When I talk about finding sewing inspiration, what do I mean? I am specifically talking about the things that inspire me to sew one thing over another. I’m also speaking of the ideas that come into my head when I see something and think “I could make that”. I think we’ve all been there. In fact, I would bet that a lot of sewists find it difficult to actually buy clothing because we know that we can do the same or better from fabrics we have in our own fabric stash at home.
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The Walmart Dress
As you may know, this is a dress I purchased from Walmart. It’s remarkably well-made (much to my surprise) and it was less than $30. But when I posted it online, many of my sewing friends said, “Denise, you could have made that”. While that is absolutely true, it did make me want to find a similar pattern. So, after looking through my pattern stash, I found a dress pattern that I really like and that I’ve made before. Simplicity 1537 has a drop waist, princess seams and a sleeveless option. While it isn’t an exact copy of the Walmart dress, it is very similar. I would, of course, add pockets to mine since the Walmart dress has pockets too.
Here is the front of the pattern envelope.
This may end up being another project. The dress I purchased has inspired another project with a similar look, but the fabric can be whatever I want.
My Amazon Dress Remake
You may have read my previous post about making this dress or watched my YouTube video about it. This was an inspiration gained from some random scrolling online. I really liked that style, but knew I needed, and wanted, to do something different.
The thing about sewing your own inspiration outfits is that you get to use your fabric and pattern stash, at least in my case. I have a LOT of fabric and hundreds (I’m guessing) of patterns, so I should be able to find almost any style of garment to make.
Other Sources Of Inspiration
Be open to finding inspiration anywhere. It could be a store where the colors go well together or an outfit you see in a commercial or even something you’ve seen on YouTube. Wherever and whatever it is, I suggest keeping a note either in your phone or in a notebook. If you use your phone and you’re out, you might be able to snap a picture so you can keep a record of it. I suggest having one place (or not too many) to keep your inspiration file. You’ll want to have easy access to that information.
Conclusion
Overall, once you find a system keep using it and refer to it often. That way you’ll stay inspired and keep creating. Unfortunately, none of this will give you more time to sew or help that actual decision-making process of what to sew next easier. But, it’s a start!
If you’d like to see the Walmart dress featured in my LTK post, click here.
