Patterns

I've been on a cleaning spree recently. Really. I have. Well, maybe "spree" isn't the right word, given the pace at which I've been working, but I've been making a little progress each day and hope to have all my spring cleaning done before summer officially arrives.

Last week I cleaned out my closet, pulling out all the too-big-but-not-by-much garments I'd kept from the last round of closet cleaning (in 2011) just in case I didn't maintain the weight loss that was fairly new at that time. Now I feel confident in sending those items to Goodwill, too.

There are a few things in the donation bag this time that I'm going to miss, even though I haven't been able to wear them for a long time. If I didn't need the extra closet space--and if I thought I'd ever take them apart and make something out of the fabric--I'd keep them. I probably wouldn't get around to that, though, and I'm sure there's someone else out there who might enjoy them as much as I have.

Realizing that it's the fabric, not the garment, that I love, I decided to take a few pictures. That way I can give them away and keep them, too.

This is a soft, stretchy, pullover blouse I wore frequently the last year

 I worked. It has short sleeves, so I wore it in warm weather,

then added a black cardigan when the temperature dropped.

Another black pullover blouse, this one so much older

than the first one that I can't remember for sure when I got it.

If I'm not mistaken, it dates back to the late 1990s. 

I liked it enough that I didn't get rid of it during all the years

when it was too small. Lots of age on it, but not too much wear.

This is an ankle-length skirt I bought to wear to a

wedding in 2007. As much as I like it, I don't think

I've ever worn it again. I never stopped admiring it;

I just don't go many places where I need to dress up.

This is a short-sleeved, embroidered, summer sweater, another
item I've had for a long time. I bought the sweater with a

pair of buttery yellow slacks to wear on vacation in 2004.

These are the only four garments I photographed. It hadn't occurred to me until I looked at the photos side-by-side that the four fabrics share a particular design element: leaves. As someone who loves botanical prints, who photographs trees and leaves excessively because she can't resist the beauty of them, I shouldn't be surprised that leaves show up in my favorite clothing. But I am. I had no idea there was a pattern to my fashion choices.

Next time I do some serious shopping, maybe I'll look for other leafy prints to replace these. In the meantime, there's an unfortunate but distinct jeans-and-T-shirt pattern going on in my freshly cleaned-out closet.