Wardrobe Refashion

New member, but not new to refashioning

I had not really put a name to what I have been doing for years, but it was great to discover this site and get new inspirations. Two weeks ago, when I came across the site, I went to my bag of clothes for Goodwill, found some men's shirts I really liked for the fabric, cut them apart and remade them into "new" shirts for myself. Over the years I have cut dresses apart to make skirt and blouse outfits, bought home dec fabric at yard sales that later became outfits (or a party dress from the gold brocade drapes), cut a pretty piece of tapestry (thrift store) into a vest that I beaded--the list goes on and on. I am now addicted to this site and check it twice a day for new posts.

It's funny that as a child, I hated getting clothes from the church rummage sales or "Next-to New" shops, but now those are my favorite (and almost only) places to shop.

Project Land In Tha Hiz-Ouse!

I have been completely busy trying to change my profession, so I hadn't gotten a whole lot done worth reporting here for the past few weeks. Mostly mending--which is good, as I have piles and piles of it to do--and refraining from buying anything new.

However, a few things have happened in the past week or so:

1. I had to buy a plethora of underwear and some work clothing. I know these things are exempted from the challenge, but I still feel I should 'fess it. I was able to get the work stuff via resale, but I had to buy the underwear new. I'll probably need to buy bras in the near future, too. I hadn't bought new undies and bras in about 4 years, so they were beyond mending any more. I had to buy the work clothing a little on the large size, as my size wasn't available, so I may end up modifying those clothes as well, and if I do, I'll post pictures.

2. I've started gearing up for Pennsic. My Pennsic-fu has been weak this year, but this weekend brought me some reasonable production time. I managed to take care of a couple of modern things, too. Here's what I've done so far:

THE CHOLI ADVENTURE:

I tried on some of my Pennsic Garb only to realize that it did not fit the way it was supposed to, especially not my cholis (an Asian Indian jacket/top worn with a sari). As my choli pattern, Folkwear 134, does not go up any larger, I needed to find an alternate pattern. After looking through my pattern stash, I found that I have Simplicity 4249 and 5359, both with choli-like tops that will do. However, pattern # 4249 has a back closure and I want a front one. I cut out the top from #5359 in some extremely lightweight practice cloth, put it together, and found that it wouldn't fit, either! PANIC TIME! I need my cholis! I ended up making one crop top as a substitute, then began working with modifying #5359. However, I did eventually try on the old cholis and found that the problem was the particular bra I'd been wearing the day before; without it, I could still squish into the cholis. When your rack is an E cup, how you mash those girls around makes a big difference in the fit of your clothing. So I do hope to make one more nice choli from my favorite pattern before I go. Anyway:

a. From this black linen/rayon dress, I made a choli and a coif. The Empire bodice of the dress is still intact; I have set it aside to make a young ladies' Italian Ren dress at some point in the future. The choli is particularly nice, because it will be a nice way to make my various tank tops office acceptable. It wraps around the front and is using a pin closure. I had hoped that it would be supportive without a bra, but there is no distribution of the weight, so it pulls terribly in the front if worn without a bra, and if I lift my arms, the whole world gets flashed. Oh, well! The coif is nice, too, but it's hard to see on Darth Vader, cuz it's so black. ;-) I dunno, simply wearing a coif doesn't make ol' Darth look less menacing, does it?

b. A linen jacket modified for wear as a choli. I shortened the arms, removed the collar, and put a pin placket on the front to hide the zipper. The other zipper will be hidden by the sari. However, I am already thinking of replacing the pin placket; it's too heavy. I may modify this one further.

More soon!

Yahoo Picks Profile

I was featured on Yahoo Picks Profile  yesterday.

Go have a read!

INVITES ARE SENT

All invites have been sent.  If you emailed to join and have not received an invite please check your spam box first and if it's not there then send me a reminder email.
If you haven't yet signed up or resigned and wish to do so, email me within the next few days.  Se the guidelines here.
I'll be adding names to the sidebar within the next week inbetween folding, stapling and posting Mix Tape Zine.

A day early but...

...I just couldn't wait until tomorrow to make my intro!  :-)  I have been following this site for quite a while and just finally got up the courage to join.  The main thing I was apprehensive about is a common issue: time.  But for at least the next 2 months, I resolve to FIND the time.  It's not like I sleep much as it is!  (*grins*)

A bit about me: I am a 33-year-old transplant from Minnesota who is now living in the Atlanta, GA area with her DH of 4 years and our 4 kitties.  I think I have worn long sleeves once a year in the 3 years I have lived here.   So I have an abundance of tops that will most likely be giving up their arms in the next few weeks.   

I also made a resolution to myself last November to start dressing more my age and less my mom's but have had a tough time finding clothes I like in my size.  That's when I started looking into refashioning and have moved a bit past the point of funkifying t-shirts.  Just a bit.  ;-)

I am a novice when it comes to sewing but seem to be able to muddle way through things pretty well.  For some projects, I love the messy "handmade" look (which I am quite good at!) and for others, I can put together something fairly professional looking... as long as you don't look at the insides of my seams!

My first task over the upcoming week is to go through my clothing and cloth supply and WRITE DOWN the different ideas I have and what I need for each one.    If I start off organized, perhaps I can stay on track and actually accomplish a few things.  I don't if it's the artist in me or the fact that I am a Pisces, but I get easily distracted by shiny obj--oh, look!  A penny!

I am really looking forward to this, though, and I am quite confident that I will extend my pledge at the end of this 2-month period!

Happy refashioning,

Sashi

All I Need Is Time

I've got the pattern. I've got the fabric. I've definitely got the desire, but I've got no time. I need time alone with no children on summer vacation so I can create a little. They're here to stay for the next month, though, so I don't think I'll be getting a whole lot done.

Here's what I really want to do, though:

I want to make the dress on the left, because halters, though sexy on some, aren't made for people who can't go braless. I can always keep the halter dress on the right in mind for the day when the enlarging/sagging effects of breastfeeding three children wear off - surely that can happen, right? Ahem. Yeah, so, for now I'll go with the wrap dress on  the right, but I'll attempt to use some more attractive fabric than the one shown here. That just isn't my style.

I've actually already got the fabric. I bought quite a bit of plain jersey in several different colors a while back. I calculated and realized it's not only craftier and more politically responsible for me to make my own t-shirts (instead of buying new), but it's cheaper, too. So, the plan was to make some t-shirts for the family. It has yet to happen, though. Then, this pattern popped up in my size on ebay. I got it for a great price, so I am excited about the prospect of a new knit dress some time soon. I just have to decide if I'd prefer it in bright pink or aqua blue. Aqua's always a good color for me, but pink might be fun, too.

Until today, I hadn't posted here in a little while. Partly, it's been because we were out of town for a few days. Then, it's also partly due to the fact that I have the kids to take care of and not much sewing or any other kind of crafting has been taking place around here. Then, it's partly due to the fact that I'm just a very bad blogger. I say this, because I actually did some sewing for a gift a couple of weeks ago and was in such a hurry to finish that I didn't get a chance to take a picture of the finished gift. It was a stuffed cat for a little girl's birthday party.

Part of my own personal pledge when joining Wardrobe Refashion was to attempt to not buy anything new for the family or any other people if I could help it (not just myself). This is tricky when birthdays pop up, because you never know how handmade gifts will be accepted. So far, so good, though. I'm three for three so far, and no complaints. The cat I made last time went over really well, because it went into a loving family of crafters. I had made it from a vintage thrifted sheet that was beautiful in its day but now has a few stains here and there. I got it for 33 cents at a local thrift shop, and it was the perfect fabric for dolls (a very thick cream colored cotton). I still have plenty more, so I believe I just might make another cat for my own daughter when I get around to buying some more stuffing. Then, I might actually be able to share a picture with you all.
Until then, I'll live vicariously through all of you with the great projects you've been working on lately.

Back...ish!

I feel so horrible, I haven't been posting quite like a should. I have been travelling for the past month, doing odd jobs, going to weddings, craft fairs, and the like.  I haven't been making lots, but I've been hitting up the thrift stores frequently, and I'm looking forward to the next leg of my trip, which is to my parents home, as there are wonderful thrift stores there. 

Anywho, I should have posted this several weeks ago when I finished this. The dress was made for my friend Heather's wedding, only an adorable handmade dress would do for this party! The fabric is Heather Bailey's Freshcut, and the dress is a severely modified New Look pattern. I don't know if it's new look patterns themselves, or just he nature of princess seams, but it was a very poor fit and required some last minute darts so it didn't look like a bag. I haven't given up on New Look, but I've certainly learned my lesson about sewing an untested pattern on a deadline. 

Does anyone have a favorite pattern for this type of dress? I'd like to make more in this style, I think it's very flattering, but don't feel like messing around with this pattern again. . . .

Anyway, here's the picture:

The modifications I made to the pattern were to close off the button band, I didn't want suprise gaposis in the middle of the wedding. I added the buttons, but they aren't noticeable in this picture.  I added a very thin green piping to the upper neckline, yellow is a new color for me and I felt like the green helped my face from blending in :) 

Anyway, hope everyone is having a great summer! I just finished some costuming jobs, so hopefully I'll get a small chance to work on the dress I have cut out.. :)

Been thinking too much...

Haven't done much sewing this month, but I caught up this weekend! What I have been doing is a lot of thinking.  I've decided that I need to make more coordinated clothing.  So I picked a few fabrics out of my stash, found a couple great pieces at a yard sale, and ordered a few more and ended up with a pile.  The pink on top I'm going to dye blue to make it more purplish.  The white is going to be dyed brown.  I'm also knitting a brown sweater that should go with all of this. 

To get started I made two t-shirts this weekend.  Here's one of them.   

And to get me through the summer I decided to make a pair of shorts and a skirt.  I loved the directions in Sew What! Skirts, by Francesca Denhartog and Carole Ann Camp.

The fabric for the shorts and skirt came from my stash.  I'm going to try really hard from now on to only get solid colors for a core wardrobe.  And then refashion some fun and funky things into vests, jackets, extra pieces that will go with my basics.  I'm really happy with how everything turned out this weekend.  The game plan is to make leggings and a tunic this next weekend. 

Lots of crafting:)

Hi guys:)

Thanks for all the positive comments on my *bought/heavily discounted* wedding dress, it was lovely to hear your opinions and warmed both my boyfriend's and my heart:)

Have been doing lots of crafting/sewing and experimenting lately. It's weird how writing your master's dissertation can get old very quickly while the sewing machine and other crafty bits are screaming for attention, "Yes Bernina, I'm coming" ;) . Anyway have limited time to post here (am supposed to watch MIM on tv with my very patient boyfriend who paused the movie so I could write this post, ops!).

So without further ado here are the stuff I've been making:

Coasters made with remnants of fleece from a babyblanket I made for a friend; embroidery floss was "donated" to me (tried to experiment to see if I could embroider/quilt the layers together with the birdie design), main fabric was thrifted for a few pennies.

What to do with an old remnant of cotton shower curtain we used to extend our livingroom curtains (you wouldn't believe the floor to ceiling height in old Scottish tenement flats from the 1860s!)? Well try your hand at embroidery, of course;) I think the pattern was from the patternbee (free pattern); in the absence of tracing paper I just used brown baking paper to trace the design (very punk, or "resourceful" I know).

Small purse thing for a friend's birthday. All fabrics were thrifted. It was the first time I tried my hand at reverse appliqué  (the star) which was cool except I misjudged where I put my patterned white-with-colourful-hearts fabric so you don't see ANY of the hearts:( However I LOVE the polka dot-whale fabric; it was such a find!

And lastly, more coasters! These are for my mom's birthday this week (I hope they'll get there in time). Here again, remnants of fleece from babyblanket and thrifted fabric. I experimented a bit with trying to "quilt" them in a geometric pattern, sort of freehand... was fun:) Can see myself doing more for quilt blocks or something.

Ok, that's all folks.......think I've been here way too long (half angry look from my boyfriend.......)

Keep on crafting everyone. Next time I'll show you a proper refashion (like involving clothes and all) that I did yesterday.

Christina

Not clothing ....but...

I do have a little "refashion" to show.......ME! :-)

I have really curly hair normally and I never, ever had it straight before. I went on dancecamp for a week (hence no posts about clothing, I was busy dancing) and the girls on camp took it to straigthen my hair with one of those hot plate-thingies. In the picture it is already wavy again after a good night of sleep, but I still think it is a great refashion! :-D