SOCKS!

As a somewhat seasonal knitter, socks are something that I've been working my way up to this winter - I mean, what could be more practical to wear with ankle boots or with pyjamas? I've always been intimidated by a few things - the use of double pointed needles, the shaping for the heel and toes, and the fact that sock yarn is usually very delicate has put me off for so long. However, a quiet few days over Christmas and New Year have been just what I needed to dedicate a bit of time into working it out, so I thought I'd collect a few of my early thoughts on sock knitting here...

Last Minute DIY Gift: Nutella Fudge

No intention to panic anyone, but Christmas is this Friday and I find myself thinking about a few last minute gifts I need to get. As much as I love making presents for people, this year I feel I've lacked enough time in order to plan what I'm going to make (and make it of course!). Which is where this recipe for fudge comes in. It's really simple, only requiring three ingredients, and takes 45 minutes to make, tops. Last minute gifts don't come as easy or yummy as this!

Knits for Winter

Perhaps the title of this post is a little ambiguous - I mean, what are knits for if not for winter? I'm typically a seasonal knitter, and all thoughts of knitting disappear from my mind when the temperatures soar, returning only when there's a distinct chill in the air. So, when my thoughts do turn to knitting, I let my list of patterns grow, and one of my favourite things to do is to leaf through a few of my knitting books to gather inspiration. I thought I'd compile a post of a few of my favourite patterns and books - I doubt I'll get the chance to knit up everything I want to, but when I find some swoon worthy knitting patterns, it seems a shame not to share them!

AWAKE: Thoughts on Giving Up

"I won't give up, this won't be the last you'll hear from me," sobs the contestant just voted off a televised talent show. "Don't give up, you can do it!" Shout the people on the sidelines of the London Marathon, cheering on the runners. "Never gonna give you up!" Sang Rick Astley (truly deeply sorry about this reference).

Here's the thing though - I think we should cut 'giving up' a bit of slack. Sure there's a lot to be said about perseverance, and there are a lot of things that I didn't think I would ever manage to do, but got there in the end after a lot of blood, sweat and tears. However, there are also things that I've given up on that I do not regret at all. In fact, I want to reclaim the territory of 'giving up' - I believe it's important to know when to call time on things, especially when they are no longer bringing you joy and you don't want to do them anymore.

So, read on to find a few things that I gave up on (big things and little things) and couldn't be happier about...

AWAKE: Dinas Bran in Autumn

Last weekend I finally got around to making my way up to Dinas Bran, a ruined Norman castle in North Wales, and although it was something I was thinking I would do this summer, I'm really pleased I did the walk in autumn. This past week has seen the trees start to change colour, and it was great to be able to see nature do its work from up high. Here are a few photos of the walk, and I'll let them do the talking before I start rambling on about jumpers and candles and pumpkin spiced lattes and all thing autumn :)

Slow Fashion October II: Quality vs Quantity

Buying and making things that are higher in quality, rather than having a lot of lower quality items is something that I've been thinking over a lot lately. And seeing as my recent thoughts on this tie in nicely with #slowfashionoctober I thought I would dedicate a post to my thoughts on this. I'm not promising any conclusions, because it's just a jumble in my head at the moment! Although usually getting things down on paper (or, er, the web) organises my thoughts a little better, so here goes!

Slow Fashion October I: My Slow Fashion Story

When I first heard the concept of Slow Fashion October over on Fringe Association, I was really excited by the idea of a month that celebrated individual takes on slow fashion. What I love in particular about Karen's idea is that it's inclusive of all - whether you're a thrifter, a maker, a mender, a minimalist, or just interested in supporting local, or sustainable, fair-trade companies, you can take part. It just so happens that with a quirk of coincidence, I was already planning a couple of posts touching on some of the issues connected with slow fashion, so thought I might as well tie them in with everyone else in October. Here's a quick introduction of how I got interested in slow fashion, and where I am today with my consumer habits...

KNIT: Fairisle Stripe

Hats are definitely my knitting comfort zone. I like the fact that they knit up super quickly, are pretty easy shaping wise, yet there's still enough details to keep me interested. They also require very little wool, so there's also that (however, if I saved up all the wool I used in hats, I think I'd easily have enough for a jumper!). One thing I keep challenging myself with (in both knitting and sewing) is to try new things however, so I find if I am knitting a hat, I do try to stretch myself in some form or another. In this case, it was knitting in the round (you can see this hat in progress on that post), and I have to say that I'm a definite convert. So, here's how this little hat went, and my final thoughts on knitting in the round!

SEWN: Vintage Pledge 1 - Cartoon Flowers

Does anyone remember when I wrote out my Vintage Pledge for the year? Yeah, I had to reread that post too just to remind myself of what I'd written! But the truth is that whilst I haven't been blogging much of my sewing of late, I have actually been sewing more than ever, so there's a little bit of a backlog. Naturally, a good blogger would start in order and blog older things first, so here I am blogging the latest thing I've made. Somehow it's just always more exciting to write about things that are fresh off of the sewing machine!

---

AWAKE: City of Spires

A couple of weeks ago saw my first ever visit to Oxford, and whilst it took me a ridiculously long time to discover this gorgeous city, I'm hoping it won't be too long until my next visit. Whilst planning for my whistle-stop visit, I was unsure how much I would be able to fit in, but upon arriving found that Oxford is delightfully compact. Seeing as how everything I wanted to see was easily within a 20 minute walk of the city centre, I'm pleased with how much of the city I saw, and yet I'm still left wanting more. Here are the highlights of my visit...

---

Thoughts on Knitting in the Round

When you get comfortable with doing something, it is often the case that you stay with the way you know how to do it. That's certainly the case when it comes to knitting - I've discovered what I like knitting (hats!), and the way I like to do it (knitting row by row in the conventional manner). However, lately I've discovered so many knitting patterns that I want to try that are knitted in the round, that I decided I would have to give it a practise run. So, here's a few thoughts I'm having about knitting in the round...

REMNANT 101: A Simple Camisole

A realisation that I have come to recently is that I am horrifically bad at underestimating the amount of fabric I need for a sewing project. Not when I'm buying fabric off the bolt - if anything I almost buy far too much, but then I like to be on the safe side. Instead, I mean when I'm buying fabric remnants. With one look at a piece of fabric a little over a metre squared, I convince myself that it's plenty to make myself a short-sleeved summery top. As you'd expect, it isn't nearly enough.

After a sort out of my fabric stash lately, I rediscovered this lovely navy spotty floral remnant (a synthetic of some kind) that I'd bought in this frame of mind. I really do love this fabric, it has a lovely drape to it (aahh, I wish I was better at identifying fabrics!), and navy features heavily in my wardrobe, so I knew I wanted to turn it into something wearable. As we'd been having a spate of boiling hot weather, I made something I don't think I would have considered otherwise - a halter-neck camisole.

AWAKE: Creative Headspace

We've all seen those inspirational quotes popping up on every kind of social media feed: "You cannot run out of creativity - the more you use, the more you have" etc etc. And yet, all of us who create in some manner or another (whether you write, paint, sew, build, plan) know that it is inevitable that at some point, for a period of time, you will be left feeling uninspired, and unable to create anything, no matter how much you want to. Well, that's how I've been feeling about blogging of late. It hasn't been that I haven't wanted to, in fact quite the opposite as I've sat down several times wanting to blog, but feeling like I've got nothing to say.

This isn't a post telling you how to get out of a creative lull - instead, this is a post about how taking a short break can in fact benefit you, and how a week long absence from Awake + Make has made me feel refreshed and refocused on what I want to do with this space.

---

DIY: How To Make a Ribbon Bow Hair Tie

Whilst there are plenty of options with updo's for those with longer hair, I have to admit that out of sheer laziness and ease, when the temperatures soar, I just tend to stick my hair in a plain old ponytail. Sometimes even a topknot, if I'm feeling like putting a little extra effort in. So, this is why I've come to love the ribbon hair tie that I picked up in H&M lately, even though it was something that I could very easily have made myself. In order to give myself a little more choice, I decided to whip up one of my own, and here's how I did it...

June 2015

Photos from my Instagram

It wasn't until a friend mentioned to me the other day that we are now halfway through the year (and halfway to Christmas!), that I realised the rather alarming rate at which June sped by. One minute it was 'shall I take a jacket in case it rains', the next it was 'denim is just too warm for this weather', aaand now it's nearly July. I'm rather excited for July - it's a month which will see me turn 22, and it feels great (I was that person having a panic over turning 21 - it's a defining milestone of becoming an adult), I've got the feeling that 22 is going to be a more relaxed and carefree age.

So, here's my June favourites...

REMNANT 101: DIY Sleep Mask

If there's one thing I've learnt about my fabric hoarding problem, it's this - there's not much of a problem with storing a lot of fabric because at some point it will get used. As my fabric stash depletes thanks to a couple of (as yet unblogged) projects, the real problem is the remnants. I just can't bring myself to throw out a few scraps of a fabric I love, no matter the shape or size, if it's pretty it stays. Which is an issue coming from someone who actually has very little use for remnants (I'm no quilter!). So, in a positive effort to force myself to actually use some of my beloved remnants, I'm starting up a new series on A+M: Remnant 101, where I'll be posting a little project I've sewn up from remnants every once in a little while.

The Weekend Whim: Links for Sunny Days

When the summer heat has well and truly set in, it fills me with an odd kind of optimism. I'm definitely not the kind of person to let the weather govern what I do by any means (when you live in Britain you have to make do!), but at the same time, sunny days make me dream about how I'm going to be spending the following few weeks. So, in spirit of the fact summer has finally arrived, this Sunday I'm sharing a few of my recent favourite links, so take advantage of some out of doors wifi and enjoy!

The Knitted Turban Beanie: Take 2

As odd as it sounds, I always feel a little... uncomfortable writing about knitting during the summer months. It's strange, because I certainly don't stop knitting during the summer months - if anything I do a little more, finding it easier to dedicating a lazy afternoon to sitting outside with some wool and a podcast. And if some of my favourite sources of inspiration - Wool and the Gang, my favourite knitting blogs - don't stop during the summer months, and I still enjoy reading their brilliant content, then I don't see why I'm stopping myself from writing about knitting. It's always winter someplace in the world, right?

Hence why it's been a while since I've discussed the turban beanie here. It's still something I'm working on, because I'm a slave to that pinterest inspiration, and I'm imagining practically living in it next winter. If you need a little recap (I know I do!) you can have a look-see at my first try at knitting this up.

Sewn: Daisy Pistachio Backpack with Hillarys

One of the things that has been an unexpected result of writing Awake + Make for nearly two years now (eek!), is that I have an online journal of my crafting process and makes. It's hard to see an improvement within yourself, but when Hillarys got in contact with me to announce that they were running their craft competition for a second year, I had a little look into the A+M archives at my entry for the year before, and was pleasantly surprised at how far my sewing has come along. It seems hard to believe that this time last year I was becoming acquainted with my sewing machine (no darts! mostly hand stitched!), and now we're on our way to becoming friends (nearly - he can still be an asshat at time).

May 2015

Photos from my Instagram

It's pretty scary to say that we're edging towards being halfway through 2015 (um... like where did time go?), and in just over a month I'll be turning 22 (whuut???). Now that it's starting to feel a lot more like summer, and my uni workload has lightened up, I'm in the mood to start sewing up summer dresses left right and centre, read outside in the park or garden, and take my camera out to new horizons. And May certainly delivered in those aspects! Here are a few of my favourite things from May...

How to: DIY Colouring Pencil Photo Frame

At the moment, I'm really digging decorating with things that are both practical and pretty - I prefer items that have a purpose rather than endless knick knacks that just collect dust, no matter how adorable they are. This colouring pencil frame is such a simple idea, yet I love how it turned out - I spotted a similar frame whilst shopping in Debenhams (aaaahh, their home section is to. die. for.), and instantly thought 'I could do that.' And do it I did, and I'm pleasantly surprised with the results - it's so bright and cheerful, and yet is such a simple idea!

Whilst the process was super easy, if a little time consuming, I thought I'd share how I did it here for those of you looking to add a statement to your photos...

The Weekend Whim: Let's Have a Catch Up!

Over the past couple of weeks or so I feel like I've been neglecting A+M a little, but I'm pleased to announce that for the next few months my uni workload has significantly decreased (phew!), and I'll be able to start posting here more often than I have been. So, this weekend I'm filling you in on what's been going on, what's on my knitting needles and sewing table, and what you can expect from A+M in the next few weeks. So, put your feet up, pour yourself a cuppa, and let's have a catch up!

Little Things #1

Some of you may have noticed a lack of Mid-Week Treat posts lately. Trust me, it's certainly not because I've stopped buying bits and bobs (if anything, completely the opposite!), but more because I've wanted to change the format up a little bit (can you believe I've been doing it for nearly 2 years??). Instead of dedicating one post to a couple of objects, I've been thinking I want to write a longer post with a round up of objects. So, without further delay, let me introduce you to the first ever Little Things! Expect a round up of bargains that I've been enjoying, on a less regular basis, but with added thriftiness. Let me know what you think!

The Weekend Whim: What We Leave Behind

When I'm not baking cakes/making notes on the iconoclasm/sewing/marathoning Game of Thrones like a pro, you'll find me volunteering at my local museum. It's something that I don't really talk about here very often, but it's something that I love doing, and has grown to be a big part of my life. A project I've been working on for the past couple of years is transcribing a collection of handwritten letters (somewhere in the region of over 300 of them!), and recently it's got me thinking about the kind of personal artefacts that my generation will leave for the future, especially in the age of social media.

Experiments with Metallic Spray Paint

So, I realise I'm a little late to the party when it comes to metallic spray paint. And not just 'fashionably-late' late, but more of a 'there's no nibbles left and people are starting to leave' late. I truly don't know what's taken me so long to try out this Pinterest favourite, but it wasn't until I rediscovered a lot of items I'd collected solely for the purpose of spraying them metallic that I finally decided to give it a go. Here are my thoughts about the way it turned out...

The Weekend Whim: April 2015

Pictures from my Instagram

Happy Sunday, lovely people! This week has been a rather hectic one for me, filled with volunteering at the museum, dashing off to university tutorials, a visit to the cinema to see The Age of Ultron, and, er, maybe a whole day spent watching the second series of Broadchurch (I'm hooked you guys!). So, before time rushes away and I find myself halfway through May (seriously, where does time go?), here's a round up of all things April...

The Weekend Whim: Loves + Links

Another week draws to a close, and it's another week closer to being summer. This past week has been so sunny and mild that it doesn't seem long before I can banish tights to the back of my wardrobe, eat all my meals al fresco, and hit up the peach iced lemonade at Costa. So, before I disappear with a book into the garden, here's a few things which have made my week.

Blocking: What is it and Should I be Doing it?

Whilst I've been knitting and crocheting for far longer than I've been sewing, I'll freely admit that I'm a little more gung-ho when it comes to abandoning or ignoring traditional techniques when it comes to picking up my knitting needles. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that when I started knitting and crocheting, I didn't really read many blogs at all, let alone craft blogs. If I knew the stitches, I'd simply whizz along until the end of a project, sew it up, and call it a day. Therefore, the idea of blocking a piece of knitting is an entirely new one to me, but seeing as how at the moment I am all about improving my approach to making things, I've been looking into it, and the advantages of doing it.

Project Planning: Suede Skirt

If there's one thing that's changed of late, it's been the time I take thinking about projects. A busier schedule than last year means that I have less time to dedicate to spontaneous making, and although I still do make time for it, it means that I've been thinking more about how to spend that time. I'm actually quite enjoying this - it means that things are a little more thought out and considered than they used to be, although that's not to say that I'm totally against a completely spontaneous project now and again! So, here's something that I've been planning and working on for the last couple of months (yep, I'm that slow of a sewer!).

The Weekend Whim: HOMEBODY

After reaching a couple of deadlines in the past week, I've had a few spare days where I can just relax and not have to do anything except take it easy (hurrah!). Yesterday I did a little baking, and whilst it was hardly groundbreaking, it was fun to do something that I haven't done in a long time (blame working in a bakery!). So, with this in mind, I've compiled a list of different things to do when you want a relaxing day at home - without the requirement to leave the house.

My Favourite Online Resources for Crafters

Let me tell you something which makes me sound old: I remember life without the internet! This makes me feel all the older when my brother, who is four years younger than I, does not know life without the internet, and does not even know the sound of the dial up. Yes, that's right people, I know the struggle, the struggle of actually going to library for homework research, of having to look up stuff in encyclopaedias, of having to buy Smash Hits Magazine to know the lyrics to Justin's latest song (Timberlake, duh). All this means that I'm still in serious awe of how easy it is to find stuff online, and whilst I'll always love my craft textbooks and guides, I find that the best way to gain new knowledge of a technique is to combine the internet with textbooks. Here's four of my favourite online hangouts for crafters...

The Weekend Whim 9 - Gregynog, Easter, + Weekend Links

When Easter rolls around, it always marks the beginning of Spring. However, Easter also holds a lot of other memories for me too; when I was in full time education it was always the mark of the beginning of exams (and of course, revision), and for the past couple of years I've worked over Bank Holiday Monday, so Easter has never really seemed like a very restful sort of holiday. The same applies again this year; I'm working tomorrow, and I've got a couple of assignments due in later on next week, so unfortunately I won't be lazing around in the garden with a book. However, Easter Sunday is an excuse to drop everything, so drop everything I did...

Thrifted Finds - 2

Gosh - I didn't realise it had been two months since my last post on what I've been buying second hand! It's crazy how time flies when you're busy rummaging through charity shops having fun, isn't it? Actually, these posts are some of my favourite posts to put together, regardless of how often I do them. So, without further ado, here's some of my favourite recent finds...

March 2015 - Making, Wearing, Reading

Photos from my Instagram

Get a look at me, uploading my monthly favourites post a whole two days before the end of March. The fact that the clocks sprang forward yesterday means that I'm mourning an hour's worth of sleep embracing Spring and getting things done a little earlier than needed. There's nothing quite like a bright sky and warmer weather to get a to do list ticked off a little quicker, is there? So, here's all things March...

The Weekend Whim 8 - Home Tourist

Yesterday well and truly felt like the first day of Spring. It sounds like such a cliche, but the bright sunshine and warmer weather really does blow away the cobwebs, and gets my feet itching to get outside and do something new. As much as I'd like to get away to some new horizons, sometimes commitments mean that I can't dedicate a whole day to schlepping around discovering new things. So instead, yesterday I put on my comfiest shoes, slung a camera around my neck, and became a tourist of my own home town. Someone even remarked to me that all I needed was an American accent, and I'd have the tourist thing down to a tee! So, here's what I got up to.

Mid-Week Treat: 80 Penguin Classics for 80p

So, if you're as big a book nerd as I am, you'll have heard the glorious, glorious news that to celebrate 80 years, Penguin have released special editions of 80 of their classic books for a mere 80 pence. Crazy, huh? They are available on amazon, in Waterstones, and even in some independent bookshops, so keep your eyes peeled and your loose change at the ready! I managed to restrain myself to buying four, although I'm pretty sure that a few more will be finding their way towards my bookshelf. Read on for more details on the books I chose...

The Weekend Whim 7 - LOVE YO'SELF!

If I had a pound for everytime I've seen the phrase 'TREAT YO'SELF' on the internet, I would have enough money to treat myself to a trip around the world, a couple of pairs of Jimmy Choos, and several metres of the finest Liberty print fabric around. The thing is, we all love to treat ourselves from time to time (myself included), however recently I've been thinking about treating myself to things which don't necessarily involve a price tag. I suppose there are all kinds of ways to describe this - 'me-time', or a bit of self love, but I'm hoping the catch phrase LOVE YO'SELF will catch on. When you have a lot on your plate, it's important to remember to take a little bit of time to do nothing but indulge in some serious me-time (and no, Netflix marathons don't count). Here are a few ways I'm indulging this weekend...

First Time Tips For Sewing With Leather

Call it the 'Great British Sewing Bee' effect, or the fact that 70s suede and leather seem to be having a moment, but I have become infatuated with sewing myself a little something made out of leather. It's proving to be a big learning curve for me, especially as I've only worked with lighter weight fabrics in the past. Before committing to sewing, I sat down and did a little research, so here's an overview of what I'm taking forward with me for this project (more details soon!)...

Sewing Vintage - My Vintage Pledge

Considering that most of the time, I use modern patterns to sew from, I do seem to have an awful lot of vintage sewing patterns. They're something which I like to buy for multiple reasons; a) the cover art (swoon!) b) the style of the patterns (ain't nothing like finding the perfect tea dress pattern) c) the design features (when did we stop using sleeve darts??) - I could go on! As it is though, I find it a lot easier to use modern patterns to sew from, especially as a less experienced sewer. So, to actually give some of these lovely patterns a use, this year I've decided to sign up for Marie and Kelly's Vintage Sewing Pattern Pledge. To read my pledge, and to see some of the patterns I might choose to make, read on...

The Weekend Whim #6: February 2015

Photos from my Instagram

I know I always start of these posts by talking about how quickly the past month has flown by, and blah blah blah. However, in all seriousness I have no idea where February went - in fact, I had this post scheduled for some time next week! Ah, February, you're so sneaky trying to catch me out with your irregular 28 days. So, before it gets too far into March, let me tell you about all things February.

How To: Single Pearl Ear Cuff

Yes, I know that ear cuffs are old, old news by now. In fact, I've been sat on the fence about them for so long that I've only recently decided that I actually quite like them (all the blingy styles at the Grammy's persuaded me, I guess). I wanted one that was a little more understated, and far more wearable on a day to day basis - so, what better than to make my own? If you want to make one of your own, read on for the instructions...

The Weekend Whim #5: Much Wenlock

I hope you've all been having a glorious weekend, and if like me you've been hit with a few days of non-stop rain, I hope you've managed to have a lazy couple of days keeping dry and warm with a hot drink in hand. This week saw me take a (rainy!) trip out to Much Wenlock, and with it being such a pretty little place, I thought I'd share a few photos, as well as what I got up to.

5 Confessions of a Bad Blogger

First things first, let's just clarify that there's no such thing as a "good" blogger or a "bad" blogger. The great thing about blogging is that it has no set rules, and is an open field for you to do what you want with it. However, if you've been reading blogs for long enough, you'll soon find that there are typical things that a lot of blogs and their authors do, and it is these that I want to talk about (in particular my failure to do them!).

Navy Salute

At the moment, all my sewing plans are decidedly season inappropriate (boo, hiss winter), which is why it's been a while since I've been sat behind the pedal of my sewing machine. The main contributing factor to this is that I lack the sewing confidence to make more complicated things like coats, jackets, and items involving bulkier fabric. It's something I definitely want to work on, but right now my main concern is warmth, which I'm definitely not going to get from making day dresses or summer tops. So, when I came across this navy blue faux fur, I knew it would be making its way towards my sewing machine pronto (so soft! so warm!).

The Weekend Whim #4: Preloved

Hey there, hope you're all enjoying the remainder of the weekend. I spent this weekend combining two of my favourite weekend activities; second hand shopping and cafe hopping, which culminated in a refreshing, uplifting couple of days. You may have noticed that I've slightly changed the name of my weekend posts - when I originally wanted to post at the weekend, I was feeling rather uninspired when it came to thinking of a name for this feature, and I've only just settled on a name! So, without further ado, let's get started talking about all things weekend. Pour yourself a cuppa, help yourself to a biscuit, and make yourself at home.

Mid-Week Treat: Rimmel at Poundland

Well folks, Wednesday has rolled around again, but take some time out to remember that the week is halfway through (woop!). This Wednesday, I'm bringing you some of my best buys from Poundland, in the form of these Rimmel goodies. Whilst Rimmel is hardly an expensive brand to begin with, the £1 price tag makes these such great bargains. I've been trying these out for a couple of weeks now, so let me give you the low down on them.

Weekend #3: January 2015 Round Up

Photos from my instagram

Now that January's drawing to a close, it's starting to feel like we're 'properly' settled into 2015 now (early January is just an extension of Christmas, amirite?). Although it has to be said that the amount of snow we've been having at the moment is making it feel like Christmas all over again. So, I'm going to take a few minutes snuggled up with a huuuge blanket to write about bits and pieces from January. Enjoy!

Weekend #2: A Letter to the Future

This week seems to have gone by in a blur; juggling work, uni reading, and voluntary commitments with other things, has meant that I've been more than ready to embrace a couple of days of doing nothing but schlepping around home wearing a onesie. So, let the relaxation continue, as I share what I've been up to this weekend!

Mid-Week Treat: Haberdashery at The Range

Happy Wednesday, folks! You know the drill by now - it's humpday, in the middle of a hectic week, and I'm bringing you some inexpensive buys to brighten your day. I visited The Range a couple of weeks ago, and can never leave empty handed, especially when it comes to the craft or homeware sections. Have a look-see at what I bought!

Finding My Style

In the past few months, I have been having a wardrobe dilemma. I used to have a clearly defined sense of style, which meant that both getting dressed in a morning and shopping for clothes were simple. However, since becoming more interested in making my own clothes, and seeing the possibilities that come from that, my style seems disjointed and all over the place. I find myself only wearing a small part of my wardrobe - not wearing things I've made, as well as things I've bought. However, I recently discovered the problem with my buying and making habits, which has enabled me to make a change.