Project 333: Spring Wrap Up

Today wraps up both Me-Made May and my spring rotation of Project 333!

Wearing: Railroad denim skirt, Railroad denim skirt, Asian florals dress, Art Deco blouse and denim skirt

I sort of gave up at the end of the month--not on wearing me-mades, but on wearing stuff from my spring rotation.  I borrowed a few things from my summer rotation, and also wore a couple of things that aren't going in for one reason or another.  (Although, the Art Deco blouse is more flattering than I remember--perhaps it will sneak in after all!)  I probably shouldn't have washed everything over the weekend, but with the sudden nasty turn in the weather, I was just done with everything in my closet.

Left column, top to bottom:

Brown wool/alpaca sweater, Navy cotton long-line sweater, Purple Rosemont cardigan

Liberty #3 dress, Axcess dark teal pullover/cardigan, Fat Face blue cardigan/pullover, Jeanne Pierre teal-green cotton pullover

Gray cotton cardigan, Coral-rose heavy weight cotton cardigan, Burgundy Irish wool cardigan

Middle column:

Blue knit eshakti dress, Liberty #1 dress, Poppy Parade dress, First Light dress

Second middle column, top to bottom:

Purple henley t-shirt, coral henley t-shirt, striped boatneck t-shirt, red striped cardigan pullover

Red merino cardigan, pink cotton cardigan, red cotton cardigan, royal blue cotton cardigan

Right column:

Yardley's dress, Bluebird dress, Green Cookie Book dress, Return to Tokyo dress

I felt that this rotation ended okay.  This season was very weird weather-wise--it was cold and damp all spring, until very suddenly, it turned very hot and humid this last week.  There really wasn't much of a transition.  This rotation ended up being cardigan-heavy as a result.  At the beginning of the rotation, I was constantly wanting more pullover sweaters, and at the end, I was wanting more short sleeve shirts.  I really couldn't win on this one.

I have some mending to do, as several of my dresses have some holes along the undearm seam (this usually happens once after I make them and is an easy fix)  I'm on the fence about the Yardley's dress as it is borderline too short, and I don't think it weathered the season particularly well.  I'm hoping some lavender crochet lace along the hem might spruce it up a bit.  Ditto for the Rosemont cardigan.  I like it as a loungewear sort of sweater, but I don't think it looks so great on me for day-wear.  I'll hang on to it to sleep in during the winter since I'm always cold at night and the Rosemont is nice and warm.

I ended up with some decent separates by the end of the rotation, but I could have used one more skirt.  The blue and green striped shirt is really on its last leg, but I think I found a replacement on ThredUp, so I'll store it for next spring.  I think next spring, I'll be sure to either keep one of my winter skirts out, or add in one of my summer skirts.  I also had some great dresses come out of this rotation: both Liberty dresses, and the First Light dress were clear winners in my book.  

I'll have my summer rotation posted later this week, God-willing.  I'm still waiting for one or two second hand t-shirts to arrive in the mail.  (I have a whole rant about t-shirts that I will save for another day)

I've been thinking some about what the goal of Project 333 is for me.  I think it isn't just one thing, but mostly, I want to stop feeling like my clothes own me, and not the other way round.  I've come to accept that I'm probably never going to start and end a rotation in the same place, and that is okay, but I'd like to get to the point where there is less flux.  And more cross-over between seasons.  I've written before that I find I have about two seasons in me for a garment, and then I want to see something else, but I'm not doing as good of a job of making that happen.  

Some of it is that summer and winter and so self-contained, as far as weather and wardrobe, and spring and fall are just kind of a mess of in-between.  I also have a different palette that appeals to me in the spring from the one I use in the fall.  So there's that.  I think it would be great to get down to x-number of garments that I own, but I'm not there yet.  (Right now, I have somewhere between 75-80 garments across my four rotational cycles)  It feels like too much, too decadent.  Yet, at the same time, I know that less than 25 garments per rotation and I start looking at ThredUp for something second hand, or scanning fabric websites to make something.  

The good news is that I no longer have reams of clothing going out the door all the time--my wardrobe is small enough now that it is a piece here or there, but not bags and bags like it once was.  I'm quick to pass along items that are too big but still have plenty of life, and now that H&M has started a textile recycling program, I'm putting worn out garments from the whole family into a bag that I bring to a store when it is full.

 Project 333 has helped me to plan smart sewing and knitting projects that fit into a larger seasonal scheme, rather than just making stuff that appeals to me in that moment.  

I suppose I need to accept that it is a process--to live with less, to be more.  I'm reading a ton of literature about Russia and the Soviet period right now, and it gives me some ballast, in a strange sort of way.  I remember that life, and what I had (and how overwhelmed I was by big box stores and the plethora of consumer choice when I moved back to the States); it was simple and good, even though there were many difficulties.  I need to remind myself from time to time.