2013 Refashion #7: Comfy Nightie from lace LBD and modal skirt

I usually prefer to work on one item at a time (UFOs not included), but somehow this time around I have 2 projects currently on my table that I cannot put away but dragging my feet to work on, AND the nagging need to make this particular refashion ASAP.

It literally took a few hours (A couple last night, and a couple this morning) even at my very casual pace.

The black (with silver metallic) Guess dress has been in my possession almost a decade it seems. It used to be loose on me. LOL. Very rarely worn. But I do remember wearing it during a work presentation I had to make at the UN in Geneva way back when. I can't even remember exactly what about, it was a lifetime ago, but I remember that it was a last minute trip coz my boss had conflicting schedule, and I didn't have my suits or formal stuff with me (i was living and working in another country at the time). Worn it with a green cardigan buttoned up I think, so as to look as if only that I was wearing a black pencil skirt? Who knows what those delegations thought. 

I've been holding on to the dress to make embellishment on a white or red charmeuse top (yet to be made, perpetually on my mental to do list), especially after inspired to do so by Carolyn's designer interpretations series (of the diary of sewing fanatic blog). But I won't need the whole dress for what I had in mind anyways. 

Chop the top part plus 3 inches under the bust. Fold to keep the bottom half, for my inspired-by-Carolyn project.

Choosing what to use for the bottom part of the nightie took the longest coz I had a few ideas. But this modal knit maxi skirt (which was already refashioned once into a hilo skirt and last worn out on my birthday picnic in May) made the cut. The modal knit fabric is a dream against the skin, but I lined the skirt with the same fabric, so it was quite heavy. Not a good idea, hence skirt not popular with me. I reckon that it will be a dream to wear as a lounge wear/sleepwear. Provided that I don't make it heavy again.

I unpick the zipper from the back of the bodice, and added 1.5in strip of the modal knit in lieu of the zipper. I kinda trace a shorter version (hits 2 inches above my knee or thereabouts) of a maxi skirt pattern (minus the waist band) for the skirt portion here. Stitch the sides and then stitch the bodice and skirt part together.

Yes, very comfy! :) Lots of the modal knit fabric left to practice making lounge/sleep shorts and so on. Next time...

Happy sewing!

Far

2013 Refashion #6: Tardy Neon Toddler Pants

This was done back in May, but was posted onto the blog nor Refashion Coop then. Main excuse would be that each time that I managed to actually get in front of PC, I can't find the original photo on the pc ;) But now it's all sorted out (and am seizing the opportunity while the boys are still slumbering...)

Original pieces:

1) My old neon barely worn CK cotton dress

2) Scraps from the sleeves of denim shirt from another of May 2013 refashion project

 

The play pants was based on the pyjama bottom pattern of McCall's 6458 I've made for the Bean made previously with tweaks to the sizing. I also added patch pockets to the sides, and added "appliques" of the letter I on one side and giraffe on the other. 

More play shots:

:) Happy refashioning and sewing!

Far

MMM Mmmmm?: Day 20 to 27 Recap

My MMM'13 original pledge:

I, Far of Memoryseed blog (farsland.blogspot.com), sign up as participant of Me-Made-May '13. I endeavor to wear (and document that fact) at least one self made/refashioned garment everyday in May. Repeats are a possibility. It is also a time that I am going to truly 'investigate' my relationship with my Me-Made items. Time to take stock, and cull when necessary.

 ~~~~~~~~

I missed my self-timed recap post yesterday :) It was a 3 day weekend for us here in the US to celebrate Memorial Day. So the computer was monopolized by the 2 boys...

Spent the last week sewing a lot, but very slowly as always. We didn't go out a whole lot, also because the weather was a bit dreary at times, but there were some grocery runs, short walks at the park/lake in between some light misty rain that people associate with Seattle. 

Here are some of the pics I managed for this round:

May 21st

Was cold, about 50-55 deg Fahrenheit the whole day. A quick run with the fam to the grocery, and I didn't want to carry my down jacket, so I get to wear this.

Top: My refashioned wool knit pinafore-esque dress (that is now supposed to be peplum, but not apparent on me here. Probably the weight of the knit plus the length of the peplum "skirt" portion. 

Bottom: A thrifted choco brown corduroy with good stretch

Accessories: Me made slouchy clutch bag (refashion project from a jacket)

Verdict: It's a winner in my book. I love the overall shape and feel of the tunic. I'm stumped with how to pair it though. Will resurface again come fall. Carrying the clutch bag is a pain, but if I throw it into my tote bag which was what I usually do, it's great to fit in a bunch of stuff.

 May 25th

Top: Me made Asymmetrical caftan top with shell beading on neckline

Worn with: Dark blue jeans, and carrying my down jacket. Yes, it's kinda cold for me. Taken off jacket just for a quick pic.

Bean wearing one of his mommy made play pants again, with bought tshirt and hoodie.

Verdict: I'm not a fan of this look. Last time I wore it was probably last MM/summer. Beading it was hard work tho. What I don't like is the fabric (clings), the size of the neckline (i hate large gapey neckline), and the asymmetrical-ness of the sleeves. What will I do with it? I don't know yet...

May 27th

This was what I spent my last week sewing. Nope, it wasn't from scratch. It was a refashion project. A men's denim shirt + floral silk twill dress = denim blouse with contrast sleeves.

Essentially I started off with a too big men's denim shirt that I thrifted. I fiddled with it a lil bit each day. My initial target was to make it into a denim shirt with contrast peter pan collar ala Zoe. First the sleeves were off. The more I fiddle and think (thinking can both be helpful and a detriment sometimes) and unpick, the less I want a peter pan collar with this shirt. So while I chucked the original collar, I kept the collar band. I added bust dart (by the side of  the pockets). My next idea was to turn it into a cap sleeved denim top. But the cap sleeves (which was just the original bodice without original sleeves) was stiff and made my shoulders look big. I measured where I want my shoulder to stop at, took the french curve and mark (with approx. seam allowance) and cut off excess. 

And my thinking made me want to have a contrast sleeves instead of the original plan of contrast peter pan collar. Having 2 tubs of saved old clothes, I fished out the perfect treasured silk dress (this one was a silk twill dress) many years old and only worn once!!! Perfect = I will use up most of the dress and leave minimal waste. 

Used up all (with very little left over) of the skirt part of the dress for my self drafted sleeves (drafted to max the fabric).

Unpicked the original sleeve bands from the dress and used it as sleeves band on the new blouse. Added brassy look buttons from stash (purchased from JoAnn's last year), and changed up all the buttons from the denim shirt to match too.

[Saved the bodice part of the original dress with sleeves sans sleeves bands. Maybe turn it into a kid's dress. I do have 2 little nieces (my cousins').]

Verdict: I guess technically the blouse could use with some more shaping (than just at the side seams). Darts under the bust/at the back came to mind. I've never added darts like that before. not that I could recall at least. I tried pinning to see how it will look, and was thinking maybe with the 2 pockets in front it's kinda having eyepatch effect that will look more severe with extra darts under the bust... And If i just added shaping darts on my back, it will make the back falls nicely from the back, but not that nice to look at from the front. So right now it remains an a-line ish blouse, which is basically the same silhouette as always. But, I think this blouse has more of a punch than usual because of the high contrast, and also a shorter hem than I usually opt for, so it's something different in my wardrobe in essence. I really feel happy wearing it.

MM on other days

Mostly on crappy stay at home mode. I did wear my maxi skirts worn before in the previous weeks at home paired with non-me made tshirts around the apartment. That's way better than lounging in my boring pj bottoms. 

Verdict: Yeap. Need nice lounging pieces, so that I won't ruin my nice suitable to going out clothes.

First week recap: mmm-monday-day-1-2-3-4-5-recap
Second week recap: mmm-monday-day-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-recap

2013 Refashion #4: Spring Silk Chiffon Blouse

Earlier today I completed my spring silk chiffon refashion. I can breathe easier now, and hopefully become more productive in the coming week for the remainder of the Essential Top Sew-A-Long that's concluding on April 7.

As a recap (previously blogged here):

The original garment was my 5-6 years old long dress from Zara Basic. It's silk chiffon, empire waisted with spaghetti straps and (originally) lined with acetate lining.

I wanted the look of View D, but without hem band, and short flutter sleeves (since I have to consider the available yardage here). For the sleeves, I used the pattern for View B's sleeves but left out the band. No need to accentuate my biceps with a band there methinks ;)

The pattern didn't come with pieces nor instructions for lining, so that added up to the time of thinking, plotting and whatnot (not including pattern resizing/alterations that came way before). I basically  just follow the instruction for adding the back bodice button placket.

 

Notice that the neckline gathers are not uniform? Bigger gathers on the right side (colored side) than the one on the left (white side)... Oh well... 

The collar is also not the same as the pattern. It's shorter/thinner, not  gathered and pieced with the back (loop-buttoned) section of the original garment.

The sleeve was 1) pieced - not enough fabric to cut as one, and 2) fully lined before attached to bodice.

Hemming was tricky since I had to hem the main fabric and lining together. I hide the hem stitching from showing on the outside by catching it to the lining side only... Kinda ripply no?

These shank buttons were thrifted, and was sewn onto a thrifted cardigan last year but I unpick them from the cardigan (the cardigan needs regular flat buttons). For the loops, I used the spaghetti strap of the original garment.

It fits "perfectly" enough (lol). In my book that means I feel comfy and not worry that my bits are unflattering-ly showcased. I would definitely be wearing this a lot. For the next make of this look, I would add more (will start with an inch) to the shoulder seams though to make space for the french seams.

Kinda thinking that white pants would be nice with this blouse... Maybe I can find one at the thrift store... I am going to make my very first cardigan top for my next 2013 Essential Top... More on this later.

;),
Far

p/s: Happy Easter to all who are observing the holiday :)

Linking on to Refashion Co-op, Recycled Fashion and Cation Design's March Stashbusting!

2013 Refashion #3: Thrifted Curtain to Tote Bag

I was in need of a bag to take to the SewExpo. What I had at home were too structured (canvas bags or thickly interlined bags), or too small (grocery reusable bags). I wanted a soft bag that I can fold or roll into my handbag, sturdy and big enough to carry my sewing kit and purchases, and I want to carry it cross my body. Basically I wanted a crossbody tote bag...

Enter this lovely curtain I thrifted from Goodwill a couple of weeks ago:

It's pretty simple looking, with horizontal stripes of shades of red and orange. It felt like a southeast asian weaved cloth, you see. Like one of those bags or fisherman pants you'd get from the night markets in Thailand or Cambodia. Anyways, that was why I brought it home, and even though I wanted to save it from the scissors (initially) I didn't. After all, why have nice fabric if I don't use it?

Now obviously there were many decision making that took place before it got to the stage of sewing.  For example, deciding how big I want it to be....

I cut 4 pieces of 22 x 24" (2 pcs for the body of the bag and 2 for lining/inside) and 2 pieces of 40 x 4.5" (for the straps). Then prepared the pockets and such for the inside.

To assemble my layers and attach the zipper, I viewed Elizabeth of SEWN's process, and followed this tutorial from Bemygoth.

Unassuming basic looking crossbody tote bag

Finished dimensions: Approx 20 x 15 x 6". Straps: 38".. :) It's quite huge on me that a lady observing me sitting and arranging my purchases into the bag at the shopping booths exclaimed: "Now that's a tote bag!!!" LOL.

Just a heavy duty black and copper ish 22" zipper, purchased for a diff project but no longer need it for that

View of inside pockets:

Outside looking in

Inside out: Smaller pockets with 2 sections for pens sewn onto a bigger pocket with repurposed (from Ikea seat cushion) sew on velcro

Inside out: An oversized pocket with repurposed sew on velcro

So voila. That was it. Started on Friday morning. Finally done by midnight the same day since there's this and that to do around the apartment and with the Bean. Super useful the whole day on Saturday at the expo. Even my camera case fits in there with the rest of the things:

2013 Refashion #2: Light Jacket Upsizing & Relining

A lengthy refashion project I started a couple of weeks ago: to upsize my old linen jacket and reline it.

• In order to evaluate how much to add to the too-small jacket, I unpick the lining and used that as my "muslin". I guestimated that I needed 3 inches added to each sides of the front bodice and under-arms of the kimono sleeves for wearing ease. I contemplated under-arm gussets for a while, but ditched that plan and stick to just adding panel insets. I added the same amount to panel inserts for the jacket.
• I used the matching linen pants to cut up panel inserts for the jacket.

• Using the old lining-turned-muslin as pattern pieces, I cut out new lining for the upsized jacket out of a set of thrifted grey and beige rayon blouse and skirt.

I am very happy with the outcome! The relining took 2/3 of the sewing time because I got side tracked by other ongoing projects and a sewing meetup I went to this recent Saturday (was the first actual sewing meetup I participated in, I had great fun and did not feel out of place! How could I not: talking to kind and warm adults other than my husband about sewing, fabric, crafts and whatnots without the toddler sitting on my projects or trying to pull out my pins? :) )

I did not re-sew the buttons and snaps back on (there wasn't buttonholes on the original, the self-covered buttons were just there for embellishment) because I kind of like it left open like that. Very casual. (I might consider adding some sort of closures in the future...)

~

Currently on my sewing table: 

• Refashion project of an ultrasuede skirt to a handbag (status: pattern adjusted and pieces cut)
• A white rayon-cotton knit V1261 alice + olivia vogue patterns view A (status: maybe 80% done, but man, i'm now thinking that at this stage of my sewing clothes I should consider getting a serger finally. sewing a light knit on regular sewing machine is a beast. Not looking for anything fancy, a lower end but can do good cover stitch, rolled hem, and whatnot. Using twin needles and this and that fancy detachable feet on my regular, cheap but beloved sewing machine is not cutting it anymore...)

Anybody have any suggestion on a good lower end (by that i meant $300 and lower) serger/overlock to start on? Are you using one currently?

Maxi dress to HiLo skirt

I've been meaning to take the scissors to one of my 2 maxi dresses made before our move/voyage out to the West for a while now and this morning I finally did it! The maxi dress I refashioned was unblogged, but basically I made it almost the same way as the first version.

It was a pretty simple refashion, turning the maxi dress into a HiLo/mullet skirt. The fabric of the maxi dress is a pretty heavy but luxuriously soft-to-the-touch knit. I bought it from FabricMart, but since I am no longer able to check my order history (or I don't know how to on the new site) I would have to guess that it's a modal knit Kelly green, or organic something Kelly green knit.

Because I made the maxi dress 2 layers (way shorter on the inside but enough to not have to worry that it's see-through), it added to the weight of the dress and I ended up having to always adjust it. Also, in the summer heat made the dress less wearable than I would have liked. Now that fall won't be too long away (I hope), cutting it into skirt will ensure wear-ability factor for me. Inside view ---------------------->

There's no sewing involved. I just needed some sort of ruler/curved ruler, chalk, pin and scissors.

I put on the maxi dress as a skirt and mark the length of the skirt I want. It was a bit tough doing it on my own, it will be easier if you have somebody mark it on you while you are standing straight. However, it can be done of course. So I made a small mark on the center back on how long I want it there (I want it to reach the floor when I wear my boots. And I marked the center front part, where I want it to fall just under my knee. (in the future I might even cut it to over my knee, but for now this is okay).

Lay the dress on flat surface with the center front on one side of the fold and the center back at the other side like the picture above.

Use your sewing chalk or whatever marking tool you wish and draw your curves.

Pin the folded dress together so that when you make the cut it won't move (you can also pin before you mark on the fabric).

Cut!

All done!

 

I plan to wear it with my boots.