Sew Quick and Easy

Yesterday I finally picked up my sewing machine from having it serviced, so today I decided to spend some time sewing.  Some of it has been quite challenging, a pleated skirt which is now too big for me.  I have completely disassembled it and am in the process of re-making the skirt but in the meantime it was good to start and finish a couple of simple projects.

First was a pair of boxer shorts for summer pyjamas for me.  These were from some material kindly given to me by a friend.

I teamed them with an existing tank top to make this set.

She also gave me a piece of flannelette with a cute teddy bear pattern that was just begging to become winter pyjama bottoms.

I did some mending, too.  This pair of shorts is about 12 years old and I wear them when painting or gardening.  The fabric is in good condition but the elastic had given way so I unpicked the waist and old elastic, replacing it with 2 rows of new 6mm elastic.

The shirt which was waiting to have the buttonholes done is also finished.

I will keep you updated on the progress of the skirt.

In the meantime, don’t forget to comment on this post and follow my blog for a chance to go in the draw for the mystery giveaway.

A Pile of Clothes & Something For Me

I am gradually working my way through a pile of clothes that I brought home from Missy’s place nearly 2 weeks ago.  I was helping her to sort and declutter in preparation for her interstate relocation.

Some items were deemed not suitable, too old, worn out or simply no longer loved.  Most would suitable for someone else so they went to the local op shop.

I did score a scarf which Missy no longer wanted.  I am not usually a huge scarf fan but this was a small lightweight one in turquoise, black and beige/gold colours  which caught my eye.  I have worn it twice in less than a week.  The first time was out to dinner when I had a black skirt and 3/4 sleeve top of the same turquoise colour.  The top has a v-neck and no collar so the scarf really finished it off nicely.  Secondly, I wore white 3/4 trousers and a black camisole with a gold tie-up 3/4 sleeve mesh top.  I used the scarf as a belt for the trousers and it added a bit of colour and brought the whole outfit together.  I certainly had not gone out looking for a scarf like this but once I saw the opportunity it fits really well with my existing wardrobe.

Like most people she had some items lurking amongst her clothes which were not wearable for a variety of reasons.  We assessed the viability of each piece and I brought some home for some alteration/mending to return them to fully functional pieces.

The handiwork has included replacing buttons, letting down hems and a multitude of minor adjustments that enhance the wearability of a garment.

One dress gaped where the bodice crossed over but since it was a stretch fabric I just permanently sewed the crossover section.  Another top had fold back cuffs on the armholes which needed to be pressed into place each time before wearing so I stitched them so that it stays in place.  These adjustments are no usually evident at the time of purchase and it is not until you wear an item a few times that you realise that it is not as ‘easy’ to wear as you would like.  Sometimes there is a simple solution that can make all of the difference.

This is the pile that I have finished.  There were some other maintenance jobs like trimming off loose threads and pilled fabric.  All of this combined with washing has created a pile of items with a new lease of life.

I still have a bit left to do but it is not as bad as it looks spread over the ironing board.  Soon it will be a neat pile of wearable clothes.

One of the things that I have learned from my involvement in Project 333 is that nothing deserves a place in your wardrobe unless it is wearable and you love it.

Do you find yourself with a cupboard full of clothes and ‘nothing to wear’?  Perhaps it is time to check out what is lurking in the cupboard.

 

Planning Ahead

We will be going to a wedding in March 2013 and while that is still 6 months away I have begun to consider what I might wear.  In fact, while we were on holidays I did look to see if I could find something suitable.  I do not even know what I am looking for which does make shopping rather difficult.

While I was sorting out some items in my sewing room I came upon this skirt which needs to be mended.

The skirt is fine – it is the lining that is the problem.

The lining is much narrower than the skirt and it has split at the sides.  I had only worn the skirt a couple of times before this happened and then I gained weight and it was a bit tight.  Now the skirt is fine and once I replace the lining with an underskirt that matches the shape of the outer skirt it will be fine.

This is the top which I originally bought to wear with the skirt and although I have worn it with other outfits it definitely looks best with the skirt.  The photo is not very flattering and the top looks better in real life.

I tried the ensemble on last night with black heels and have decided that it will be suitable for the wedding.  I am thinking of making a black jacket – possibly velvet and also having a black shawl/wrap.

My only concern is that the wedding is in Canberra in March (early autumn/fall) and the weather is totally unpredictable.  I could wear a camisole under the top and an extra slip if it is really cool.

I need to start looking at replacing the lining and choosing a suitable pattern and fabric for the jacket so that the sewing does not get left to the last minute.  A little bit of lateral thinking and planning may have saved me  a significant amount of money.

Mending First, Sewing Second

In order to keep on top of the never-ending stream of mending I have set myself the rule that I have to do any outstanding mending before I work on my sewing projects.

Today there was mending to be done.

This is The Duke’s backpack that he takes to work.  The stitching had ripped where the shoulder strap is attached so I restitched it.  Nothing fancy but it works.

Next, a patch on a pair of trousers (inside view).

Here is the end result.  You can see they are his best gear!  The patch on the left is the new one.  Not sure how much longer these will last.

Then it was on to the socks.  I think I did 4 altogether.  This shows the mended toe.  You can’t even call it darning.  I just use the zigzag stitch on my sewing machine.  Once again, not pretty but effective.

I then went on and finished altering the waistband of a skirt before finally doing some sewing on a summer top for myself.  It is just as well that summer is 6 months away at the rate I am going.

I also did some more knitting on my dishcloths.  I have now finished my third one and am about halfway through the fourth.

This evening we have finalised the itinerary for the touring part of our US holiday and started booking accommodation.  The planning is lots of fun so I can barely begin to imagine how good it will be when we actually get there.  It is now less than 4 months till we leave.

Sewing on Saturday

As I promised to myself yesterday, I have been sewing today.  I started with the pile in the mending basket.  The socks and shorts were first – straightforward.  Then I progressed to the more challenging tasks.  My methods are far from orthodox but I usually get results that mean a garment can be worn for a bit longer.

This is a maxi-dress that belongs to Belle.

The tie at the back had pulled away from the seam so we decided on something a bit different.

I removed the tie and using some black satin from my collection I made a band and threaded it with wide elastic.  It is secured at both ends and has enough stretch for the dress to be slipped over head and shoulders.  This is much sturdier than the original flimsy ties but still in keeping with the rest of the dress and the black satin halter neck ties.

Here is Belle’s pink cardigan with a hole in the sleeve.  There was no matching thread when the item was bought and the hole was too big to darn successfully.  Since it is not suitable to be worn as is I decided that any repair would be better than the alternative fate – the bin.

I found a bit of material with some flowers the same colour as the cardigan so cut out a bit and fused it on using double-sided iron-on interfacing.

I fused some fabric on the wrong side.

The final step was to zig-zag around the patch.

Whilst it is definitely not invisible it does make the cardigan wearable.

I have finished all of the mending apart from some hand-sewing on Missy’s skirt and I will finish that this evening.

I then turned my attention to the bag I am re-fashioning.  I showed you the patchwork strap the other day and here it is all finished and ready for use.

I am also making an apron for my buddy in the apron swap that I am participating in.  This was from Rhonda’s blog, Down to Earth.  I should have it finished tomorrow and then will be posting it later in the week.

The weather here has been cool and showery all day so it was perfect for a day of sewing.  Maybe I will do some more tomorrow.

The Mending Basket

One of the advantages of Project 333 is knowing exactly what clothes you have available to wear.  When you have a limited selection it is important that everything is in wearable condition.

If something is worn out or simply unable to be repaired it is time to turn it into a rag or otherwise dispose of it.  This then frees up a space for a replacement item.  I tend to remove anything that might be useful, such as buttons.  The fabric may be able to be salvaged for re-fashioning purposes.  On the other hand, often all that is required is simple maintenance.

The mending pile quickly builds up and so this will be one of my jobs for the weekend.

This time there is very little of my own clothes.  I have The Duke’s socks, Belle’s dress, Missy’s skirt and Si’s (Belle’s partner) shorts.  I do have a shirt of my own to deconstruct to create a pattern.

There are numerous other sewing projects – either half done or still in the pipeline so I think a weekend with the machine is in order.

Watch this space for my progress.

Creative Capers

The last week I have been working on some creative projects.  They are mostly sewing but not exclusively so.

Last week I mentioned the stands I have for making balloon topiary trees.  I recovered these for use  at my mother’s 80th birthday celebration last weekend.

Here is one of the completed decorations.  I covered the bases with recycled brown paper and the ties were cut from  fabric that was once a dress.

Meanwhile, I finally made a top from fabric that I had bought over 2 years ago.

It is quite plain and here is the back view with buttons.  I devised the pattern by modifying an existing one for a front-opening shirt with a collar.  I made a prototype in calico to check my design before cutting into my expensive embroidered linen fabric.

I think it looks better on me than on a hanger so will post another photo when I can organise a helpful photographer.

Then there is the ever-present mending!

Yesterday I darned small hole in one of The Duke’s woollen sweaters.

This is the view of the darn from the inside and below is the view from the outside.

It is not perfect but the garment is definitely wearable and quite acceptable.

Finally, I patched both pairs of The Duke’s trousers that he wears when painting/gardening and working around the house.  I used some double-sided iron-on interfacing to fuse the patch to the wrong side of the fabric.  The interfacing is some that is left from my applique supplies.

The outside of the trousers – not pretty but definitely functional.

What do you make or repair?

Repaired and Refreshed

Today we did not need to go anywhere so The Duke and I spent the day working on various projects around the house.

I mended a pair of The Duke’s jeans which were starting to look a bit threadbare but he had declared that they would be OK for working around the yard.

I used some double-sided iron-on backing which is normally used for applique work.

I ironed a piece of this to the wrong side of the jeans where they were very worn and then added a piece of strong, black cotton fabric.

Using a zig-zag stitch I overstitched the torn areas and around the entire patch.  Here it is from the wrong side.

And the final view from the right side.  Very classy for wearing at home!

I also reassembled the newly-painted chest of drawers and mirror and here they are in the corner of the sewing room.

I lined the drawers with some used gift-wrapping paper and have sorted out some more fabric which will be stored in them.  I am gradually making progress with the sewing room decluttering.

 

SMS – Saving My Slippers

I have a pair of slippers that I bought from the Australian Geographic shop about 12 years ago.  They are polar fleece with ribbing around the ankle and a heavy-duty synthetic fabric sole.  They are only really suitable for indoor wear.

I wash my slippers from time to time and when I was hanging them on the line yesterday I noticed that there was a split in the sole.  The polar fleece lining was still intact but I decided that I would try to mend them to prolong the life of my slippers.

Here is the slipper showing split in the sole.

It took a bit of fiddling but I managed to use my sewing machine with a zigzag stitch to repair and reinforce the sole.  I am hopeful that these will now last a few more years yet.

You can see the zigzag stitching below.

While I was turning the slipper inside-out I decided that perhaps I will be able to make something similar.  Polar fleece fabric and ribbing are readily available.  It will just be a matter of looking for something suitable to use for the soles.

And this shows the stitching from the inside.

I will add making slippers to my list of possible projects for ‘one day in the future’.  Meanwhile, the existing slippers should be OK for another few years.

The Mending Pile

In between other domestic chores I managed to do a few things from my pile of mending.  Nothing was too difficult but it is just a matter of making time to do it.

I let the hem down on Izz’s dressing gown and also added ribbing cuffs to the sleeves to gain a little extra length.  This will now last her until the end the winter.  I made the gown for Miss O and they have both worn it.

I also added ribbing band to the sleeves and body of Izz’s pyjama top.  The t-shirt fabric which I had bought from Spotlight had stretched  a ridiculous amount so the bands will make it wearable again.

Then for something completely different I darned a hole in a woollen pullover that belongs to The Duke.  It is only worn around the house since it was eaten by moths a couple of years ago.  Now, I use it for darning practice and The Duke continues to wear it.

I redid some stitching that had come undone on 2 purchased tops of mine and then finished shortening the sleeves on a jacket I bought at the beginning of the year

I think there are still a few more things to be mended lurking under the piles on my sewing table but I am gradually making progress.

While on the sewing theme I wanted to show you the pinafores I made for Miss O and Izz.  Here they are being worn.  I am very pleased with how they turned out.

And another view