When the Summer of Basics make-along was announced I thought I was not going to participate because I have a thesis to write this summer (not over yet) and because I thought I already had my basics covered.

However, I realized a week ago that many of my jeans don’t fit anymore and some of them have terrible holes, some of which I have already repaired once before. So as it turns out I do need a good pair of basic jeans in my wardrobe.

Then a minor early-autumn dropped by during the last few days and I don’t have a single decent hoodie or sweatshirt to use outside the house, all the ones I have are now in the category of pajamas or only-in-house use. Wool sweaters I have a few, but I lack a normal  fleece or french terry sweatshirt, pretty basic huh?.

So I decided to join the Summer of Basics party a bit late, after all party latecomers always have a lot of fun 🙂

My basics will be some that I absolutely need, the jeans and the sweatshirt. And since that already seems to form a nice combination to wear together I think I can complete the outfit with a couple of basics that I don’t really need but I would like to have, a button-up shirt and a bag.

The patterns and fabrics I’m considering are:

• Jamie jeans by Named clothing. I will use a cotton-spandex stretch jean fabric in dark gray, almost black. I got this fabric at a local Karstadt store .
• Linden sweatshirt by Grainline studios. With a pretty flowery french terry fabric from another local store called JP Stoffe.
• Archer button-up shirt from Grainline studios, modified to be sleeveless or maybe short sleeves. The fabric will be something that I quite frankly don’t know what it is, but when I bought it almost a year ago, precisely with the intention of making this shirt, the lady at the store told me it would be fine for that pattern. Since then I have gained a bit more of sewing experience and I do think it will work. The store is called Toko Kurzwaren.
• Gingham tote from the book Handmade style by Anna Graham, or Noodlehead. I will use a combination of a jeans fabric with a cotton Tilda one from Karstadt for the exterior, and a beautiful Les Fleurs print of Rifle Paper Co fabric for the interior bought from M is for Make.
• Extra-credit Halifax hoodie by Hey June. This is a bit of a cheating option, because I have already started this hoodie, but it is nowhere near finished and I’m still looking for an appropriate zipper. This fabric is one that I bought at the wonderful market Stoffmarkt holland earlier this year.

I hope I can make it, the goal is to finish by the end of August, wish me luck!

Virginia