Wardrobe Refashion

Hey everyone :)  i've been quite busy trying to teach myself to turn a heel to be able to knit socks and also to knit gloves.  I was making the gloves very complicated for myself so I asked my gran and she explained it to me, am going to try again later so will let you know the results.  i haven't taken any pics of the unsuccessful attempts because I think we all know what a messy bit of knitting looks like ;).  However I have made 2 new dresses from this pattern. 

I made one, in the brown stripes, which is a bit big (it is a one size pattern and I neglected to alter it), and then a second in the flowery fabric which is fine.  I put buttons on the back (see picture) rather than a zip as I prefer them.  I am altering the brown one to make it fit.  I am pleased with them :).  I'm also thinking about maki ng my friend one for her birthday in a gray linen with a nice bright lining.  I didn't add the sleeves because I will need to make them a fair bit longer and I haven't altered the pattern yet, I'm not fussed about having sleeves as I can put a t-shirt underneath anyways.

I also am luckier enough to have just been given another dress pattern from my grans stash, along with an old vogue sewing guide and a knitting pattern for a top.  I'm not going to try the top at the moment, sticking to the gloves and socks right now but maybe in spring.  The dress is a nice wrap around one which we found in a box of knitting patterns.  For some reason the picture of it seems to have gone to the top of this entry, *shug*, not sure why!  I am slowly siphoning my grans collection of patterns that she doesn't use any more and it's ace:   There are loads from years and years ago.  As she is a careful person (waste not, want not!) they are all in good condition.  Even the ones which are a bit fragile are good enough to make copies from :)  I have also fashioned myself a rather bad hairband (it doesn't suit me at all, boo) and sewn a few buttons back on here and there.  I have also cleared out 2 bin bags of clothing that I am not going to mend or be able to use for fabric to take to the charity shop.  A quick question for those of you who have made it through this far in to my post....Does it take ages for your pictures to upload onto typepad?      Quite a lot of stuff blogged about here so I'm gonna stop now before I take up the whole page!!  Adios, Bridget

Overlocker/serger

I hope I am allowed to put such a post here but I couldn't resist as there is such a wealth of knowledge here. I'm thinking of asking for a secondhand overlocker/serger for my birthday (I think they are the same thing just depends where you are from). I was hoping that those of you with such a machine might be able to tell me how much you use it, is it a wothwhile piece of equipment to have and if you could make a recommendation as to brand/model. Thanks!

A Different Pillowcase Dress

I've made quite a few pillowcase dresses in the past, but they are all very strappy and summery. My daughter needed a dress with more coverage to transition from Summer to Fall. I found a great ditsy floral pillowcase at the thrift store with a ruffle already attached. I added some vintage trim found at a garage sale and cut a tunic-style top for more coverage. A little elastic here and there made it girly. By itself it looks a little pajama-ish to me, but layered under a little denim vest, I really love it.


My group mommy-blog
My flickr album

A new skirt, a new sewer

I have made very little progress on the green/black sweater and blouse.  However, I did teach my 6 year old daughter how to sew.  See the results here.

I haven't bought any new clothes but I spiffed up my work shoe wardrobe.  The Wardrobe Refashion Pledge has really helped me learn to consume more thoughtfully.  First, I cleared out my shoe collection, got rid of everything that was uncomfortable and had two pairs repaired.  I  noted which types of shoes I needed before shopping. 

I bought 3 pairs of comfortable shoes that make me smile and are made in the US by Munro American.  They use a combination last, just like Italian shoes.  But with the dollar sinking, they are more affordable--especially because they were on clearance.  Like my mother and stepmother always taught me, "Buy better.  It is cheaper in the end."

Too busy with sewing to sew!

I have not been able to show anything of myself lately as I am simply too busy to sew....with sewing! I need to make 2 dresses for october and 2 more for november. I have no idea how that is gonna help me make some jeans and a wintercoat, but hey, I can try!
So what am I making? Visit http://lowlanddesign.blogspot.com to see!
oh, and I am being a good girl shopping-wise. I haven't bought anything for 5 months already!

D'oh! I forgot....

Silly me!  I was so excited by my swim suit bag that I totally forgot to post my other two projects!  Silly, silly, silly!

Well, this first one, I forgot to take a before picture!  I love this tank top but it was soooo wide!  It made me look pregnant and I am very much NOT so! 

It looks and fits much better now!  The yoga pants I made, well, I had a lot of trouble getting any good pictures so I can only really post a picture of the knee detail.  I took a pair of too large lounge pants and a red t-shirt I really don' t like and hacked them up and put them together. 

The t-shirt became a waistband and tie wrap at the waist as well as knee details.  The red knee detail is split at the back to allow for ease of movement.  They are so comfy!

 

Here is a picture of the knee (again, couldn't get a good picture of the split detail behind the knee):

Yoga pants, swim suit bag, resized top

Well, I haven't posted much at all since signing up for Wardrobe Refashion but that doesn't mean I haven't been doing any work!  Too bad several projects just didn't turn out!  Live and learn, right?  Or is that sew and learn?

Today I got inspired and organized my fabric stash as seen here.  I have several projects in mind for much of what you see.  Dresses, skirts, tops, bags, jackets and more!

Then, I sorted through my projects to complete and my mending bag.  I found my favorite t-shirt that I haven't worn in probably six months.  It had a grease stain of some sort front and center thus not fit to wear but I wasn't ready to throw it out!

So, I turned it into a bag!  I love the quote, which says, "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift."  The person who said that was Steve Prefontaine who was a runner at University of Oregon quite some time ago.  I find the quote extremely motivating and I love to swim so I put the shirt together with a plastic bag and a drawstring from an old sweatshirt.  This bag is the result!  The liner bag is from the gym and is meant specifically for your wet swim suit after your swim.  I hate carrying around the ugly clear bag with my suit visible to everyone so this is the perfect solution!

Here's an interior shot of the bag:

Sewing a cotton t-shirt and a plastic bag together is by no means easy!  If nothing else I have learned to follow my gut when it comes to sewing projects! 

I had considered fusing the plastic to the shirt material first but decided against it.  I just was feeling lazy and didn't want to get up, drag out the iron and go through the whole plastic fusing process!  So, I just pinned them together and started sewing.  Even with the pins in place, the plastic kept slipping a bit so there are some major flaws.  However, the fact that the closure is a cinch-drawstring you really can't tell.

Happy sewing to you!

shirtdress from a sheet and time in jail

Hello, everyone.  Not much time to sew this summer.  Here's my big project, started in May and completed in July.  I thrifted an enormous sheet and used some of it to make this dress.  Here's what it looks like at the end of the day, when the fitting problems really start to show!  What drives me nuts is I can't raise up my arms without taking the rest of the dress up with them.  I am pleased with the belt, which incorporates the  hem of the sheet, and the stitching on the sleeves.  I am halfway through a pair of shorts in the same material.  At this rate, the snow will be here before I'm finished!

I must confess to buying a new swimsuit.  I already have one for exercise, this one was just to feel cute on the beach.

From tablecloth to blouse

I had forgotten I had this tablecloth in my linen closet until last week. It had lots of fading, but I discovered I could work around it. Here are pictures of before and after. When I got ready to hem the sleeves, I wished they were a little bit longer, so I found some more of the unfaded blue and cut enough to put on a fake cuff.  Now I need to go through my closet/stash and find something to wear it with.

Second try

I managed to turn my living room into a sewing room--quite by accident.  I'm now greeted by loose pins and pattern pieces on the floor every time I enter my apartment.  But, the good news is that this allows me to create things like this:

I very quickly inserted the zipper and collar so I could wear it to a party last night.  More details on my blog.  Happy crafting!