Real Life, Real Sewing Tour

Jun 20, 2016

Hey all!  I’m here today, for Sew 20’s kickoff to the “Real Life, Real Sewing” tour!

Sure, us sewing bloggers and pattern testers sew A LOT of clothes.  And take A LOT of promo pictures of us in those clothes.  But do we actually wear what we make in real life?  My answer: YES!  Every day!  I almost feel gross when I have storebought clothes on my body.  It just doesn’t feel right to me.  Wish I were kidding. 😉

1. What do you look for when choosing a sewing project?

When I am choosing a sewing project, I am all about speed.  Let’s just say that I like instant gratification.  If I can make something in under an hour (including the twenty minutes of just staring at my fabrics, laying them on top of each other, and switching them in and out), then I am all in.  I haven’t made myself pants in a hot minute, outside of leggings, but I used to be able to crank some out for myself in about an hour start-to-finish.  Even with the horrible topstitching thread that my machine hates.

2.  Is there anything you would like to (or wish you could) do differently when selecting projects?

I don’t think there’s really anything I want to do differently, exactly.  My creative process is my own, just like everyone else’s is their own.  I never really go into something with a full blown plan.  I have a spark of an idea and then it all comes together when the last thread is done.

3. What is your most used/worn sewing project? This either could be of all time or currently.

Maybe not one particular piece, but my closet is full of pretty much the same patterns, remixed a million times over.  My favorites…which are all Patterns for Pirates: Sweet Tee, Slim Fit Raglan, Essential Tank, Women’s Henley.  These four patterns can have me covered with all different sleeve types, curve hugging (but not tight!) fit, and different lengths or dresses.  You should see my closet.  It’s seriously all you’ll find right now.

4. Do you have a project that you thought would be used/worn frequently but just did not end up working out?

I have a pair of SOS Pants (Patterns for Pirates) that I made out of this denim jegging fabric from Girl Charlee.  I want to love them so badly, I just can’t.  The fabric isn’t see-thru but it feels thin and it has this weird green undertone to it when it’s stretched so I have trouble matching my clothes to it.  They fit like a glove, but sit in my dresser, lonely.

5. What is your favorite tip or quote that applies to sewing for real life?

Dress for yourself.  Are YOU comfortable in it?  Do YOU like it?  Does it speak about YOUR style or personality?  THEN WEAR IT!  I used to be worried about wearing things that were “too flashy” or maybe mixing prints and fabrics that weren’t super conventional.  And now I could give two craps about what other people think.  Most days, I get compliments from strangers while walking around at stores (I basically only frequent Target and JoAnn Fabrics, if you’re wondering my demographic, haha).  I love my style.  I love Louis’ style.  And I can walk out of the house knowing that I’m proud of what is on my body.


You can find a million selfies of me in outfits that I make and wear, in REAL LIFE, on Instagram.  I try not to spam with outfit selfies…but even after all these things I’ve made and all this time spent sewing, I’m still excited about everything I make.  Can’t help it!

Do you have any examples of Real Life, Real Sewing to show off? You can play along by using the #realliferealsewing on social media. You can also win one of two $25 gift cards. More details at Sew 20.
Be sure to visit the other participants on this tour!

6/20 | Sew 20 Tour Kick-off | The Wholesome Mama | Wild & Wanderful | Randoms by Rydz

6/21 | Daydream Believers | Sugarplum Cuties | Friends Stitched Together | The Inspired Wren | PenSeb&Rox

6/22 | Sewstarly | Very Blissful | House of Estrela | The Berry Bunch | Musings of a Seamstress

6/23 | mahlicadesigns | sewingbyti | Candice Ayala | Call Ajaire | Sunflower Seams

6/24 | Beri Bee Designs | Lulu & Celeste | FABulous Home Sewn | Mae & K | Sew 20 Social Media Round-up

6/25 | Sew 20 Tour Wrap-up

Disclosure: As always, you’ll find some affiliate links scattered within my post, which means I receive a small amount of compensation if you end up purchasing something I’ve recommended.  Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you.  Purchasing from my links does not alter the pricing in any way for you, it simply helps feed my sewing, creating and blogging habits.  Thank you for your support!

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Welcome to Wild+Wanderful!  I’m Katy.
Momma. Wife. West Virginian.
Designer. 
Dreamer. Coffee Consumer.
DIY-er. 
Craft Beer Enthusiast.
Purple Obsessor. Lover of Handmade.

MILDLY WILD. MOSTLY WANDERFUL.

LATEST FREEBIES

My Sudoku Travel Capsule Wardrobe + FREE Interactive Sudoku Capsule Planner!

We are about to embark upon an epic family trip to Scotland and Ireland. I could not be more excited. It's all I can talk about. It's all I can think about. I'm just so fricken pumped. We are being true travelers during our trip, where we are constantly on the move...

The Little Wanderer Skirt | A Free PDF Sewing Pattern from Wild+Wanderful!

I'm excited to share that I've been able to update another pattern for y'all! The Little Wanderer skirt is the youth version of my beloved Wanderer Skirt pattern (which is also free). It's an adorable high/low half circle skirt with two hem lengths and optional...

Irish I Were Sewing :: FREE St. Patrick’s Day Themed Silhouette + Cricut Cut Files!

I've been super missing making fun themed outfits to wear. And I've been missing sharing fun cut files on here like I used to. So I remedied both of these things by creating a super fun St. Patrick's Day themed sewing design AND am giving it to you as a freebie on...

The Wanderer Skirt | A Free PDF Sewing Pattern from Wild+Wanderful!

I know, I know. You might be thinking: "Katy, didn't you release The Wanderer Skirt back in 2017?" Yes. I did. But it's been six years of learning how to draft and design and I really wanted to go back and give it a little facelift. So here we are! On the surface,...

The Snuggler Sweater | A Free PDF Sewing Pattern from Wild+Wanderful!

A sewing friend of mine sent me a photo of this adorable sweater, with no sleeve seam, a cross-over front and back, and a "batwing" style dolman sleeve. And I was obsessed with the idea of turning that rtw sweater into a sewing pattern. And that's what I did! Meet:...

Elffire Club :: FREE Stranger Things Inspired Silhouette + Cricut Cut Files!

I saw someone use my free Elf on the Shelf Clothing Pattern the other day for a Stranger Things Eddie / Hellfire Club outfit and immediately was struck by a Christmas pun.  It had to be made.  I couldn't resist. If you need a little refresher on what I was...

RECENT POSTS

Fabric for Pirates :: September 2023 Reveal

It's the 15th of the month, and you know what that means! It's the fabric shipment reveal day! WOOOOOO!! This month's fabric is a total Katy Pick. Not only is it in the prettiest purple (plum...

Ruched Top & Dress by Patterns for Pirates

Listen. LISTEN. I would have shared this new sew of mine last week when we officially launched it over at Patterns for Pirates but I've had a lot of things going on around here. After we returned from our whirlwind Ireland/Scotland trip, I had barely enough time to...

Fabric for Pirates :: August 2023 Reveal

Hey Fabric Lovers! Long time no talk...in fact, it's been a whole month since we've talked about the subscription. It's so uncool that I have to wait until the 15th of every month to share what...

AFFILIATES