Tis The Season For Giving

Introduction

Every year about this time, people are thinking of giving … giving to family and friends … giving to charities … giving to neighbors … giving to co-workers … even giving to strangers.

For many, it is also the time for purging … getting rid of those things that no longer serve us. This process of purging coincides quite well with the season for giving as many of us give things that we no longer have use for to charities.

I, for one, purge my closets … and sometimes even my entire house … at least two or three times each year. Not only is this a good way to avoid becoming a hoarder, it is also a wonderful way to generate some much needed tax deductions, especially toward the end of the year while making room for wonderful new things to come into my life.

When it comes thinning out my closets, I generally donate to shelters for victims of domestic violence, homes for abandoned and run away youth, drug rehabilitation centers, centers for cancer survivors, homes for women who are recently released from prison and homeless shelters.

This year, however, I have decided to try something a little different. I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s time to part with some of my favorite clothes. I haven’t worn them in quite a while and they are simply too good to just hang in the closet any longer.

Therefore, I am going to offer five of my ‘absolutely don’t want to let go of, but haven’t worn in a long, long time and need the space’ outfits to people who visit this site and read this blog.

Each pattern that was used to make the items that I am releasing is now out of print, but the styles are classic. In fact, I still use these patterns on a regular basis and no one is the wiser as to how old they actually are or how many times I have used them.

If purchased off the rack, everything that is up for grabs would be approximately size 10-12. Each piece is freshly laundered or dry cleaned. To the best of my recollection, I haven’t worn any of them more than three or four times.

At least two of the items included in this give-away have already been featured in previous blogs on this site… particularly get-an-entire-wardrobe-with-just-one-sewing-pattern and the-secret-to-making-a-skirt-with-an-elastic-waist. One item was spotlighted in an article I submitted to the Threads website.

They are all in excellent condition. The primary reason I haven’t worn them and decided to release them to new homes is the fact that four of them are so unique, I simply don’t want to be seen in them again.

I know this is somewhat of an admission of vanity, but since I am constantly sewing and creating unique looks, there is no reason to repeat myself too frequently.

In the case of the fifth offering, people seldom get the chance to wear winter weight wool suits in South Florida and since I am now happily semi-retired, I have even fewer opportunities to wear this particular suit. I fully intend to replace it with an identical suit made with lighter weight fabric very soon.

What Have We Got Here?

The first item – a silver two piece ensemble, worn exactly three times. The fabric is a cotton blend that I actually stumbled across while strolling through the upholstery fabric section of a store that is now long gone.

No doubt, the original intent was that this fabric be used for making cushions or perhaps something to adorn a dining room table. All it takes is a little bit of imagination to make it work for apparel instead.

I made this outfit to wear to an outdoor wedding and let’s face it, cotton breathes … even lightweight upholstery cotton.

In a very warm tropical climate like this [for those of you who don’t know, I live in South Florida], you need something that will look good and not make you feel as though you are in a sauna even on the most humid of days.

McCall’s Stitch and Save 2172 was used to make both the top and the skirt. The bias cut skirt has an elastic waist.

It is machine washable. Although it can go in the dryer, I have put never done so. Instead, I have always hung it on a plastic hanger to dry and used a little spray starch when pressing.

Item number two – a dress and jacket ensemble made with fabric given to me as a gift from a friend who visited Trinidad. I used Butterick 3550 for the dress, adding a contrasting fabric for the front panel and covered the button with the basic dress fabric.

For the jacket, I used another one of my very well used tried and true patterns … Butterick See & Sew 3876 … making the front, back and sleeves with the same fabric I used for the front dress panel.

For this particular jacket, I eliminated the facings and instead added a contrasting Chanel trim. I also used the contrasting fabric to accent the pockets.

This fabric is machine washable, but you may prefer to dry clean this one. I put it in the washing machine on the delicate cycle and hang it on a plastic hanger to dry. This garment requires very little pressing or none at all if you grab it as soon as the washing machine stops.

The third item is a border print two piece dress that was made with a rayon/polyester blend fabric that I purchased at Cynthia’s Fine Fabrics, just a few blocks from my home.

For the top, I used a variation of Butterick See & Sew 4808. No pattern was used to make the elastic waist skirt.

I wore it with a brown leather belt that I purchase long, long ago… a very long time before I made this two piece set.

I still use that belt, so it is not going with the dress. This fabric is machine washable and dryable.

A light press is all that is needed after laundering.

The fourth item is a red and black unlined wool suit. I didn’t add a lining because I thought it would be too warm here in South Florida.

Turns out, even without the lining, it was simply too warm for me to wear more than a couple of times.

I used Butterick 5010 to make the jacket and New Look 6285 – possibly the most used skirt pattern in my entire stash – for the pencil skirt. Dry clean only.

Number five is a dress that I made with fabric purchased from Fashion Fabrics Club using a very basic dress pattern … McCalls 8017. I used the extra fabric to make a matching head wrap and stole.

The stole really comes in handy when I go into a restaurant or church where the air conditioning is set very low and my arms get chilly.

The fabric is a handkerchief weight cotton that was embellished with lace, sequins and embroidered flowers. This dress was featured in an article I wrote about working with one way fabrics that was published on the Threads website.

I put this one in the washing machine on the delicate cycle. Because of the sequins, I do not put it in the dryer, but hang it up to dry. Because the fabric is so light, I recommend starching this dress before you wear it.

For best results, I turn it inside out, spray it thoroughly with heavy spray starch about 30-60 minutes before I am ready to put it on.

I then put it on a hanger and allow it to get almost completely dry before pressing with the steam setting on medium. Pressing this dress doesn’t take more than a few minutes and it stays crisp and fresh looking all day long.

Now the Fun Part

For starters, I am prepared to ship your gift free of charge but only to addresses within THE UNITED STATES, PUERTO RICO, GUAM, AMERICAN SAMOA AND THE US VIRGIN ISLANDS.

Recently, I learned that shipping a package to addresses outside the US and US territories is a major pain these days. I apologize to those who want to participate but do not have a US address.

However, at this point in time, I would simply rather avoid the hassle of filling out customs forms if at all possible.

If you DO have a US address… Here’s what you have to do. In the comments section below, tell me three things:
1. Which outfit you want;
2. Why this one appeals to you more than the others;
3. Where you would wear it OR who you would give it to and how you expect them to use it.

The deadline for this giveaway is Friday, November 27th. That’s right – BLACK FRIDAY. I will review all of the entries that weekend and notify the winners via e-mail on or before December 1st. As soon as I get mailing addresses from all five winners, I will send them via US Mail.

Since it IS the holiday season and an extremely busy time for all shippers, it would simply make my life easier if I could send them all in just one trip to the Post Office. So, if you are a winner, please forward your address to me as soon as you are notified.

Conclusion

Any one of these outfits would make a great gift if you happen to like them but do not want to keep them for yourself. I think any one of them would be ideal to wear to a holiday party.

With the probable exception of the silver ensemble, they can all be worn to the office. Depending upon the event, each one of these items can be worn to a formal luncheon, on a dinner, date, a night out on the town or almost any other special occasion.

Deciding to let go of these items was an extremely difficult undertaking for me, but in the end, my choice was to either continue to hold on to them or make room for some more new things.

I am an admitted clothes horse who loves to sew. I don’t ever want to be limited or restricted in making new clothes for myself because my closets are just too full – especially when they are filled with things that no longer serve me.

The remainder of the things that I am giving away this holiday season are clothes that will help women and girls create new lives for themselves. It is my hope that those clothes will be worn to job interviews, to work, to church and to school.

It is my sincere belief that my donations will go a long way toward increasing the self-esteem and self-worth of every single person who is a recipient of the clothes that I donate.

As for the five pieces that I am giving away here, I have a very simple desire … to put a smile on the faces of five individuals as they enjoy wearing these clothes as much as I have enjoyed making and wearing them.