Tag Archives: refashioning

New From Old

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A couple of weeks ago, in this post I outlined what I was planning to do to rejuvenate an old bed.

Firstly, I covered the mattress in plastic, using one of the heavy-duty bags that was packaging from the new mattresses.

I stitched it to fit using my sewing machine.  It was a bit awkward but I was happy with the result.  Here is a close-up of the stitching.

Then I trimmed the excess plastic and set to making the fabric cover.  I made it so that it fitted neatly and at the open end I made a velcro fastening.

2012-01-29 03Here it is on the bed and you can see the straps which go underneath to secure it.  I don’t want to find the mattress at the other end of the verandah after we have a storm.

2012-01-29 04The straps are elasticated so that they easily slip over the ends of the frame and hold the mattress snugly in position.

All I need now is some nice warm days to invite me out to use my new creation.

UFO’s

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I haven’t posted for a few days as I was determined to clear my sewing room of some of the unfinished projects.  Some of them were physically started and not completed and others were just in my imagination and not even started.

Anyway, here  are some of the finished items.

Shorts for Izz.

And a pair for Miss O.

This is another pair of shorts for Miss O using a different pattern.

This playsuit is one that I didn’t finish when Miss O was a baby (I did make 7 others) so it will be donated to charity.  Perhaps they will be able to use it in Christmas gifts.

A tiny blouse for my niece for her birthday.

And a pinafore to go with the blouse.  This is made from the leftovers of the pinafore I made for Miss O earlier in the year.

A summer blouse for myself.  I have had the material for 2.5 years and started making it last summer.  This is a tried and true pattern that I made from a purchased blouse.  I have made several using the same pattern.

This is not strictly something that I made.  I bought this dress for Miss O a few weeks ago at an op shop for $8.  It is ‘Fred Bare’ brand and in excellent condition.  There were a couple of small stains which were removed using Sard Wonder soap and a good wash.  The hemline is scalloped at the sideseams and had a facing which was pulling away in places.  I removed it a replaced it using plain fabric.  I salvaged the facing fabric and used some of it to make this matching shoulder bag.

It is a great feeling to have a collection of finished items ready for use rather than half-finished projects and fabric taking up space.

I still have several things to do including a pair of summer pyjamas for Miss O, dress for Belle and 2 polo shirts for The Duke.  I have drafted the pattern for the pyjamas from an old Enid Gilchrist pattern book and am about to start cutting them out.

What unfinished projects do you have?

Weekly Challenge – Week 16

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Week 1 – I have decided to remove all the tasks that have been completed.  The list now will just be the ones I haven’t done from previous weeks 😦 and the 4 new ones that I have added for the coming week.  They will retain their existing numbering so you will be able to gauge how long I have been procrastinating over some of them.  I have put notes in italics by way of explanation below some items.

What I have done so far.  Scroll to the end of the list to so the new additions for this week.

3. Create a spreadsheet for future holiday packing needs

17. Follow up what I need to do to change my superannuation

23. Organise quote to have poinciana tree lopped and mulched

We have almost decided that we can do it ourselves.

32. Thin out and re-pot bok choy seedlings

I have planted 12 of the strongest ones in the garden and will stagger planting of the rest.

35. Make a vinyl cover for the newly-created day bed

39.Arrange to close a bank account that is no longer required

47. Take glass jars to op shop

I will give them to a specific person who would like them but can’t be done till next month.

51. Add more notes to my Christmas letter draft

54.Search for accommodation for weekend in Sydney next month.

56. Clean and pack away the doll’s house I received through Freecycle (for when the girls are older).

59. Finish sorting out my stash of fabric.

61.Check booking for Mousetrap

62. Pack for trip to Melbourne

63.Plan menu for next week when we get back

64.Finish presentation for work conference

There is nothing too onerous being added to the list this week as I will be away from Wednesday morning until Monday afternoon.  Last week I finally finished the windows at the back of the house so it was great to cross that off the list.  I finished organising my costume but decided against a beret.  I will post photos after the event.

The other thing I did was refashion a pair of jeans I bought from the op shop a couple of weeks ago.  The waist was an excellent fit but they were a little long in the crotch and also much too baggy in the legs so I did some major alterations and am very pleased with the result.  I only have a couple of average photos that I took of the image in the mirror but hopefully you will get the idea.

Front view…….

And the rear…………

Til next week. 🙂

More Op-Shopping and A Change of Plan

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While I was in town I called in to the 2 op-shops to look for some jeans for myself.  My only pair are starting to get a bit threadbare and with the prospect of 5 days in Victoria at the end of the month I really needed some more.  I was in luck and picked up a pair of khaki-coloured drill trousers with a bit of stretch for $7.50 in one shop.  I went to the other and found a pair of Jag jeans which are in excellent condition for $12.95.  They are a really good fit around the waist and hips but are too baggy in the legs for my liking.  My plan is to unpick the inside and outside leg seams and reshape them.

I said in my earlier post that I would do some more sewing if everything went to plan.  Well, that went out the window quite quickly.  A friend rang to say he could drop in some equipment I need for a presentation in a couple of weeks so there went most of my afternoon.  I enjoyed the visit but no sewing was done.  Then I ended up spending a couple of hours finding and enlarging a picture of Dorothy the Dinosaur which is required for the party tomorrow.

I did put the studs on the jacket and get the present wrapped.  Everything I need is packed in the basket ready for tomorrow.

Second-hand Rose

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No post last night as I was busy sewing.

The flowers are not roses and the floral fabric is the only part that is recycled but here is the outfit that I have made for Izz.  It is part of her birthday present.  She will be 2 on Sunday.

A skirt.

A top.

And a jacket – I just need to add the press studs to the front bands.

When the pieces are teamed up it will look like this.

And this.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post the floral fabric came from a sundress that belonged to Belle.  She was planning on sending it to the op-shop but I loved the colours and the good quality cotton fabric.  The rest just evolved from there.  I had everything else in my stash and only need to buy some more press studs as I only have 3 left at the moment.

I am off to town shortly to buy the press studs, buy a few groceries and then I will be home to do some more sewing.  I may have more to post tonight if everything goes according to plan.

Sunday – Sorting, Sewing and Stepping

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I have a moderate-size walk-in pantry in the corner of my kitchen.  It was not spectacularly untidy but I did need to clean the shelves, check for any ‘orphans’ lurking in the back corners and generally get things sorted.  I do not have a before photo but here it is when I had finished.

001I only store the things that I am currently using in here as I have bulk stores in 10 litre buckets downstairs as well as another stock cupboard in the kitchen where I keep quantities of tinned food and extra packets of pasta, dry crackers etc.

002The container in the middle of the bottom shelf is a few things I found that were not likely to get used so I have put them all together and made a note to myself to use them up.  One thing in this bundle was some rice noodles which have been used the the stir-fry for dinner.

Today I did some more sewing for my grand-daughters.  Here are the results of my efforts over the past week or so.  I still have more that I am working on and will add the photos when they are done.

003This the pinafore made from the sea-green corduroy I mentioned in yesterday’s post.  I have yet to do the hem.  The photograph does not do the colour justice and it is difficult to see the little embroidered flowers also.

004While I had the pattern out I decided to make a summer one as well.  It can be worn with a blouse or t-shirt underneath or alone in really hot weather.  The fabric I used was originally a caftan I made for my sister many years ago.  The only variation I needed to make was contrast fabric for the pockets and facings as well as a join in the centre front of the front and back bodice pieces.

This is the pattern I used – originally bought in 1986 and still going strong.

006Here are a pair of basic trackpants I made.

005That is it for today.  I am still working on a dressing gown for Miss O as well as a hooded polar fleece jacket.  I bought material today to make some more winter nighties for her and I have material here to make singlets and skivvies for both of the girls.

I managed 7,500 steps today which is not too bad since I did not go walking as such.  That was just incidental at home and also at the market and Spotlight.

Shopping & Sewing

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As I mentioned in yesterday’s post I had a successful op shop expedition. Here are the results:

Summer jeans

A pair of summer 3/4 jeans for Miss O – look almost brand new.

Hoodie

And a hoodie for Miss O.

Denim dress/pinafore

A gorgeous denim pinafore for Izz.

I spent some time today sewing and finished the sandwich wraps as well as a pair of trackpants and have started a couple of other outfits for the girls.

I did some mending and also altered a pair of trousers for Miss O.  They are a pair of corduroy hand-me-downs which were too loose for her last year so I made the little belt.  Now they are too short so I added some extra fabric on the bottom.  It matches the belt and looks quite smart, I think.

We are off to Brisbane tomorrow.  First stop to see Belle and drop off the clothes, although she does not have the girls this weekend so it will be a surprise for them when they get home.  I am going to help her sort out some things as she is trying very hard to cull a lot of the ‘stuff’ she has collected over the years as well as clothes and toys that the girls have grown out of.

After that we are off to the other side of town to see Missy and to drop off 2 prints which she asked me to get framed recently.  I had them done at Holden’s Gallery, a gallery and framing business here in Maleny.  We have had a lot of work done by them and it is some of the best framing I have come across.  Phil and Jennifer do a brilliant job and are very pleasant and helpful.

Here are the prints after framing.  They are ones that Missy got when she was on holidays in New York last year.