Shortened Sleeves by 3 1/2”

• Reduced the length of the Cuff Band by 1/2”.

• Cut Hem Band to match the width of the Body hem.

As seen on my knitting and sewing YouTube channel - Episode 18

I’ve adjusted the length to hit high hip and I shortened the sleeves too so the sweater has a neat, less slouchy look. By cutting the hem band to match the width of the body the sweater has a straight, boxy fit that doesn’t pull in at the bottom which I prefer

I used a lightweight jersey that didn’t have a lot of drape for this version of the Linden Sweatshirt which is feels light and warm. The instructions were clear and easy to follow.

Lark Tee

Pattern: Lark Tee by Grainline Studio.

Variation: Boat Neck, 3/4 Length Sleeve.

Size: 8 (I’m 5ft tall and I have a 36” Bust Measurement)

Fabric: Organic Cotton Interlock Stripes in Navy Blazer and White Medium from The Village Haberdashery

Modifications:

• Shortened Front & Back Body pieces by 4 1/2”

• Shortened Sleeves by 1 1/2”

As seen on my knitting and sewing YouTube channel - Episode 1

This is a nice weight fabric for a breton top. It doesn’t have a lot of drape and there is a good amount of stretch so it feels really comfortable and holds it’s shape nicely. This is probably one of my most worn handmade loungewear pieces and the interlock knit fabric has washed a worn brilliantly. I used a twin needle on the hems to get a professional finish with two lines of stitching like you would see on a commercially made t-shirt. The instructions were clear and easy to follow.

Hudson Pants

Pattern: Hudson Pant by True Bias

Size: 2 (I’m 5ft tall and wear 27” waist / 28” leg jeans )

Variation: View A

Fabric: Jersey marl from Ray Stitch

Modifications:

• Shortened Front & Back pieces by 1”

• Shortened Ankle Band by 1 5/8”

• Omitted the waist tie

As seen on my knitting and sewing YouTube channel - Episode 15

The thick waist band feels soft and comfortable and I love the pockets. There is a nice amount of stretch in this medium weight jersey so the cuffs are nice and stretchy. I’ve made the mistake before of using a sweatshirt fabric with not enough stretch and it was so hard getting the cuffs over my feet. The instructions were clear and easy to follow.

In Episode 13, over on my knitting and sewing Youtube channel, I showed a simple, modern, baby quilt I had been making as a gift for a friends new baby.

As so many of you were interested in the quilt I thought I’d share a baby quilt how-to and walk you through the steps I followed to make mine.

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Quilt making supplies

Main Fabric 1.5 meters (59”) - Serendipity by Minky Kim for Riley Blake Fabrics

Backing Fabric 1.5 meters (59”) - Catnip by Gingiber for Moda

Binding Fabric 0.5 meters (19.5”) cut into 2.5” strips - Basic Spot New Cheeky Pink by Henley Studios for Makower

Batting - Quilters Dream Cotton Crib 152cm x 117cm (60” x 40”)

Cotton thread for quilting

Contrast thread for basting

Walking foot

Pins

Hand sewing needle

Quilting Ruler 24” x 6”

Rotary Cutter

Pencil

Click to Shop Notions Pouches & Needle Books

Skills you will use for quilting

Sew in a straight line 

Bind your quilt using the mitred corner method

Whip stitch 

Steps for making a simple quilt

1. Pre wash and iron all your fabrics.

2. Lay your backing fabric wrong side up making sure to smooth out any wrinkles

3. Place your batting on top of your backing fabric

4. Lay your main fabric right side up on top of your batting making sure to smooth out any wrinkles

5. Starting from the centre of your quilt, hand sew through all three layers using your contrasting thread. These stitches will hold the quilt together as you machine quilt the fabric. They’ll be taken out at the end so use long stitches and don’t worry about making them neat. 

6. Using a quilting ruler and something to mark your fabric that will wash out, draw a line along the selvedge. Using this first straight edge as a guide, use your quilting ruler to draw a straight line at the top and bottom of the quilt and then finally the opposide side of the quilt. This rectangle marks the edge of your quilt and will neaten the edges when you cut along these lines after quilting.

7. Starting in the bottom right corner and using your quilting ruler, mark an 8” line at a 45° angle between the two perpendicular lines. 

8. Using this line as a guide continue to mark out your quilting lines 4” apart until you reach the top left corner of your quilt. 

9. Now starting from the bottom left, mark your quilting lines every 4” until you reach the top right corner of your quilt. You should now have 4” squares neatly marked our all over your quilt.

10. Attach your walking foot and set the stitch length at 2.5-3.

11. Machine quilt over your markings starting with one of the lines that run through the centre of the quilt and work your way out.

12.  Cut along the outside edges of your quilt that we marked in step 6.

13. Join your 2.5” binding strips by putting them right sides together at a 90° angle. (It will look like an L shape) Sew together with a diagonal line using the 45°angle guide on your quilting ruler if you want to mark your stitch line. When you press your seam open you should have a straight length of binding. 

14. Continue joining your binding strips until you have enough to go all the way around your quilt plus 10” of extra length.

15. Press the length of your binding in half with wrong sides together.

16. Line up the raw edge of your binding with the raw edge of your quilt top and start sewing with a ¼” seam about 6” from the end of your binding. Don’t start too close to the corners.

17. When you get to the first corner stop sewing ¼” from the edge and back stitch.

18. To create a mitred corner flip the binding straight up at a 90° angle and use your finger to press the diagonal crease line you should see at a 45° angle. Carefully fold the strip back down so the raw edge is lined up with the next side of your quilt. About ¼” from the edge you should feel the diagonal line under the binding strip you just lined up with the raw edge. You want your needle to be as close to this fold without sewing into it. Sew with a ¼” seam allowance and repeat for each corner.

19. When you are about 10” from where you started sewing your binding you want to join your strips while you still have some slack. Use your finger to press in a crease where the strips will meet if you were to sew them down. Carefully line these crease lines, up right sides together, and stitch on the crease. Your binding should lay flat against the quilt now and you can trim the excess so there is just a ¼” seam. 

20. Sew the binding to the quilt with a ¼” seam allowance.

21. Press the binding up and away from the quilt, then fold the binding to the back side of the quilt and pin in place. 

22. Use an invisible whip stitch to sew the binding in place on the back side of the quilt being careful not to let your stitches show on the front of the quilt - just catch the backing fabric and binding in your stitches.

23. When you reach a corner fold it neatly and carry your invisible stitch up the corner and down the other side on the front of the quilt so you don’t have a little pocket on either side of the quilt. 

24. Admire your beautiful quilt...you’ve finished!

Don’t forget to tag @alexcollinsdesigns when you share your quilt project on Instagram. I love to see your fabric choices, progress and finished quilt!

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Notions Pouch & Needle Book Set

Sold as a set, you get 1 Notions Sack and 1 Needle Book - This bundle saves you 10% off the equivalent items bought at full price, hurrah!

Use this little drawstring bag and needle book to safely store your pins and needles and keep your sewing notions organised.

• 100% GOTs Certified Organic Cotton

• 100% Bioland Certified Organic Pure Wool Felt

Each piece has been screen printed using non-toxic solvent-free black ink and hand stamped with my logo.

They are lovingly made in the UK and shipped worldwide.

£36.00

Add To Cart

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Common Stitch Bellbird Shorts and Grainline Studio Hemlock Tee

The relaxed fit Bellbird Shorts sewing pattern by Common Stitch features slash pockets and an elasticated waist making these a great beginner sewing project. I made mine using a Linen and Cotton blend John Kaldor fabric from Minerva Crafts which although I worried would be a little sheer is perfectly fine worn with nude underwear.

Bell Bird Shorts Modifications

I typically wear high waisted jeans in a 26”/28” so I started by cutting the size Small shorts pattern. I’m 5ft and the length is just what I wanted so I didn’t make any adjustments to the length. After tweaking my toile by removing 5/8” from the side seams and scooping out a 1/4” from the front crotch seam I actually ended up with an Xtra Small pattern so I’d recommend sizing down when you make your muslin or toile in this pattern. The XS shorts still have a loose and relaxed fit on me without being too baggy which I love.

Grainline Studio Hemlock Tee

The Hemlock Tee I’m wearing with my Bellbird shorts is a free t-shirt sewing pattern from Grainline Studios. I hemmed the armholes instead of adding the sleeves and made this version cropped by shortening the pattern by 9”. The fabric is a lightweight jersey fabric with lots of drape from Fabric HQ.

If you have any questions you’re welcome to email me at alex@alexcollinsdesigns.com

This Myosotis Dress by Deer and Doe is sewn using a Linen and Viscose blend dress fabric from Minerva Crafts. The 1” buttons were purchased at John Lewis and I dyed the fabric using Dylon All-In-1 Fabric Dye Pod in Plum Red.

I’ve adapted the Mysotis Dress by Deer & Doe by lengthening the skirt to midi length and adding patch pockets and buttons through the skirt.

Myosotis Dress Hack Modifications

• Shortened the sleeves

• Lengthened the skirt

• I didn’t cut the front skirt pattern on the fold I cut two separate front pieces

• I extended the facings so they reach from the collar to the bottom of the skirt and interfaced.

• When gathering the skirt pieces I started the gathers aprox 1” from the centre front so there are no gathers on the new button band.

• Cut two 8 3/4” by 7 1/4” rectangles for pockets. Fold and press the top over by 1/4’ and again by 1”. Top stitch 7/8” from the fold. I top stitched my pockets in place after sewing the dress together so I could check the placement - as a guide mine are 7” from the centre of the buttons and the bottom of the pocket is roughly where my fingertips reach.

• I placed 11 buttons and spaced them about 2 1/2” apart leaving 10” open at the bottom of the skirt. - I’m 5ft so you will want to add more buttons if you are much taller ;)

• I can get the dress on and off without undoing the buttons so I omitted button holes and sewed the buttons through all layers of fabric

If you have any questions you’re welcome to email me at alex@alexcollinsdesigns.com

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