More curtains (and clothes)

Another day . . . and another pair of curtains to alter =:o.  Do our children think I have nothing better to do with my time?  Or that I have so much time on my hands they keep finding me more things to do?  Only joking, I'm always very happy to be asked to help with sewing related projects.  However, yet again I find myself having to deal with badly made 'sale' curtains; it's on these occasions, when I have to deconstruct something to alter it, that I realise just how poorly some items have been made.  These particular curtains are attractive and 'in trend', but they are so thin even with a lining that they must still let light through and certainly not keep heat in.  Basically they are for decoration only rather than being functional.  Anyway, I am currently unpicking said curtains and I'll try to do the necessary alteration over the next week - it's the next job on the list so I shall give it my full attention - and no doubt mutter a bit more about shoddy workmanship in the process.  I have told the youngsters that next time curtains are required, it's either a charity shop buy or I make them from scratch!

I'm still pondering over the state of my wardrobe, after the grand clothing sort out I had earlier in the week.  Having gone through every item of clothing I possess I gradually came to the conclusion that whilst I am fortunate to have enough clothes to wear, not much actually goes together.  I have T-shirts and tops that go with jeans (then again, I guess most tops go with jeans), but I have a skirt that goes with nothing at all, trousers that I can't match to anything, lots of colours but very little neutral, and so on.  There is, I have come to the conclusion, no plan or order to my clothing, and I will readily admit how much I need order in my life.  I buy clothes rarely (I think I bought just one pair of jeans and one long-sleeved T-shirt last year, both from a charity shop, and swimwear for Spain), I tend to shop for clothes spontaneously rather than with any kind of plan in mind, and I can see now that I don't really give much thought as to how any new item will fit in with the rest of my clothes.  There's a lot of colour going on, too.  I love bright colours but perhaps I don't need quite so many of them ;-)  It has become clear to me now just why I used to stand in front of a wardrobe of clothes and simply not know what to wear if I had to go out somewhere particular.

I've had a look through some capsule wardrobe blogs and I think this is the way to go for me.  And then yesterday evening I watched the second episode of The Great British Sewing Bee and had a light-bulb moment.  I can't afford to buy a new wardrobe of clothes - and I couldn't justify that sort of spending anyway - but I can make clothes myself, to fit me.  Also, I can't rush something like this, I need to take my time.  So, one step at a time.  I think I may start with colour - base colours, neutrals and reduce the number of brights/accents.  Sounds easy when I write it down.  I have a feeling it may not be quite that simple!