I never finished a SWAP yet, planned loads, stashed the fabrics, even sewn a couple of items, but never got anywhere near finishing. Mostly because I get too ambitious and try for complicated patterns, then get derailed by the inevitable disappointment because of fitting issues and lack of time.

This year’s SWAP rules encourage simplicity, I know that because the SWAP coordinator explicitly says so. It’s all about coordinates and TNT patterns.

Planning SWAP

A couple of days pulling out fabrics and browsing Pinterest, and I think I’m going to participate in a low key sort of way. In other words, no I have some lovely tweeds that need to used, so I shall make 5 skirts for my bottoms. All from the same pattern, with grown-on waistbands, which allows for alterations if I lose more weight.

I’m going to use Marfy’s free skirt pattern and I’m really grateful to Leisa at A Challenging Sew for her detailed posts on making this skirt.

I’ll add embellishment to a couple of them too, maybe vary the length, add pleats, trim and so on

• Skirt 1: Bright turquoise blue harris tweed
• Skirt 2: Grey/cream Linton tweed
• Skirt 3: Pale blue/grey birds eye tweed
• Skirt 4: Peacock blue/peaty brown tweed
• Skirt 5: Olive & hot pink tweed

Other garments

The maximum number of bottoms allowed is 5. To make up our 11 garments that leaves uppers and overs to a total of 6, which could be 4 uppers, 2 overs, or 3 of each.

One over must be an outer (coat or outdoor jacket)

4 tops that go with all of the skirts, from two patterns

• Ivory silk wool mix
• Bright print silky poly
• Peacock jersey top
• Grey stripe top

Again, I’m tempted to try another free Marfy pattern for the tops. This one pattern is so versatile as you can see from these variations. I need to think about the sleeveless/high neck combo, it’s not my best look. But the version with short sleeves and a peter pan collar is lovely.

Otherwise I have a Vogue pattern for stretch knits and a Christine Johnson Keyhole top pattern, also for knits but I might try it for the wovens.

Minimum of 2 Overs.

One is definitely going to be the Amethyste mac . I’m leaning towards a babycord in teal.

The Amethyste mac is in a French pattern book, my Christmas present to myself. I’ve ordered teal babycord for it (swatch in the pic above). I might swap out the BPD blouse if the keyhole pattern works with the wovens.

 

The mac qualifies as outer wear, so the other must be a layer not specifically for outdoors. Ages ago I bought a chunky rib in a soft peaty brown, from Clothspot, which might work as a sweater.

This is 3 or maybe 4 patterns, well within the maximum of 8 allowed. A TNT SWAP.

From the top

• 2 overs, peaty knit and teal babycord (the swatch)
• 4 uppers, grey/white stripe jersy, peacock jersey, ivory silk/wool mix, bright print silky poly
• 5 bottoms, peaty/peacock tweed, grey/ivory tweed, turquoise tweed, shades of blue bird’s eye tweed, hot pink/olive tweed.

AndiB over at Stitcher’s Guild pointed out that the Christine Johnson pattern is for stretch knits (in my defence, it’s not made clear on the front of the envelope), but I’m going to try to adapt it for use with these two wovens in any case.