Category Archives: Refashioning

Patchwork – Pink & Pyjamas

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I began a new sewing project today. This is the first block of a patchwork quilt I am making for my elder granddaughter. It is for her 18th birthday in December. One block done, 41 to go.

Most of the fabric has been randomly collected from op shops and offcuts from various previous sewing adventures. However, there will be some from a particularly special piece. The small pale pink squares have history. They are from some leftover fabric from a dress which my mother made for herself – probably close to 30 years ago. From those leftovers I made a dress for my granddaughter which she wore on her first birthday.

This is not a great photo but you get the general idea. It was from an Enid Gilchrist pattern which I had made many time before and numerous times since.

The other patchwork was for the boxer shorts which I mentioned in my last post. I had rather optimistically thought that it would be a simple matter of adding a strip of fabric into the side seams and a bit at the top to extend the overall length of the crotch.

As I began to unpick the side seams it became obvious that the construction method was appalling and regardless of any alterations that I might make, the existing seams were not robust enough to stand up to much wear at all. So, I altered my plan and unpicked the entire garment. By this time it became obvious why they were not a great fit. The pieces bore only minimal resemblance to the pattern I had.

I used the excess length of the original trousers to add pieces to be able to recut all of the pieces for the boxer shorts using my own pattern. I used flat felled seams for joining the extra pieces as well as the main construction as I always do. These seams are great as there are no raw edges on the inside as well as being extra strong due to the two rows of stitching.

This photo shows the randomly joined pieces of fabric before I cut out the pattern pieces. I did not have enough fabric nor the desire to match the pattern.

It was a bit of a fiddle but I now have a pair of boxers which are comfortable. The various joins are really barely visible.

Sewing Skills

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I am not a professional seamstress or dressmaker but I do have reasonable sewing skills and am always ready to turn my hand to a bit of upcycling. It was with these skills in mind that I picked up a couple of things at the op shop today.

I spotted (pardon the pun) a cute pair of pyjamas which look as though they have never been worn. I love the colour and pattern plus the fact that they are 100% cotton. I bought them without trying them on as I knew that there are multiple ways to use the fabric.

Well, the shirt is a great fit so that is a win.

The bottoms need a little bit of work to make them perfect but I am confident that with some simple alterations I will have a brand new set of pyjamas for the princely sum of $4 plus a bit of time and handiwork from me.

I have removed the waist elastic which was too soft and obviously perished. Perhaps, these have been sitting in someone’s cupboard and unworn for an extended period of time. I am going to turn them into boxer shorts rather than mid-calf length trousers. This will give me enough excess fabric to make them a bit wider at the sides as well as extending the length of the crotch. I will use my existing pattern as a guide for these adjustments.

I also scored this collarless men’s shirt for $3. It is 100% linen and there is plenty of fabric for me to unpick it and remake into another summer linen top for myself. I can’t have too many sleeveless linen tops while the temperature continues to hover around 35C and above.

Assorted Sewing

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I have done several sewing jobs over the past couple of weeks so I thought I would gather them up and share in a single post.

These boxer shorts which are pyjama bottoms were both made from other garments which belonged to my mother. One was a nightie which she had made and the other was a dressing gown. They had been sitting in my stash for nearly 4 years with the vague notion of using them to make sleepwear. My hand was forced when my 2 existing pairs of boxer shorts became so thin that they ripped. Both had also been made from salvaged fabric and had a good life.

Of course, there were smaller pieces of fabric left over so I cut them into squares ready for future patchwork projects.

This pair of trackpants had been waiting since I bought them at the op shop a few months ago. They were definitely not a priority as we were coming into warmer weather. When I tried them on it was quite hilarious to discover that they were a bit too short in the leg for me. Those of you who know me will understand but for everyone else – I am 5’2″ or 157cm tall so clothes being too short is not normally a problem for me. The also had an odd angled raw edge at the bottom which is not really my style so I straightened it up and added contrasting cuffs. I bought them because they are a neat fit, not at all baggy and will be perfect for winter days at home.

Finally, I used up a few more pieces of fabric by making 3 more bags which I have donated to the Community Pantry.

Change It Up

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I had been contemplating the destiny of this shirt for a while. It is a black linen one that I made and has cute ladybird buttons. I really only wore it with my ‘ladybird’ pants – a pair of red cotton drill trousers with large black spots. They were good while they lasted but have since been moved on from my wardrobe.

I had decided to change the buttons to black ones to make the shirt more wearable with other outfits. However, yesterday I picked up a pair of lovely black and white patterned trousers at the op shop which solidified my plans for the shirt.

After a quick search of my buttons collection I found some that I knew would work perfectly.

Here is the complete outfit which I am really pleased with.

Feeling Accomplished

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Today I have completed 2 sewing tasks that I have been working on recently.

The first is a shirt for my daughter using a pattern and fabric which she provided. The linen fabric was a delight to work with as was the pattern which came together beautifully. I am really pleased with the result.

The other was a skirt which I spotted at the op shop a few days ago. The colours caught my eye initially and although it was supposedly my size the waistband was much too small. For $3.50 it was definitely worth buying and refashioning. I removed the side zip and recreated the waistband with it flat at the front and elasticated at the back. I am looking forward to wearing this as the weather warms up.

Shopping Success

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Today we did some grocery shopping in Bendigo as well an appointment I had to attend. I took the chance to check out a couple of op shops. Additionally, we went to Castlemaine to the library and a couple more op shops there, too.

GMan scored this spotless single cup percolator for $3. Apparently you cannot own too many devices for making coffee. I would not know as I do not drink coffee.

I found this sleeveless summer dress for $5. It is 100% linen and has pockets – perfect for when the hot weather strikes.

This is a men’s shirt but I am planning to remake it into a cool summer top for myself. $3 for the lovely strong cotton fabric is a bargain.

I also picked up a couple more shirts and a doona cover which will be perfect for one of my patchwork projects. I won’t need all of the doona cover so I will be able to use it in making carry bags which I am making for the local Community Pantry. It is good to be able to offer people a strong reusable bag when collecting some essential groceries.

A Successful Search

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I think I have managed to collect enough suitable fabric for my next patchwork project.

This was a fitted bassinet sheet that I spotted in the op shop yesterday.

I unpicked it and salvaged the elastic.

My basket of new and used elastic of various types and lengths. It is surprising how often it yields just what I need.

Some of the squares have been cut up and added the collection and I will do the rest tomorrow.

The newest pieces are in the bottom right-hand corner. I am looking forward to making a start on the sewing before too long.

Patchwork Prep

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Now that the last quilt has been completed and is with its new owner, it is time to show you my future patchwork plans.

I have been cutting out blocks ready for a quilt that is predominantly pink. It will be an 18th birthday gift for our elder granddaughter at the end of next year so I have plenty of time. I have about two-thirds of the total number of squares required. These all came from various pieces that were in my stash. Now that I have sorted out exactly what I have I know what I am looking for as I peruse fabrics and garments in the op shops. I am looking forward to getting started on sewing some of the blocks. However, unlike previous patchwork projects, I have decided that I am not going to actually start sewing until I have cut out all of the blocks I need.

Meanwhile, I have begun assembling some fabrics for another possible project. This is not much more than a vague idea at the moment but I am thinking of red, black and white.

Of course, my sewing is not limited to the patchwork. I am generally tackling several sewing projects concurrently. I also have socks to mend, a pair of denim shorts to modify slightly and several linen tops/dresses which I plan to refashion for summer. My other goal is to make some fabric tote bags to donate to our local community pantry for people to use when collecting groceries.

An Original Design

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My sewing project today was rather different from anything I had done before.

When we left Queensland GMan sold his large mulcher which was very useful for our small acreage with plenty of vegetation but he could not see a use for it on a suburban block. Nevertheless, he found a need for a smaller version so bought this one secondhand several months ago.

It does have a minor design flaw and the mulched material tends to spray everywhere. So, he asked me to make a ‘skirt’ to direct the mulch into the collection receptacle. I have been considering this rather bizarre request for a few weeks and today I finally came up with a plan.

I found a pair of heavy denim shorts in my collection of assorted discarded fabrics and (mostly) unwearable garments. The fabric was integral to their suitability for the project and GMan’s comment was, “you could just use one leg” gave me the general idea.

This was what I ended up with. I used the waistband of the unused half of the shorts to make the straps. The straps fasten around the legs of the mulcher and are attached with 2 velcro strips.

It is not the fanciest sewing I have ever done but I think it is going to be effective.

This photo shows the new ‘skirt’ in place on the mulcher.

I am pretty happy with the end result and it cost me nothing apart from about 30 minutes of my time. We will see how it works when GMan next uses the mulcher. Some modifications my be required.

Two For One

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When I decided to dress as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz in Easter Parade I was keen to not buy anything new so I started searching for some light blue gingham fabric in the op shops. GMan was with me and spotted a QS doona cover and 2 pillowcases which proved to be perfect. The linen had obviously been discarded as parts of it were significantly faded but I knew there would be plenty for what I needed. I made the pinafore dress and slightly adapted a blouse I had previously made.

Ever since our girls left home we have had a queen size bed in the spare room. For a number of years it was used as an Air BnB so the bed was always made up and ready. Since then I continued to do the same as there was often a family member visiting.

However, the bed is used much less these days and I always have plenty of notice so I can make it up as required. This means that I do not have a full set of bed linen tied up but not really being used. I did not really want the bare mattress exposed so one possibility was to cover it with a spare doona cover. The downside of this is the potential for it to fade as this room enjoys the morning sun which is very welcome in the cooler months.

I realised that I still had all of the other side of the cover I had used for my costume. So, I simply hemmed the edge and now I have a pretty cover for the bed and it doesn’t matter if it fades over time.

Sheets and doona covers from op shops are a great source of fabric for a variety of projects. There are always lots to choose from and I have been lucky enough to find a very specific item on several occasions. As well as these creations I also found white cotton sheet sets that I used to make 8 tablecloths for the film society. You can read about that here. A mint green sheet from the op shop provided enough fabric for the backing of a quilt. You can see it in this post. The possibilities are endless if you view them as large pieces of fabric rather than bed linen.