A Pile of Clothes & Something For Me

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Posted on November 9, 2012

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 not 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.

Back Again

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Posted on November 5, 2012

Blogging has taken a back seat this last week as my ‘real’ life has been rather busy.

We have been away for the weekend to catch up with friends and celebrate a ‘milestone’ birthday for my girlfriend. We had a fabulous time and I have returned refreshed and with renewed enthusiasm after our short break.

I am working through a pile of mending/alterations of clothes for Missy which I have promised I will finish before she moves interstate in a couple of weeks. I have spent some time helping her declutter and sort some things prior to her move as it is an ideal time to rationalise exactly what you have and what you need. There is no point in paying to move things that you really do not want to keep.

Speaking of things you do not want to keep, this is a pile of fabric that a friend offered to me last week as she did not see the possibility of using it any time soon. I have accepted it and have space to store it until I start creating. I think that may be next year as the next 7 weeks are looking pretty busy in the lead-up to Christmas. However, I already have some plans for some of the fabric and am looking forward to using it. Thanks, Sandra.

I mentioned that it is 7 weeks until Christmas but my busyness is not really related to a crazy shopping frenzy or significant over-indulgence in food. It is more about a self-imposed deadline for projects that I want to complete both at home and at work before the end of the year. More about that in tomorrow’s post.

Still On Track

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Posted on October 9, 2012

My tandem challenges for October are both still on track.

Frocktober – I have accepted the challenge to wear either a dress or skirt each time I leave the house. In order to add a degree of complexity to the challenge I am trying not to wear the same outfit twice during the month. So far this is going well.

Stoptober – in conjunction with Frugal Queen I am endeavouring to spend as little as possible this month. In addition to my haircut and fruit and vegetable shopping which I mentioned in an earlier blog, I bought some hem binding to complete a false hem on a skirt for Missy. My total spend in 9 days has been $59.70. The Duke has ordered a new DVD player online since our old one simply ceased to work. He searched for a good deal and this one is less than $5o, including delivery.

My organising has been fairly limited recently but I am working on completing mending and sewing projects.

I am busily making lists of what I need to achieve before Christmas which is only 11 weeks away. Composing my Christmas letter and writing cards are things that I like to get done fairly early so will be starting those soon. I am also keeping an eye out for recipes to include in our Christmas menu. It will be a little different this year as I am eating a gluten-free diet. I try to make it grain and sugar free as much as possible, too. Creativity will be the key.

Have you started thinking about Christmas or do you have your head buried firmly in the sand?

Planning Ahead

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Posted on September 27, 2012

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.

End of Life

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Posted on May 24, 2012

Despite all the mending and repairs, there comes a time when things reach the end of their life. This pair of The Duke’s trousers is a perfect example.

I have previously posted about patching them and while the patches have survived there is yet another worn patch lower down the leg. These are not accidental rips – the fabric is simply wearing out and they are getting quite thin in numerous places. Therefore, it has ceased to be worthwhile mending them any longer.

My initial thought was to throw them in the bin but then I realised that as well as being mindful when we are purchasing items we should also be responsible for them at the end of their useful life. Many garments are cut up for rags or tying up plants in the garden but these are suitable for neither.

I decided to remove the zip and button for possible future re-use and decided that since these trousers are cotton they could go in the compost.

So that the fabric would mix with the rest of the compost I cut the trousers into strips and here it is ready to become part of the garden.

This is my seam ripper which is identical to the one that I broke while removing the zip from the trousers. I am not sure why I had two of these but now there is only one. The broken one went in the rubbish bin.

Mending First, Sewing Second

Sewing on Saturday

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Posted on April 14, 2012

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

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Posted on April 13, 2012

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.