St. Patrick’s Day 2017

I usually try to make something every year for this “holiday” and this year I finished this a few days before.

The Stats:

• Greed Dress: $4, 100%  Silk
  • Total $4

Because I can wear jean to work on Fridays I wanted to make something I could wear with jeans and wear out for the night.

I used a pattern for this project which I usually don’t do but I thought why not?  I had enough fabric and a stack of patterns that I never use. So I pulled one: McCall M7196. I liked the pattern, mostly. However, it is a pattern that is for someone much taller than I. Next pattern that I sew I will have to take this in to consideration.

I think that this outfit was a great addition to my wardrobe, and it works well for St Patrick’s Day.

I realize that this is would be better with leggings but I don’t own any…so I will have to do buy some or make this shirt shorter. Over all I like the pattern and will probably use it again.

 

Teal Diamond Chains

Well the blizzard of 2017 has come and the snow is still here. FINALLY we got some snow this winter. It has been missing from my life, so I am happy that we finally got some. I also got a snow day, Thank you Governor Cuomo!

While I was at home I decided to work on some project and I got a few done. The first I worked on was a skirt originally which I turned into a shirt that I didn’t like and it went back to the Collection and never saw the light again.

The Stats:

• Teal Shirt: $ 3, 100% Polyester
  • Total $3

The original shirt was not great and it was starting to fray on all edges. I finally got a new idea for what I wanted it to look like to I started by cutting out the pattern.

I have a personal pet peeve when seams fray and I have to fee fixing them over and over.This is one of the reasons that it took me so long to remake this. But I was searching though my library of and found a chapter on seams. And sitting there was the answer to all my problems with this shirt: French Seams!!

I also learned another new technique for pleats. A mixture of 1 to 20 parts vinegar to water lightly saturate the fabric, place a towel over the fabric and with high heat iron the towel and the fabric. This set the pleats, so I will keep using this technique for a while. I then basted the pleats into place and then started the French seams!

French Seams:

1. Put wrong sides together and sew along the seam.
2. Iron the seam open and trim the edge.
3. On the same seams turn pin the right sides together and sew.
4. Press the seam again and done!

I sewed all the seams in this style and once the shirt was together made the bottom even and then sewed the hem at the bottom. Finally finished and ready for summer, but I’m wearing it in 2 feet of snow.

I wonder if we will get any more snow storms and if I so what will I make.

 

Ruffle Refashion on a Roll!

I am on a ruffle roll! Two peplums in 3 days and I found this  partially disassembled dress in the Collection, so it became the next to be refashioned.

The Stats:

• Navy Dress: $6, 100% Cotton
  • Total $6

Like usual I disassembled the dress the rest of the way because I knew what I was going to make. I started with the ruffles because they were mostly complete and only needed a little tweaking.

I took the apart and cut the bottom one three inches shorter to the ruffle edges were closer together. Then I set them aside, they will be the last thing to be attached to the skirt.

I put the dress on the dress form to figure out where I could add more fabric to accommodate my bum without it appearing as if I added fabric. I realized quickly that I needed to sew closed the front edge with the button holes in order to make the rest of the skirt the right size.

I measured and added fabric to add at the back and also measured for the length where the ruffles would be added, right above the knee.

Now I needed a zipper added and a waist band. I found the zipper I needed in the Collection and I made a template for a waist band. I cut the material, facing, sewed them together and added them to the skirt. Then it was time to add the zipper.

Finally it was time to add the ruffles back on to the skirt, and all the finishing touches. I added all the bottom back to the skirt and the waist band.

The skirt is ready to wear however I have no shirt to wear with it. I want a white shirt, so, back to the Collection to find something to make.

Black Flowers in Blue

In the Collection there are pieces and parts of former projects and failed experiments. This is one of the former failed experiments.

The Stats:

• Blue Moo-Moo: $3, 100% Cotton
  • Total Cost $3

I fell in love with the color and thought it would make a great skirt and top (as seen in the picture). I accomplished both the skirt and shirt. Both did not end well. The shirt was a little short and made me look shorter than I am.  The skirt had an 11 inch slit up the side and made me very uncomfortable so I didn’t wear it.

Recently I found both in the Collection once again and knew I needed to remake them again. I disassembled both and then thought about what I wanted to make. In the Collection there is a shirt that I love but the fabric is old and does not clean well. So I took it a part and used it as the pattern for this new shirt.

I made the pattern pieces and then cut out the material. I then pinned the darts and sewed them first, long ago lesson learned.

I then sewed the shoulders together and finished the neck line with turned bias tape which I made. Then finished the arm openings the same way, then sewed the side seams together. The final steps were to attach the peplum, and hem the bottom. Ta-Da, new shirt and I LOVE the color.

It seems this month is starting a blue theme and it will continue. I am worried because I have many blue items in the Collection, check back to see what other blues I can find.

Blue Flower Remake

With spring around the corner I am, feel energized to create all the time. Thankfully I have a many projects to choose from. This project was at one point a dress and then I turned it into a wrap skirt and a shirt, but I never wore it. It started to get dusty sitting in the Collection for a years. So I took it out to try again.

The Stats:

• Skirt and Shirt: $4, 100% Rayon

I started by taking apart the shirt and ironing all the pieces. I then created a pattern from those parts and cut them out. I kept the original peplum that I first made.

This remade piece did not have traditional sleeve but I like them so I made a pattern for them. I then cut those out as well and started to sew the entire piece together. First the shoulders and the neck facing, then the sleeves and the sides. Finally adding the peplum.

The shirt was finished, as the peplum had already been hemmed the last time I made a shirt.

A quick and easy shirt, however the pattern needs a bit of work as the neck is hard to get over my head and the waist is a little on the tight side. But now I have a pattern to work from to make a better shirt next time.

I am on a roll, what will I find next in the Collection?

Spring Around the Corner

Last night I had a project all set up and ready to go. I needed one final pieces so I went to the Collection  to find the right piece. Instead I found another project asserted itself. It sounds like the clothing have a mind of their own, they do not. But they were inspiring, so I put the original project aside and starting this one.

While going through the closet there were pieces that spoke to me.

The Stats:

• Brown Dress: $3 ,55% Ramie, 45% Cotton
• Light Green Batik: $4, 100% Rayon
• Teal Material:$3, 55% Cotton, 45% Rayon
  • Total: $10

I started by dissembling both full garments, ironing everything, and laying out all the pieces on the floor to see what I had. I made a paper template out of left over papers and I have used for designing to create a pattern that I can use again. Finally I was ready to start cutting out the dress.

I then started to sew everything together. I had to remember to sew the small blocks together first and then the large ones.

The dress that I originally was taking apart had finished seams that I thought were great and I wanted to try them. I cut out facing for the neck and the arm openings for the light green, fusible interfacing, and the ironed them together. I then sewed together, the shoulders of the dress, the facings of the neck, and the neck facing to the dress. After pressing the seam allowance to the facing side of the seam and sewing it down 1/4″ from the seam. I then clipped the seam allowance and hand tacked the facing in 8 places.

At this point I had not sew the sides of the dress together but I had sew the arm facings together. I sewed the facing to the dress and followed the same technique I used for the neck. I then sewed up the side seams, tripped and hemmed the bottom of the dress. It was ready to wear to work.

The finishing of this dress I must say is the best that I have done thus far and I will be using this technique again.

I like this design and will probably make another one soon from other materials in the Collection. 

Goal Check-in: February

Confession: I have not had the motivation to complete any new project mostly just the continuous ones that remove the scraps from my life. However I have 5 planned that I am setting up for quick completion. Before I get to those I need to check in at the end of this the month of February.

Goal 1: Harvard Top 100 Book List:

I have completed reading :  Nothing, but I am still working on  Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman, and The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon. I am almost done with Whitman, but I will keep working on this.

Goal 2:I have not purchased any new projects, but I did purchase a few big ticket items to finish those that I already have. One being a 10 lbs box of batting and the other a large roll of quilt batter. So no new projects just ways to finish a few of my others.

Goal 3: Must complete 49% or 81 of the projects I already own within the year.

Like I stated earlier… I have not been completing as many projects as I has during January. I know sophomore slump February. I am moving my sewing studio a new room in my studio, so I have started to think about down sizing my stuff. To me this was a sign I needed to removing the scraps from the Collection. So I worked on the continuous projects mostly this month, which means that I have not moved very far towards the 49%.

• Used: 10.91% and 18
• Made: 9.09% and 15

Goal 4: Once again 1 hour is challenging!! I think I should have made the goal about hours per week not a day. ( A lesson for next year.)

• Proposed Hours: 28
• Actual Hours: 41
• Daily Average: 1.4

So the consistency that I was hoping to work on this month did not happen. There were two weekends in a row that I did no crafting at all, but I will keep working to make this more consistent.

Check back to soon see what the new projects I have set up for completion.