Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Organizing my thrift store stash of stuff to revamp or use for fabric...

THIS is how I know my Grandma Pease lives on in me, she was a clothes hoarder & so am I. I have so much that if I don't get it out once in awhile & go through it I can't remember what I've got. I'll never live long enough to revamp/use all of this, please remind me of that next time I talk about going to the thrift store... I'm ashamed to say this is most of it but not all of it. I'm going to have to get me a couple house trailers so I can go to Grandma's pro level of hoarding...


Monday, November 25, 2013

Traditional/Vintage type apron that started a whole other thing...

Hi ya' all, sorry I haven't posted anything new in awhile, been busy sewing, but not so much on the posting part... I recently upgraded my old $15 Brother sewing machine to a brand new Brother SE425 Sewing & Embroidery machine & I LOVE it!! Anyway, my friend, Jen wanted me to make a traditional type apron for her mom...
In exchange for the apron & other sewing stuff she wants once in awhile, she gave me this ol' girl... YES, a Singer treadle machine, she was locked up from sitting in the machine shed, but my awesome husband got her working for me & she sews like a dream!



So... I got the apron done...

And of course my joker, 16 year old son, Austin just had to try it on, he informed me that he wants one, lol...

So, I got this done & had to make some more... Decided to try it without the ruffles on the shoulders.


Didn't have enough of this fabric to make a whole one, but mom has roosters in her kitchen so I made her a 1/2 apron...

Then, I had to make a green one for me...

When I got this done, it reminded me of a pinafore over a prairie dress... The older I get, the more nostalgic I get about things that take me back to my childhood. Now I don't know about ya'll but I grew up on Little House on the Prairie & I've wanted a Little House on the Prairie dress since I was a little girl. I love Laura Ingalls & hate Nellie Olson, that snotty, prissy bitch stands for everything I can't stand in a girl & I just want to punch her out, anyway... I decided to try to make something that looks like a Little House on the Prairie outfit. Took an eyelet lace bedskirt & a 2 piece skirt pattern, cut the pieces out of the bedskirt, found an old bonnet tutorial & created this...

Then, Baby Girl just HAD to have one... I'll post bonnet pics later, need to close for now so I can finish it... If anyone wants the link to the tutorial I used let me know...

Then we had a Holly Hobbie undergarment moment... Holly Hobbie patchwork costume is on my list for Halloween by the way...



Here's one with her matching bonnet, working on her bloomers now, almost done...








Shirts to tank refashion/revamp to revamping a revamp into skirts for my daughter

Before...


I don't even know where to start trying to write a tutorial for this... I was attempting to make what I thought was going to be the cutest dress I've made so far. Cut the sleeves off both shirts, then cut the cuffs off & cut the bottom seams of the sleeves to open them up... Put the sleeves of the flowered shirt together, right sides facing & cut the bodice pieces out of it. Did the sleeves of the gingham shirt the same way & cut the midriff pieces out of it... Cut the flowered shirt straight across below the 2nd or 3rd button, right at the point where it fit me under the midriff. This is the pattern I used for the bodice & midriff...


I got the top of the bodice done & started working on the midriff part, got it almost done (or so I thought) & realized I'd sewn it backwards... Needless to say, I absolutely hate my seam ripper, even though it's an ergonomically friendly, nice one, it doesn't matter, I still hate it. So I tossed the midriff to the side & thought I'd do something different... At this point I changed my mind to turn it into a tank top instead of a dress. Cut the flowered shirt below the pocket, tried it on, fit it to me (or so I thought) & sewed it up without the midriff. Cut off the excess, tried it on again, wrangled my boobs to get them in it & umm, nope, I can't breathe. Thought I was going to have to cut it off me after I 'bout pulled my shoulders out of socket... Threw it to the side & said, "F*@# it! I'm done sewing for the day!"  

Then the next day... I'm looking at it & thinking what can I do to salvage it? I got my seam ripper, ripped open the midriff part I sewed backwards, resewed the frickin' gathers & sewed it correctly. 


Ripped the bodice off & the seams up the side of the bottom to the point where I could breathe when I put it on. Folded the seam allowance over & hemmed the sides to make splits. OK, YAY, go me, I think this is going to work... Sewed the bodice to the midriff, then to the bottom, tried it on & the midriff was too tight, UGH!!! Tore it all apart again, took a strip of the gingham fabric & sewed it to the bodice, then to the bottom, made some straps from the leftover gingham shirt sleeves & YAY, with a lace trimmed cami, it's wearable...

                                        

                                   

Please bear with me ya' all while I try to improve my tutorial writing skills, I promise I'll work on it...
UPDATE:
I never could get this tank to fit the way I wanted so I tore it all apart, revamped a revamp & made these adorable skirts for my daughter...