Seems like warm weather is here to stay, and it is time to bring out the pretty pastel colors of spring. I can wear my white shoes now, as my mother always said you couldn’t do that before Easter Sunday. Do you remember those days as a child where you had a pretty new dress, new white patent leather shoes and a little hat for Easter Sunday? Those were the days, when we dressed for church, or going out to eat, or getting on an airplane, or just gathering for whatever reason. Ah, but that is where we are. We can celebrate spring though, in our homes and in our closets. I’ve already brought out springtime on our table with the Blue and Yellow Tablescape. I have purged a lot of tablescaping stuff, but I love these yellow dishes and the yellow ceramic basket, so those are keepers.
I need to flip my closet, cover those dark colors with clothing bags and bring out the lighter colors. Doing this feels like getting new clothes each season without spending a dime. I also need to go through them again, I still have too many things I just don’t wear. The best way to determine what should go and what should stay is in my post What’s In Your Closet? See that post for ideas on how to analyze what you actually wear, what you might still wear, and what needs to go.
In a post a few years back when I was still working, I worked out some rules for shopping to make my closet a bit more useful with fewer things, shared in my post Shopping and Sewing With A Purpose. You can also use these rules to sew with a purpose if you like to make clothes. I do still enjoy a new jacket or top from my fabric stash now and then. My Quilted Jacket was only worn a few times before it got too warm for it. Pretty prints are easier to find on a fabric bolt than in the stores much of the time. Even if you only wear shorts and jeans, it is nice to feel pretty in a cute top or a nice sweater in a delightful spring color. So here are my goals for summer sewing this year –
1. Sew pretty prints for tops or shells.
2. Find/sew another short sleeve, lightweight sweater/jacket to go over the sleeveless shells.
3. Buy/sew only what can be worn at least two other items like a print that will go with two different sweaters.
4. Buy/sew only what will go with what I already own – if the color is too weird, and won’t work with what I have, pass it by.
5. Buy/sew only what fits now, not what might fit 10 pounds from now – no more aspirational purchases.
Once again, I’ll be looking for short sleeve cover-ups to wear with sleeveless prints for Goal #2. I did a post a few years ago on How to Shorten Sleeves on Ready To Wear, and I still have the white lace one. The black and white stripe went to the thrift store after a few wearings. I just didn’t really like the horizontal stripes on my frame.
Here’s a prime example of goal #3 from a past post. I sewed a Rayon Challis Three Season Skirt – see that post for the tutorial. It worked with a purple shell for spring and summer nicely. See the post for the photos of how I styled it for fall with two different looks. One piece, three outfits. Since covid, though, I haven’t worn it at all. So, it may need to be reworked into a top that I can wear with shorts and jeans. I do love this print.
At this point, I still need to go through my closet again with the same ruthlessness as before. I started this in January, and posted about it, but didn’t get to the whole closet then. Plus, my mindset has changed again, and I am wanting to pare down even more. Covid changed much about how I wear clothes, and I do lament the lack of opportunity to dress nicely now. I need to purge what I haven’t worn since lockdown, and there is quite a bit. There are now so few opportunities to wear a pretty dress and heels. Even events to wear nice tops and sweaters are few and far between, so I dress up for meetings and club dinners. And, I have made a decision that I am going to wear more of my huge vintage jewelry collection, even with more casual outfits. I wore a green rhinestone set to guild meeting this week, and several friends commented on it. The choker, earrings and bracelet have light and dark green rhinestones, perfect for spring with a lightweight, short sleeve, green sweater.
Sometime this coming week, I’ll pull the spring/summer stuff and separate into four piles. Keep (which goes back in the closet), repair (if I love it enough to spend the time), donate (for those things that don’t really fit but are still in good shape, and trash (those stained, worn out, ripped or things with holes that I hang onto for comfort wear).
After all that work, we need a treat. I made some great cookies for our pickleball pals last weekend, and took three dozen to the gym just to visit. No, I am not playing right now, but My Sweet Babboo is, and I went to watch him and visit. These are perfect Springtime treats with pastel M&Ms.
First I mixed the cookie dough, using a combination of butter and shortening. This gives the cookies a buttery taste, but they don’t spread as much.
Using a two-tablespoon scoop, I put a dozen cookies on insulated cookie sheets, and bake for 12 minutes.
The cookies come out of the oven nicely puffed.
They will collapse as they cool.
Allow them to cool for 5-10 minutes, then move to a rack to cool completely. They’ll stick to the pan if you let them cool too long.
Yum! Sweet and buttery, vanilla flavored cookie with pastel M&Ms for melty, chocolaty deliciousness.
Yes, I did a pdf for you – Springtime Vanilla Butter Cookies with M&Ms.
This week I don’t have any meetings, so I hope to get more sewing done. I got the rulers I was waiting for, so I will be putting them to use practicing on my muslin in preparation for quilting Quadrille. The next clue in that mystery will be Friday, the 15th.
Happy Spring! I hope you are enjoying this day with your family. What are your plans for the week?
From My Carolina Home 
I need to clean out my closet – I regret now that kept putting it off as it will be harder now with a walking boot on – but it must be done – I have so much hanging or on shelves and drawers that I haven’t worn in years. I will get it all out and well have to ask hubs to bring it out to the car so I can drop it off – it has to be done! Have a nice Easter.
Happy Easter to the two of you!
Happy Easter! It always is a good time to get together with friends.
Closet cleaning – half of my clothes closet is currently full of quilts. Time to sort & refold the quilts, then shift some clothes. Mmmmmm, M&M sugar cookies, I see one in my future. Last week was a meetings-off week for me. A quilting plan finally materialized for a quilt that was basted weeks ago – sometimes it takes a while to figure that out. I finished binding yesterday, good thing as there’s a project due on Tuesday & I hadn’t started. Better be quick like a bunny & hop to it!
I was hunting through a basement storage area for something yesterday, and realized that I really need to totally clean it out! It’s not clothing, but other things that haven’t been touched in a long time. Your cookies look yummy – thanks for the recipe! Happy Easter, Carole!
I always get the urge to clean & purge this time of year. Whether in the garden, the basement, the closets … you name it. Time to free up space to celebrate Spring. The cookies look delicious. I never even saw the Easter M&Ms this year nor the Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs but I did manage to get a bunch of Cadbury Eggs! Enough to last until Summer! Ha!
Oh I do need a closet clean out! I use totes for the off season, and before I dig in the closet, I need to purge the totes. I retired 11 years ago, and there are still “work clothes” hanging around. My attire these days is mostly yoga pants, active wear or old sweats! Spring is coming and it will be time to get the capri’s back out and find tops to coordinate. I need to get rid of all the old “garage wear” t-shirts too. Anymore, if I don’t love something it gets tossed out in the donation bin etc. Found two pairs of “work pants” out in my sewing room the other day….and tossed them. They were hiding on a shelf for years!!!
While you were purging your basement of extra dishes I started on our kitchen. I don’t know where all those extra utensils/gadgets come from, lol. It felt good to downsize to items that we truly do use and want to store. This past week we tackled our closet and our dressers. It’s amazing what we own but never wear. It may fit but we no longer enjoy it, it has nothing to go with it etc…why is it in our space crowding it up. Lots of purging of clothes, belts, scarfs, and shoes. Now at least we can see what we have and find it. I need to make your cookie recipe and share with our neighbors. I like the idea of half butter and half Crisco. I will use chocolate chips since I have them on hand. This is a quiet Easter for us and we are watching the Masters. Happy Easter to you Carole and thank you for all the great tips on downsizing our stuff.
Thank you for the encouragement to purge! We used to host family holiday dinners all around the dining room table with the table beautifully set (imho!). But life changes and all our family is far away and I just don’t have the energy or will to host big gatherings anymore. I still enjoy a lovely table and will set one for the two of us today, but very simply. I really don’t need all those seasonal decorations and dishes and need to pass them on.
We had such a mild – NO SNOW – winter that I had to pull out a couple of lighter weight things from the summer box and put up some heavy sweaters – now things are really a mess! But AMVETS is coming on Tuesday – perfect timing. LOVE the Blue and Yellow (Kiss your Fella) table setting!
Happy Easter to you and hubs!
Thanks for the motivation to tackle the closet again. It’s been too long and there are many things that need to GO. Happy Easter.
I like the list of closet clean up tips. I would add one item to the list of things to replace….nightwear. Don’t know about other readers, but I tend to wear my sleepwear way beyond their “trash date”. Who is going to see it any way? Right? Well, some one might and besides you, or at least I, feel better in a gown or PJs that are not faded, stretched out or with missing buttons or tattered trim.
Off I go to sort out my closet tomorrow. Time to get serious about departing with some of the summer garments that are past their “trash date” or well… don’t fit any longer or I am just tired of wearing them for ever so long.
I am shuddering the thought of purging and down sizing.
I am way too overwhelmed,
I know I should just do little bits.
Taking care of daddy is exhaustinggggg
I should just make small goals
Thank you for the encouragement.
and the recipe.
Happy Blessed Easter
Happy Easter. You have inspired me to purge clothes as well.
I know I will be happier to let the old go.
Thank you for the tips to help with this.
Alexandria
I would love to clean out my closet like you did and continue to do. How to get motivated is the real problem!?? It’s such an overwhelming task for me. I wear almost none of my clothing these days…like almost none. Thanks for sharing your journey and now…any tips on getting started!!?? XOXO
Our weather is so iffy — I get ready to swap the closets and then the temp drops. But I do think I’m ready to take down a lot and just force myself to be happy in whichever colors of fleece I keep upstairs! It’s probably just as well I didn’t do it sooner given the basement flooding and mustiness that’s there now. All the clean clothes I took down last fall will have to be at least aired out and probably washed again to get rid of that! Maybe that’s why I hesitate! And, while I’m at it, I daresay a lot will go to the charity pile. Which is a good thing.
I love your table. I never see my favorite color combo together now without thinking of Ukraine.
I hope your Easter was terrific!
I have been thinking I need to clean out my closet for a while now, and just don’t ever do it!! Good for you to be so organized! Your yellow and blue table is so fresh and Spring pretty!
Jenna