SWAP 2012

The rules for this year's Sewing with a Plan (SWAP) on Stitchers Guild are up. The rules have been altered to make them emphasise sewing. In particular, the sewing of existing Tried and Tested (TNT) patterns and working on new patterns to create new TNT's.

Best of all, from my viewpoint at least, the rules are more flexible on types of garment and this means I can make two jackets and still be within the rules. Two items can be previously sewn, but all items have to be sewn, there is no purchased item choice. There doesn't appear to be a knitted or crocheted item choice either. I can live with that though I may need to show the sewn garments with a purchased top, for decency's sake, as I think I am only making three tops this year.

So the rules require me to pick seven different items from this list, and of those seven, make four of the items up twice. Those made twice can be the same pattern, or two different patterns.

Choices are:


Button down shirt with collar
Blouse or polo shirt
Tee Shirt
Vest
Overshirt (it seems this also encompasses over dresses)
Dress
Long pants
Jeans
Shorts or capri pants
Skirt
Jacket (jean jacket, hoodie, windbreaker etc)
Coat (suit or sport coat)
Overcoat or raincoat
Bathing Suit and cover-up.

There is also a substitution rule that allows those who never wear skirts, to make extra pants and those who never wear pants, to make extra skirts though I may not avail myself of that.


At the end you must have eleven garments that will live together peacefully in the wardrobe. The garments should fit you nicely and should be able to be worn together often. There is no requirement for making a certain number of tops or bottoms, and you don't have to include a print.

I have been mulling this over ever since the rules were posted and whilst I haven't come to a firm conclusion, I have a couple of ideas and will almost certainly include two boiled wool jackets. I hope to start sorting fabrics and patterns this weekend and ideally I'd like to sew entirely from stash if I can manage that. I want to make my SWAP work really, really hard and avoid any orphans. I also want to work out the various options for each item planned, and see how many outfits I can make from it/them/existing wardrobe items. I am interested to see just how hard I can make eleven items work for me.

I like the rules and think they lend themselves to interpretation that will allow plenty of people to fit the rules to their actual lifestyle and hopefully this will encourage a lot of participation. Last year, only two people finished, and I am guilty of being one of those who dropped out. In my case, due to the pressure of work on my diploma course. Since that is now complete I hope to be able to concentrate on SWAP and do justice to it.

Even if you don't do SWAP type things, would those rules allow you to create a wardrobe that worked for you easily?