Back to School Wardrobe: Planning Update {kids clothes}

I know it's not back to school anymore. It's already nearing the end of the semester! But... Back in August I talked about the kids' clothes for going back to school and looked at different planning tools/worksheets with which to build their capsule wardrobe for school. You can check out that post here.

To be honest, that post super stressed me out. documenting what the kids had and trying to find the holes (which is what I have been attempting for my own wardrobe for the past, I don't know, 4 years?)... I gave up documenting the girls' clothes. We are blessed to receive hand-me-downs and it's not necessary at all. Through the good graces of friends, we have not needed anything for them.

My oldest is in need of clothes, however. I was still overwhelmed by trying to document and find holes in his wardrobe. Totally overkill for a 7-year-old who still has tons of shirts he has yet to grow out of and a taste as simple as {tee + pant + shoe} and an aversion to layering shirts. No button-ups over graphic tees, or graphic tees over polos here. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that maybe he might decide to try that combo. I always thought it looked rather sharp.

The simplest approach for this mom of 4 is simply, did we make it through the week without the blaring "mom, I have no clean pants!!!"? I've since put a box in the kids' closets and much better about telling them to take off what they are wearing if it doesn't fit and put it into that box.

We've since made it to the point where he is in need of pants (about another 2 pairs). I got lucky with clearance items at both Target and Walmart, but since have stopped looking. He could probably use a khaki pair and another blue denim. He has blue denim (2) and a black denim (1).

He is also in need of another 2-3 long sleeve shirts. He currently has 2 graphic tees (1 is getting a bit snug) and a long sleeve school shirt.

So, I'm making a plan. I miss sewing. I want to sew him a couple shirts, and maybe store buy another 1 (or 2).

Shirt 1:
He likes Spock from Star Trek (the original series) and a shirt for that would be awesome.

Looking at this picture, I am thinking a raglan maybe modified with a v-neck but without the high neckline. It's moments like this where I wish I had an embroidery machine, or cricut maker, or silhouette. The symbol will have to be freezer paper stenciled on.

Shirt 2:
He likes Pokemon. Now, with it being super popular I was hoping to find a shirt like this in kids sizing. I have not had luck in my semi-non-thorough search.

I will use a basic long sleeve shirt pattern and color block in the black, red, and white parts. I am thinking either applique the circle, or sew a set in circle. either are an option.

Shirt 3:
Who doesn't love comic characters? DC or Marvel, gotta love them all. Flash seemed fun (plus Sheldon had a few Big Bang Theory episodes where he "ran fast in the flash costume" according to N.
Now picture something like this...

in this pattern

It's the Thumbs Up Tee by OUSM Designs. (Feeling Nostalgic at the moment. Seriously, my little boy was so cute!) I will be freezer paper stenciling the symbol on the shirt too.

Fingers crossed I will be able to accomplish these things! My machine is still hiding in it's case!

Back to School Wardrobe: Planning {Kids Clothes}

We have been in school for 3 weeks. Already it has been 3 weeks! I am stunned it has been that long. It has gone by so fast.

I was worried about my little one starting kindergarten, and I still am a little worried. She is loving it though! I am sure she feels like such a big girl going to school like big brother.

I'm sad she is spending more time away from the home. I loved having my bouncy high energy girl here at home. But, I am excited she is showing others how awesome she is. And, I do love the fresh start of a new school year. New backpacks, new supplies, new learning, old and new friends. And... Of course... New clothes!

Well, really, in our case it's paring down the wardrobe. You should see all of the clothes the girls have! It's boxes upon boxes of clothes! We have been so lucky to have friends and family give us hand-me-downs. I know we won't be this lucky forever. And, you should see how picky Samara is when it comes to her clothes. So we are going to go through and take out all the things she doesn't like to wear, then go from there. Maybe this might help keep her from changing her clothes 10 times a day?

I've grabbed a few planning tools for capsules and used those to compile a mixable wardrobe for the oldest two. I'm not going to suggest a certain one for you to use. It's more based on personal preference and what works for you. I will go through each one and which one worked best for us.

The Planners/Templates

Have you tried searching the website for planners, templates, and/or printables? It's ridiculous. And, they are all lists to type or write on. I prefer something I can use pictures. My overtired pregnancy momma brains can't comprehend past letters. Plus I love the visual the pictures give to my little ones. Even though my boy can read now, visuals are still nice to have.

Time for School Sudoku Planning Tool. From Free Notion. My first thought is that this might be good for my little guy to see that he can layer button-ups over regular shirts... I will need to do duplicates of this to have enough clothes to get through the week. My kids are too rowdy and play in the dirt, so re-wearing an item for them gets me a little grossed out. I have to do laundry once a week and refuse to do it more often.

4x4 from Vivienne Files. I've been using this one for my capsule, you can read about it here and here.
Harper+Lu's Capsule Planning Template. Mac is one of the awesome ladies behind sew altered style. This template is perfect for getting through the week.

I added a box for notes (so I can type in what I need for the kids. It kind of also turned into a holding place for items as I sifted through.

I am building these with the kids. Especially for the sudoku, they are dictating where to put a garment item. After all, these aren't my own clothes I am wearing. This is for them, and they will be wearing the clothes. Please forgive the quick phone photos. I can't waste too much time when going through the clothes with the kids. Attention spans only last so long...

Nikolai

For his sudoku. I like having the different outfit options laid out for me to see. Samara could care less, she mixes and matches everything anyway. Nikolai, however, has a hard time. If we buy a pair of pants and a top he has a difficult time pairing up those items with other garments. Eventually, they lose their newness and he can filter them into his closet, but it takes a while. I am hoping that seeing this helps that.

In the 4x4 I like that, without having to do multiples, I can have the clothes for the week. I honestly find it funny that we have mostly red and green for my little guy. I had no clue until I filled in this template. I am wondering if it was the season when we purchased the items, or just what we gravitated towards when making purchases.

Harper+Lu ... Another I love without having to make multiple times. It has one extra garment than the 4x4. It gets through the week perfectly. With changing likes for the kids I think this one is better as it doesn't necessarily focus so much on a specific color scheme but more on the items. Though for a true capsule wardrobe everything would pretty much blend together well.

What he needs?
A couple pairs of pants, long sleeve shirts (about 5 to get the full 7: some plain for layering short sleeves), a sweater, and a jacket. Oh, and a new pair or two for shoes! I was looking at his pair currently and it is starting to fall apart! I will wait on these for when the weather cools off. The boy is getting ready for a growth spurt, I'm sure.

Samara

You should see all the clothes we got rid of, just from stuff that fits but she doesn't want to wear. This girl is funny. It took us multiple sessions to go through it all. And, we need to do more! She has several shorts I do not want her wearing to school. I prefer a more modest approach to clothes and shorts are hard to find. 

Sudoku for her. I needed to get her other shoes pictured, But she is constantly wearing them! The black pair we picked up when Babies-R-Us closed and we got a few things for the baby too. Her wardrobe is not very mixy matchy capable from the looks of this. I had a really hard time with it.

Her 4x4 back to school. I thought I couldn't make it work. I thought most of her colors would be pink and purple. I was kind of surprised. Just like with Nikolai's. I love seeing the colors my kids gravitate towards!

Her Capsule "prime"

What she needs?

Layering options. We have 5 pairs of bike shorts to wear under skirts and dresses. But she is in need of sweaters. She has a ton, but all of them she refuses to wear and half of them are getting too small. She is going to be in need of a winter jacket, but that can wait. As for pants... The kid has a drawer full of them! Ha! So she is in no need there either.

Perhaps a pair of pink shorts would be good if I can find the Bermuda style at Walmart like the pairs she has been wearing.

Which one?

Given that this is the first time I really have gone to this length for the kids' clothes, I am wondering if it was more time consuming than necessary. We have overspent on clothes in the past, and a lot of those clothes we still have that fit now (like my big guy's shirts. Ha!). 

I think I liked Harper+Lu's Capsule Planning Template best for Nikolai. It fits him the best, and even though he needs some more work mixing and matching his stuff, he gets there eventually after the newness wears off. I guess it kind of is a toss-up between that and the 4x4 from Vivienne Files. I asked him which one he likes better and he says the Harper+Lu's is better.

For Samara, it is a tough call. I also liked the Harper+Lu's Capsule Planning Template but I also really liked the 4x4 from Vivienne Files. Mostly because that girl has a hodgepodge of options.

As time passes I think I would like to cross reference mixability with the Time for School Sudoku Planning Tool. 

I'm hoping that if I continue keeping up with something like this the kids may be able to, if not do it themselves, at least be able to fill the holes and needs in their wardrobe more effectively later on. Unlike buying things just cause they like them or want them. Such is my difficulty with clothes. Intentionality is a good thing! Right?

Do you use a planning tool when going over what to buy/sew for your kiddos back to school wardrobes? If you do, share the one you use! If not, would you use one or do you think it is too much work?

Sewing a Mini-Capsule: Update {Self Care}

At the end of March, I shared with you my plans for sewing a mini capsule. Or rather, filling in the holes of what I currently have. Now that it's the end of Me Made May, I'm ready to share my updated mini capsule.

And, now you know our big news you can understand my need for a mini capsule! One of the reasons I have been kind of working on the wardrobe is I had gotten rid of a bunch of my maternity wear way before baby 4 was even close to coming. I was fighting through this winter with elastic around the button of my only jeans that didn't kill my hips until I *finally* made my Love Notions Maternity Sabrina Slims and a friend giving me a pair of rtw skinny maternity jeans (among other awesome items).

I used the book The Curated Closet By Anushka Rees to help me out a little bit too. Mostly colors and what kind of items. I have way more than enough skirts for my lifestyle. Even if they are super comfy in the heat. You can read what I had to say about it here.

Here was the plan (using the 4x4 wardrobe sheet from Vivienne Files)...

And what I have now...

<img 4x4 update>

Added Items:
Ponte A-Line Skirt

Grey shorts

Mint Tank
Purple Tank
Maxi Skirt
Denim Capris

Ponte A-Line Skirt

Using leftover fabric from the navy Ponte pants I made a while back I made a knee length A-line skirt. Instead of gathering the waist of the skirt I decided to go with about 2" box pleats. They are far from perfect, don't sew pleats when the kids are awake and messing with you. Trust me.
 I've been wanting a pleated skirt for a long while. I would have preferred it in brown, like a faux suede, but that wouldn't fit in with my clothes and probably wouldn't ever get worn. It may be better in a woven material than the knit, but it didn't require any extra purchases! It's not a "love it!" item, but it is sufficient for now. I discovered this fabric pills horribly after several washes, so this is just going to be a seasonal item. 

Grey Shorts

I was given some grey shorts and decided to add those in place of the pinstripe grey pants! They are super comfy, and perfect for our southwestern desert heat. I'm super excited to have these and have worn them quite a lot recently.

Mint Tank

I used some leftover fabric from Halloween this last year and made myself a knit top using Pattern 4 Pirates Layer Me Up Shirt cut as a tank. It is so nice and cool in our really warm weather though I don't know how long it is going to last since I had to get creative about cutting it out of the leftover fabric. (shame on me, I know) ... I have had a really bad case of forgetfulness and ended up having to restitch the neck binding on twice! I don't know what I was thinking messing up the ratios as bad as I did. No matter how hard you try quartering the binding is not going to match up with the shoulder seams. Gapped in the back and super stretched in the front just looks so bad! I almost didn't fix it, but so glad I realized there was just no pulling off a poorly attached neck binding.

Purple Tank

This fabric is leftover from a project I had intended to make for the girls but ended up not for some reason. It's from one of those buys where you just get yards upon yards and then never use it. But it was perfect for this project, and I have room to grow. It's the Pattern for Pirates Free Spirit Tank. Super comfy. Super slinky, and super stretchy. I might make another top out of this material. Goodness knows I have plenty of it!

Maxi Skirt

I switched out my mint cardigan for a flower print maxi skirt. I got this from a LulaRoe seller who was closing up shop and selling everything discounted (IMO that's the best time to buy LLR pieces because they are way too expensive!) And I love the material. Perfect in the summer heat!

Denim Capris

I traded out pants for these capris. I am thinking I would much prefer shorts. These, I thought I got rid of, came from a time of my life when I disliked showing off my thighs in public and refused to wear shorts. I have since discovered how much more comfortable shorts are and have gotten over my thigh insecurities.

I'm super happy with how these outfits are turning out so far... (forgive my not so good phone pics, I was rushing through naptime)

Seriously!? So many outfits from a 4X4 Wardrobe from Vivienne Files! And that's not even all of them! I missed the ponte pants with a couple of the shirts! I am impressed. Now to just work on styling with jewelry, changing out shoes, and my hair (cause I am so tired of a bun and so want a haircut!)! 

Now what?

I'm thinking the cardigans need to be switched out for something else. Just one was not enough and I don't need them for the weather we have now. At least that is what I am thinking. Another top in that color, or a tank so I have a sleeved and non-sleeved option. I will need to sit on that one a little bit more. But now that our temperatures have hit a high where layering is just too much with the heat, I am thinking switching them out will be best. A lot changes in two months! I need to work on these things faster! LOL!

Although, I did pick up some cute leafy green patterned olive semi-sheer knit (mystery, it was from Walmart).  I am thinking it would make a perfect kimono. I assume that would make a cute layering piece and if not a cute swim cover. Not that I ever go to the pool. I added it into the plan, but with the gray. I think it should change places with the cream. But isn't it lovely?

I am also thinking of trading out my ponte pants for another pair of shorts. I haven't been wearing those either, it's just too hot and I can't handle the heat right now!

Had you been working on some self-care sewing?

Read a Book: Curated Closet by Anushka Rees {Self-Care}

You walk into my closet in the morning and look around at all the clothes hanging, waiting to be worn. You blink a few times before deciding on something to grab. Only thing is, you don't want to wear any of the clothes in front of you. Or you go through multiple combinations before finally deciding on something to wear for the day, feeling completely dissatisfied with the selection you ultimately made. All the pieces in your closet were cheap easy buys you made because it was cute, or you liked it for the moment only to discover they don't work with anything else you own or you don't really like it as much as you thought.

Yeah. I've been there.

I'm still there. Kind of. It's getting better. Slowly. My capsule has helped a little bit.

I'm still searching out tips for working on your wardrobe. The hardest part is not having the budget for it, so I am limited. But that will not always be the case. At least I hope not. For you all, I hope that is not the case. It's fun going clothes shopping. Usually. Without kids.

I read this book recently. Curated Closet by Anushka Rees. I picked up the e-book from my library after having it on hold for forever!

I have to say, I really enjoyed it. I was going to try to move through it quickly (seriously the wait line at the library for it is so long!) and a friend was next in line. But this is so full of information for the wardrobe obsessed individual it makes it hard to just read. I had to take notes. I have a Trello board dedicated to the notes I have from this book.

And I feel that I need to go over it again. I haven't performed all the exercises she goes through in this book. And some I need to be more thorough with. The above picture is outfits that I have pinned in my summer and winter inspiration Pinterest boards. I still have yet to create a "mood board". It seems like a lot of work, but I think it may interesting later.

One of the activities is comparing the outfits you have to the typical activities you do during a 2 week period. These are a rough estimate for now. If I pulled everything out and categorized my thoroughly it would be more accurate. And if I created a section for costumes, because I kept all the Halloween Costumes from over the years, it would be more accurate!

Seriously. I go nowhere except pick up and drop off for the kids, and grocery shopping during the week! Maybe the occasional play date if I can get the kids out of the house in time. My life is so boring! I had to back it out a month because I *sometimes* am able to make it to a house evening with the girls or a quilt guild meeting. Though that would still count as "daytime" outfits and not necessarily semi-fancy as I have it sorted for the purposes of the above pie chart. (I did this in google sheets, super excited I figured that out!)

The current wardrobe is an interesting thing, especially in comparison to what I actually do during the day. Granted it is not as accurate as it could be. It includes dresses I have worn for weddings, clothes that I never touch, clothes that don't fit that for some reason I still cannot get rid of, and the small number of clothes that I actually wear (making a case for a capsule for myself I think?) I still have clothes from my working days; I stopped working to be a SAHM back in 2013! It's been 5 years! I am laughing at myself at the moment...

After looking through the outfits I would actually wear, and the clothes in my closet I do wear and using her book, these were the colors I came up with. After doing this it made me feel better about my mini capsule choices (read about it here and here).

I seriously had fun with working through the outfit formulas too.

Now, this would all be amazing if I took the time to actually discover all my different outfit combinations and ways to style them. She even talks about that too!

I think my most exciting takeaway is that this book gives you strategies to help build a wardrobe despite the trend of fast and cheap fashion. I have fallen to the ills of fast fashion with almost all of my wardrobe buys. I hope that this book and the strategies she suggests help me when I am at the store.

All the rest of the book is probably way more hassle than it's worth. But, I have enjoyed it!

So far I have not made any clothing purchases in the last few times I have been to the store because none of the items worked for my lifestyle or what I already have in the closet. I call that a win!

Do you have a wardrobe you love, or do you wish you could vamp it up somehow?

Nursing Friendly Willow Wrap Dress: For the Love of Dresses and Tunics {Love Notions Blog Tour and Giveaway}

Welcome to my stop on Love Notion's  "For the Love of Dresses and Tunics"! I had to jump on the chance to participate on a dress or tunic because I have been totally in the mood for something to wear with my bright green leggings from here but was having the hardest time finding anything Ready To Wear from the store! Perfect timing and opportunity to make a beautiful garment!

And? I am so In Love with this dress! I made the Willow Wrap Dress, just perfect for this nursing momma! It was the first thing I made from my Spring Capsule Wardrobe and I am so glad I did!

I feel beautiful in it! I felt beautiful while I was pregnant, and feel beautiful now!

I love the gathers on the side (hard to see in this fabric). But even with my post-partum belly (by only 5 days) This dress still looks awesome!

And some cuteness with the baby... :D

Even the husband is happy with the way I look in the Dress! Bonus since it's purpose is for date nights. I plan on wearing it for Valentine's day. We do dinner at home, sometimes in front of the tv with the kids, sometimes not. I'm gonna pull out some candles and set up the table for a nice date night in, and I'm excited! A girl has to feel beautiful, especially after having a baby only a few days ago!

I'm also thinking of pairing it with my leather jacket and some heels for a wedding in March. I might end up sewing a blazer later, but for now the leather jacket will do nicely! Oh, I am excited to wear this out with the husband!

Check out these other awesome bloggers and their incredible creations!

Feb. 8th  Pear Berry Lane   Rebel and Malice  Craft Blizzard 

Feb. 9th Friends Stitched Together Bunch o Berries HattieLu Handmade

Feb. 10th Beri Bee Designs The Wholesome Mama Handcrafted by RED

 Feb. 11th Phat Quarters Blog Sew Sophie Lynn Sew Starly 

Feb. 12th Boutique Birdie Pen Seb & Rox Creative Counselor 

Feb. 13th All Things Katy! Sprouting JubeJube Lulu and Celeste

There is a Giveaway!
Winner receives: 5 patterns of their choice from Love Notions (bundles excluded) & $50 GC from Girl Charlee!
There are three entry opporunities: visit LN page, leave a blog comment, & sign up for the LN newsletter.
Winner has 48 hours to claim their prize, after that, a new winner will be chosen.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pattern was provided free of charge in exchange for participation in the tour. 

All views and opinions expressed are my own.

Building a Capsule Wardrobe: Preparing for Spring

Wait, Spring? Already? Are we even close to being out of winter? I guess some of you are still experiencing snow on the ground and the thought of spring seems so far away. Punxsutaney Phil has said it will be an early Spring! But here in the lovely desert, we had experienced 80* weather already last week. If anything, I should be preparing for summer! Ha! But, spring will work decently from about... now... until April/May! And it fits perfectly into my goals this year!

Goal 3: I want to finish with the KonMari method on my clothes. I held onto a lot last year to prepare for the pregnancy and for nursing. But then turned around and ended up accidentally discarding nursing shirts. I really want to cry because I have maybe one or two tops that work for that! I also still have a bunch of clothes that hasn't worked for me in over 10 years and should probably discard them regardless of whether I *think* I am going to turn the items into clothes for the kids. Hey, the discount second hand stores are taking spring wear now!

Sudoku sheet from Free Notion

Goal 4: I want to rebuilt my capsule wardrobe. I thought I was happy with what I had last year, but I have come to realize that it doesn't work for me now. Really? I don't know if I can fit into any of the clothes that I had. I don't know how much weight I will loose, and how fast, once this baby decides to finally make her debut (as of today: 40weeks+5days)... But most those clothes took me years to fit into and never really fit the same way after kids... Why keep them? Especially when I love the items I have sewn for myself!

Sew for myself I shall! So I used my outfit planners from the kids printable wardrobe planners (girls, boys) and the Sudoku sheet from Free Notion (both modified to fit the odd sizing of my planner) and the motivation from the pinspired pirates hashtag contest (which I completely missed) to plan some nursing modifications to shirts. They even have a spot in my planner set-up which I love having so easily accessible!

outfit planners (girls, boys)

I have to say that I am really excited! Hopefully I can actually spend the time on the sewing, but based on necessity I think I have to!

I have quite a bit of my fabric already! That is always a good feeling! I love these fabrics, picked up at the local discount fabric store a while back and now I know just what to do with them! All together there seems to be less continuity between them, but I will also do a pink, purple, blue and green camisoles for layering under and to add an element of modesty during nursing...

I just need to work on the bottoms, but I may wait a little longer to work on those and use what I have not yet purged. And who knows what is going to fit ...

These were the colors That I was thinking. I am finding that I am loving pinks/purples and the blues!

Adding the neutrals of brown, blue/denim and white. with green as an accent. I'm still debating on black too...

I just need a jacket/blazer, but not sure the pattern or the fabric to use: possibly navy blue, denim, or both. But it's all in time!

I'm just excited to get something together that I will love and that I will wear.

Now... If only I can bring myself to get rid of the other clothing items that are just taking up space!

Looking for inspiration?
Pinterest Inspiration: Nursing and Maternity, Capsule Wardrobe, Outfit Inspiration, PDF Women's Sewing Patterns

I want to hear from you!
What are your plans for your clothes this year?
Do you just use what you have (hey, if it works it works!), or do you just get what you like? Do you tend to stick with certain colors?
Do you capsule your wardrobe? How do you plan it out?

Building a Capsule Wardrobe: Kids Part 2 {Girls Printable Wardrobe Planner}

*This post contains affiliate links. I receive a small commission when you make a purchase at no extra cost to you. All views expressed are my own.*

Let's face it. I am not that great when it comes to figuring out the little girl's clothes. Planning her wardrobe? I seem at a complete loss. But I have a printable version like my little boy's printable planner, but for girls. 

Missed some of my other capsule wardrobe posts? You can read up on them here!

Check out the girls version here: Wardrobe Planner for Girls - Fall/Winter

This one has been a greater work in progress. Maybe because she is still little, potty training with regular accidents, and has to change her clothes 3-4 times daily. Really?!? What is up with that? She is so darn picky when it comes to her clothes! The child will pick something out and screech bloody murder to get it off with no idea why. This, of course, is when I can manage to get her into clothes in the first place.

But, aside from her strange wardrobe aversions (which I have yet to discover the specifics), I have created this bare bones idea of what a little girl needs in her closet. 

I may need to change the numbers to double just to account for her accidents, carrying extra clothes and daily wardrobe changes.

After going through her clothes (so far, I'm not even close to being done!), taking away what she refuses to wear, and boxing up what doesn't fit...

What I still need to create:

2 pairs of pants: Skinny Jeans by PAB (affiliate links), she loves her bootcut jeans from Old Navy - Looking for a pdf!
1 mid-heavy weight sweater: (haven't decided yet, suggestions?)
1 fancy dress: Holly and Ivy by GYCT Designs (affiliate links)
2 long sleeve: Tinley Tee and Rival Raglan by GYCT Designs (affiliate links)
(maybe) Blazer/dress jacket: Winter Wear Designs Phresh Blazer

Really, that's it. I could hold off on the dress and the sweater. I would like to do the blazer because it's nice to have, and she loved her old one (which she outgrew so fast!)

Honestly thought. I have 4 drawers of clothes filled (mostly shirts) with sizes 12 months to 3T, a closet filled with dresses 24 months to 5T, and a drawer that is for pajamas alone sizes 12 months to 3T. Granted some of the clothes don't fit yet and some of the 12 month stuff no longer does fit! I just need to be more diligent with taking things out that she doesn't wear and doesn't fit. So far I have removed a small diaper box of clothes... Just need to keep chipping away! :)

Share your thoughts:

Do you just shop/sew for your kids clothes? Or do you put together a plan before you start sewing/take a trip to the store?

Building a Capsule Wardrobe: Moving on to the Kids {Boys Printable Wardrobe Planner}

*This post contains affiliate links. I recieve a small compensation when you make a purchase at no extra cost to you. All views expressed are my own.*

So I have mentioned quite a bit about building a capsule wardrobe.

Read about what I have learned here, what I have been thankful for here, and my more recent post here.

After the joys that my capsule wardrobe has given me, and the release, I have come to conclusion that I need to be doing this with my kids clothes too.

I made a Capsule Wardrobe for Boys printable set to help me stay organized. Once I figure out girls clothes, I will work on one of those too!

I sort of started this not that long ago, which makes this part easy. But at the same time most of my son's clothes do not fit him. ( I haven't quite figured out the little lady's wardrobe yet, that will come later). So, he is in need of clothes.

Honestly though. I wait until last minute to that boy's laundry. And then there is a pile up because there are just so many! I am hoping that this will help with the laundry like it did with my clothes!

step one... Take everything out of the closet that doesn't fit. Just like if you were to do your own closet.

step two... categorize what you do have

step three... figure out what you need

step four... decide on patterns to use, fabrics to use then...

step five... sew!

Easy right? yes... well... easier said than done. I needed to go through clothes when the little was not watching and then promptly remove them from (or put them up in) his closet so as not to entice their little grubby hands to grab, play, and throw across the room.

But, in an attempt to organize the sewing that I need want to do I created this worksheet to use. Complete with outfit planning! It has a spread sheet to organize your sewing and write down the patterns you wish to use (1 with numbers of items and 1 without) and 6 sheets for planning the outfits and spaces for fabric swatches. taking into consideration that you may or may not need all of them. They can be reprinted for further planning purposes

So far what I have decided to sew?
2 GYCT Designs Rival Raglans, 1 Long Sleeve and 1 short sleeve Tinley Tee, Denali Jacket and Jean & Jamey Jammies (affiliate links)
Peek-A-Boo Pattern Shop long Sleeve Classic Ringer Tee, skinny jeans, A&AWinter PJs (affiliate links)
Brownie Goose Butler Britches
Shwin Designs Number 9 Trousers
Momma Quail Patterns Timmy Top or Shwin Designs Maxwell Top
P4P Lumberjack Shirt as a jacket
Winter Wear Designs Aviator Pants

Any Suggestions? Maybe you have some pattern you love? ;)

check out my printable pages here! I have 2 different charts. one with numbers and one without so you can create more of what you want. I have up to 7 spaces so you can write down the pattern you wish to use. Then there are 6 outfit planning printables too. I don't think I am going to be using these much, but it was fun!

Have you checked out Rebel and Malice? She has started a capsule sew along for kids fall outfits for back to school!  There is a facebook group and some other planning tools available too. You don't need to sew, you could use if for purchasing back to school clothes too!