Mauve Madness

It doesn’t matter how many times you reorganize things, if there’s simply not enough space for the stuff you have, there’s always going to be overflow and messy piles. This is why my sewing room and fabric are never completely under control.

Not pink, not rose, not lilac, not lavender...I'm calling them all mauve.

In one of my recent attempts to get all the fabrics into the bins, shelves, or hangers, I noticed that things were not only messed up but they were not in their proper color categories. Horrors! There were blues in with the grays, and pinks in with the purples, even some browns in with the greens. Ugh! Actually, it was mostly those troublesome colors, like russet (between green and brown), slate (between gray and blue), and mauve, which is an odd color all around. Is it rose? Is it violet? Well, it just wouldn’t do. All the mauves had to come out and sit on the floor while I thought about it.

(l) vintage 80s rayon, (r) raw silk

While I thought about it, the fabrics started looking kind of nice together. Now, I’m not entirely sure how I feel about mauve. Do I even like it? I don’t wear much true pink, but I do wear all the purples, from pale lavender to dark red violet. I think dusky shades are very elegant but I don’t know how well they suit me. Still, it seems I have rather a large selection of this odd in-between color. I might as well try it out.

(l) calcutta cloth, (upper right) ribbed cotton knit, (lower right) waffle knit

So, instead of working on things that I need (like new pajamas), or things I should make (like holiday gifts), I’m busy preparing fabric and patterns for a Mauve Madness Collection. So far I think there will be 3 skirts, 2 blouses, a cardigan and a pullover sweater, a dress, and possibly one other blouse. I don’t need any trousers, as the color looks beautiful with all of the dark neutrals that I already have.

cotton voiles

Most of the fabrics are lightweight, and should get me through our so-called Fall, which consists of one month of over-100 degrees, one month between 90 and 100, and then finally November-December which usually gives us a bit of relief in the 70s and 80s. (Yes, this is why our population increases substantially in the winter.)

That’s my plan. It will be interesting to see what, if anything, comes of it. Do you have any exciting sewing or crafting plans for Fall?

Katrina