Here is a quick post about a small sewing project I did recently.
Miss O had this strapless dress which was not really practical as it kept creeping down and she spent the entire day hitching it up.
The addition of some simple black straps made it much more wearable. This is the true colour of the dress, too.
I used some wide elastic from my stash to put inside the straps and they now sit nicely on her shoulders.
During the holiday break I have had time to read and post in various groups and forums. I participate to varying degrees in several groups. I find that many of them have quite a narrow focus, sometimes to the exclusion of all else.
Some of the topics covered include:
Frugal Living
Zero Waste
DeclutteringMinimalism
Veganism
Upcycling
Buying Nothing New
Simple Living
Plastic Free Living
I dabble in all of these to some degree apart from veganism although we have reduced our intake of red meat to quite a modest level.
At times it seems that I am not sufficiently passionate about any single topic, however, I feel that they are all inter-related and one aspect can support another.
Hence, this blog contains posts which cover and wide range of topics and I hope you will find something of interest to you.
Please let me know if there are particular topics which you would prefer to see more of or less.
Today I needed to dismantle the Christmas tree and pack it away. However, I had a problem. When we got the tree out of the cupboard to put it up the carry bag ripped beyond repair. You can see what it looked like in better days here. It was made from a similar ‘fabric’ to the green shopping bags and it had become brittle with age – we have had it for about 5 years and someone else owned it before me. Apart from ripping, the idea of a bag is great – much easier than trying to wrestle the back into the original box.
I decided to make a new bag using the original as a pattern. So, I deconstructed it and removed the zip so I could reuse it.
I had a heavy cotton bedspread lurking in the linen cupboard which seemed perfect for what I needed so I set to work.
This was the result. As well as reusing the zip, I also reused the carry handles as they seemed reasonably sturdy. If they do not stand up to the job I can always replace them with fabric handles at some time in the future.
All packed up and ready to be stored for another year.
I promised I would share some of the things I spent my time on during my Christmas/NewYear break from work.
This is a bag which had definitely seen better days. It is over 20 years old and the handles were worn out. I had cut the handles off before I took the photo but you can see that they really needed replacing.
My daughter arrived a couple of days before Christmas and had used a couple of large paper carry bags from boutiques to pack some of her Christmas gifts. One bag had split and could no longer be used so I cut the heavy ribbon carry handles off it. They were just the right length to use to replace the handles on my bag.
I wonder if it will last for another 20 years?
I feel as though I could open my own repair cafe at the moment.
Yesterday I repaired the cover for my iPhone rather than buying a new one. I have a tiny tube of supa-glue and I managed to re-attach the plastic case to the cover and also re-join the split along one side of the plastic case. I did such a good job that it is not really visible in these photos. Unfortunately, I did not get any ‘before’ photos as the battery for my camera was flat and I had to recharge it.
Tonight I did the second step of the repair when I replaced the small magnet which actually secures the closure on the case. I had lost the original one some time ago so it did not actually fasten. The replacement magnet was salvaged from the cover of a little notebook. The notebook had become detached from the cover and my grand-daughter was ready to toss the cardboard cover so I retrieved the magnet before she did so.
While I had the supa-glue out, I also repaired a Christmas ornament which had a mishap when being hung on the tree.
The antler and the oar back in place.
Finally, this is a dress which belongs to my grand-daughter. It is strapless but not really practical for a 9 year old. It needs some shoulder straps and I have found some black fabric which I will use. I will do the sewing on the weekend during daylight hours as I find it too difficult to sew with black fabric and thread at night.
In amongst various other jobs I managed to do some sewing this weekend. I had some patchwork blocks I had made ages ago with nothing particular in mind so I decided to put them together to create a small quilt. It will be given to a work colleague who is pregnant with a baby girl.
Here it is draped over the ironing board with the batting and backing attached. I have begun stitching it together by machine stitching along the joins of some of the blocks.
I know that my techniques are nothing like quilters would use, but it is made entirely with scraps, offcuts and thrifted fabrics and a generous dose of love and care.
Tonight I had a quick rummage in my stash and found a couple of offcuts of silver panne velvet. This was perfect for my latest project. I wanted to make some little presentation pouches for the pieces of upcycled jewellery which I have for Christmas gifts.
It did not take much fabric or time to make these up.
Packing the contents.
All done and ready for giving.
Rather than trying to create drawstrings, I decided to anchor the ribbon tie with a few stitches on one side of the pouch and then simply gather it up and tie.
The satin ribbons came from my collection. The black and cream ties are bits salvaged from when I cut them off the shoulder seams of purchased tops.
It is 2 months since I wrote this post about buying the fabric to make a new cover for the day bed. I had made a small start a few weeks ago but today I started seriously sewing.
I have now finished the cover apart from the fasteners for the straps which will hold it in place. I will buy some more this week.
Here is the end result.
As described in my earlier post, the other side is vinyl so that I can leave it reversed when not in use so that if the cat sleeps on it the cat hair will be easy to remove with a damp cloth.
I am very pleased with the result and the colours match the other furniture and details on the verandah.
I finished making a top for myself which has been a long, drawn-out process. I bought the material about 3 years ago because it caught my eye.
Am I happy with it? Not entirely.
Will I wear it? Definitely.
What is there not to like? It is a bit on the short side but still wearable. The style is too boxy so I would not make it again. I would prefer something with more shaping through the body of the garment. However, the fabric I used is a knit but does not have a lot of stretch so probably would not work in a more fitted style.
I am happy with the final finish on the v-neck which was my own creation. I did have 3 attempts before I was satisfied.
I have been making clothes for the best part of 50 years but I still struggle with sewing knit fabrics, in particular, getting a professional-looking finish on necklines and hemlines. I have never owned an overlocker and continue to vacillate about the value of them. Would it make a real difference to sewing knit fabrics?
Since the spotted fabric did not have a lot of stretch, I managed a hem that looked acceptable. I then turned my attention to a plain navy top which I bought in Canada. It ticked almost all of the boxes – navy, v-neck, fitted style – the only thing wrong is that it was too long on me. It was quite a bargain so I decided to buy it despite the length as I felt that I would be able to shorten it.
I did the alteration but due to the fact that the fabric has some elastane in it and consequently more stretch, the finish is less than perfect. Once it was pressed it is OK and I will wear it but I still feel a degree of disappointment in the result.
I really want to be able to make my own v-neck and scooped neck fitted knit tops in a range of sleeve lengths from sleeveless and short sleeved to 3/4 sleeve and long sleeved versions that are the correct length in the body for me. This would allow me to choose colours and designs that I like and not be limited to the range which some fashion buyer has deemed will be available this year.
Would an overlocker help, do you think? All comments gratefully accepted.
Meanwhile, I will go back to sewing garments from several pieces of woven fabric which are awaiting my attention.
I enjoy sewing and for the first time in my life I have an (almost) dedicated sewing room. However, despite my grand plans I have done very little sewing in recent times.
There always seems to be something more pressing to do – cooking meals, washing, ironing, gardening and so on. When I sew, I like to do it to the exclusion of the everything else so I have tended not to do it. The ironing always takes precedence over sewing, especially since I have the ironing board set up in the same room.
Anyway, there can be no more excuses as I have finally got the space pretty much as I want it.
The bed is completely free from any piles of clothes waiting to be folded or ironed.
The wardrobe is cleaned and tidied.
All of my sewing stuff is sufficiently ordered that I can locate what I need. The iron and ironing board are ready to use.
The sewing table looks untidy but much of it is projects waiting for some action.
My first priority is mending (socks) and some alterations. I need to take up the hem of trousers I bought in Canada as well as shorten a top I bought there, too. Next, I will complete 6 pairs of boys shorts which are partly made and are destined to be donated to those who need them. There is plenty more after that, including, finishing a long sleeved blouse for my daughter, the cover for the mattress on the day bed and dresses and tops for myself.
I will make time to sew.
organised castle 