Wardrobe Refashion

70s style maxi dress

I had my work Christmas party on Saturday, a day function at a golf course, dress code for ladies cocktail and my mum made me a beautiful dress to wear to it.

Last year Mum had found some gorgeous retro black floral and geometric cotton voile at our fave opshopping experience: Salvation Army Red Hill car park sale and I found a vintage vogue pattern from the 70s for a maxi dress and we had intended to make it & I thought the xmas party would be a great occasion for it. Total cost of fabric and pattern, easily less than 20c!!!!

This wardrobe refashion was completely my wonderful mum’s hard work, I just made myself available for the numerous fittings it took. Because I am so slight, the bodice part of the pattern, a size ten, had to be adjusted quite a lot to get it to fit properly.  The pattern (dress c) is so delightfully 70s.

I cannot wait to attempt to make a dress myself from this pattern, and duly post it on wardrobe refashion: I have a gorgeous Laura Ashley 80s blue floral dress which has so much fabric in the skirt I want to use it to make a short dress for work from it.

I have never worn a maxi dress before, but I can see why they have become popular again, they are so lovely to wear!! I really loved the length and the frill on the bottom & just everything about the dress.

Rachel: thanks so much to my mum for all her hard work for such a beautiful dress, I love it!!

Crazy Crochet!

I haven't posted in a while, I was super duper sick and wanted to die! I'm healthy now, so on with the hats I've crocheted recently.   They are made on a size 9.0 hook usually using double-stranded worsted wool, but occasionally there's a few bits of other goodies in there.   They are whatever stitch I felt like at the time, singles, 1/2 double and double and the occasional bobble. I just went wild and hoped that it would come out and it did! They only take about 3 hours to make (including weaving in  the 1,000's of ends) so they are quick and perfect for my short attention span! Now, on to the pics!

For my friend Dara:

For my friend Morley:

Reuse Christmas Cap

Last Christmas I made a cap for my dear daughter of stretchy fabric. It served as a cute cap with a knot during summer. It was very strawberry-like :) This Christmas it still fits.

From kilts to Scotties

Skirts at my favorite thrift store are always marked 50¢. I find a lot of wool kilts or kilt-inspired skirts. At first, I bought them to make my younger boys their own kilts (we are bagpipe band family). I kept buying them just because they were so cheap.

I made dozens of Scottie ornaments for Christmas.

And a wee pillow for one of my boys.

As a surprise today, my 5yo traced around his Scottie ornament, colored it in and cut it out. It wasn't a Scottie though. It was Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Too cute!

Ugly dress to cute top

I picked up this baggy dress at the Goodwill for $.99.  I liked the print on the fabric, but not much else. :)  I used the Simplicity Built by Wendy pattern, 3835, to turn it into this top.  It is a combinatino of View C (the top) with the sleeves from View B (the minidress).  Naturally, it's a tad too small for me, 'cause I always underestimate my size and make things too small.  Grrr...  I think it will fit better once I've shed my "holiday" pounds and get back to the gym on a regular basis - it's mainly just tight in the arms.  Otherwise, come spring, I'll just give it to someone skinnier than me. :)  Either way, it was  a good use of a dollar...  I used the fabric from the skirt half of the dress for most of the pattern, but I was able to salvage the sleeves of the dress to make the sleeves of the new shirt.  There is still a little fabric from the top half of the dress to use for other projects - maybe to line a matching bag?  We'll see...

Happy Holidays Refashionistas!

Flower Applique

I added a flower applique onto a new grey hoodie for my daughter, using some iron-on interfacing on pieces of old clothes. The hoodie is from the boy's department, and was so blank that I thought it needed a little something more.

Cheers, everyone! Happy Holidays. I'll post pics of my crafted gifts after I give them since a bunch of the recipients read this bloggie.

Mostly gifts

The last week or so of crafting has been mostly about Christmas gifts for others, althought I have managed a few things for me and my dear hubby...  I finally finished his fleece pants (first too big, then too small - starting to feel like Goldilocks!), after adding panels to the sides, and t hen to the crotch!  I think he was skeptical about wearing something I made, but once they were on, he didn't want to take them off!  They're so warm and comfy...I have my own pair, so I understand what he's going through... :)  Also whipped up a simple hat from another piece of matching fleece - kind kooky looking, but perfect for shoveling the driveway and other nonpublic activities.  I'm going to make some mittens and another hat or two with the remainder...

I am working on a Simplicity pattern blouse for myself, but I messed up the gathering between the yoke and the rest of the shirt REALLY bad, so it got put aside before I hurt anyone with the seam ripper...I'll get to it one of these days! 

Other than that, I made some more of Amy Carols "Artsy Clutches" for gifts - cousins, brother's girlfriend, and my Secret Santa recipient at work.  Also made my sister this apron - the fabric matches some melamine mixing bowls she requested.  My hubby's a BAD photographer, so I to ok a photo of just the fabric... 

This odd-looking green thing is a crochet hook/knitting needle caddy (shown flat and rolled-up) for my grandmother - I owed all my crafty ambitions to her. :)  I think I heard her tear-up on the phone when I told her I'd starting sewing...

I finally have photos.

I've been very motivated the past few days making gifts.

I was really excited by last week's Make magazine podcast for making books into boxes. I've finished a few with books from my shelves. I am filling this cat care book with quilted coasters I made. The fabric is really funny. The gift is for some friends of mine that have 7 cats. The other book I hallowed out was a thesaurus with a 35mm film wallet--that I make and sell on my website, some local stores, and esty--inside. Unfortunately, I sent it off without a photo, but here's one of the wallets.

I made my parents double-sided quilted place mats and matching coasters with fabric they brought me from Mexico about 15 years ago.

I also loved the Wheat Sacks from Creative Outlet Designs that was posted on Sew Mama Sew a few days ago. So far I've made 3 and I have enough wheat for 3 more. My daughter has been coveting them, so I'm going to make her's from the leftover cat newsprint fabric.

Lastly, I've made more Secret Pocket Pins. I've already sold half of the ones that I finished this morning. I put some in my etsy shop, but the mother's at my daughter's school have scooped up the rest. I guess I'll be making more tonight.

One day I'll get to the other projects I want to start; the velvet jumper for my daughter, thermal shirt for myself, quilt for my friend's incubating child, refashioning my mother's sweaters into...

I'm really enjoying all the things you've been making. It's keeping me motivated. Thanks everyone.

painting and other gifts.

painting with spirit
Originally uploaded by scarlettquilts

I know this isn't a wardrobe item but I had everything on hand, languishing in my craft drawer. It goes inside the gift bag I posted. Also not pictured is a necklace I made using a stone (tigereye), some wire (I had to make a wire cage for it as there was no hole) and a leather cord for my brother in law. For my brother, I made another wire cage to hold a stone to a keychain--his particular stone was for protection as his evil ex is on the loose again.

I purchased some handmade creams and soaps from a local artisan and covered the tops with some fabric to spiff them up a bit. I wish I'd taken a picture. I used fabric tac to adhere the circles to the tops. For one soap, I made a little fabric envelope from the fabric. It took less than a fat quarter.

gift bag

gift bag
Originally uploaded by scarlettquilts

I just too 2 fat quarters and serged them together, made a button hole and sewed a channel, threaded some ancient bias binding through it. This holds my Mom's give. I also made an origami windmill gift tag but didn't take a picture of it.