Scrap busting

Sewing clothing creates loads of scrap fabrics. Periodically I purge my stash and make a quilt. It's a great way to use up small remnants of fabric.

I have just finished piecing together the top of this quilt. It is not perfect, some of the edges are a little bit off and not all the points meet, but I'm not making it for competion or show. It's just for home.

The top is made completely of sewing off cuts, some of which I have had for years. The 'batting' is a flannel sheet which came from my mother in law and the backing is made from an old quilt cover donated by my mum and dyed with Dylon dye gifted from my local buy nothing group. So this really is a re-use item. It will find it's home on our bed once it's completed. 

It's all pinned together and quilting it is the next step. I'm keeping this one simple and just following the design lines of the quilt. 

Summer Linen T shirt - Hoodie Dress Hack and refashion

Who doesn't love a light linen top when it hot, hot, hot? I had been wondering about making a Linen top for some time, but couldn't get my hands on fabric that I liked - I need to feel the hand of fabrics like linen to check they are the right weight - I had all but given up on the idea when I devoded to clear out my wardrobe. Lurking at the back were a pair of white linen trousers I bought several years ago from Asda. They were a size too big and initislly went into the charity shop pile as I just don't wear them enough to keep them. However I remembered my desire for a linen top and decided to try and refashion the trousers into a top.

First up I needed a woven t shirt pattern. I knew I loved The Assembly Line Hoodie Dress and I'd made two hooded versions which you can read about here and here, and a short sleeve hood-less version that I made last year.

I used the bodice pieces, the neck facing and the short sleeve that I drafted last year. The trousers were prepared by removing the waistband and cutting up the inseam and crotch seams, leaving the outer leg seams intact.

This allowed me to cut the bodice fronts from the upper part of the leg. Then the sleeves from the lower part. The facing was cut in sections, where I could find enough fabric. There was enough fabric left at the bottom of the legs to add onto the bottom of the t shirt (just over 10cm). I was glad about that as it would have been VERY cropped without it.

You can see the side seams of the legs have ended up just off centre, but I kind of like it - I deliberately mis-matched these with seams on the bottom extension.

This top certain fits the Refashioners 2020 theme of #usewhatyouhave. I was so glad to wear this today as it was super cool to wear at work. I really needed it - It was hot and sticky! I certainly think this will ge far more wear as a top than it ever got as trousers.

In fact my whole outfit is refashioned. The necklace is one I made a few weeks ago with some repurposed buttons and My culottes were made 2 years ago from an Ikea curtain - burdastyle pattern. I love it when I can give something a new lease of life, don't you?

Cambie refashioned

A couple of years ago I made this Sewaholic Cambie dress. I know we don't see many around the blogosphere these days, but a few years ago, everyone was making it. I was drawn by the line drawings and the makes that I saw online.

So I jumped in and made it out of this fantastic IKEA fabric. The instructions were faultless and I finished this dress beautifully. fully lined - even I'm impressed with the finish I did on this dress.

It fitted fine, but there was just something off with it and I couldn't put my finger on quite what was wrong. Hence I have only worn it a couple of times and that is a waste! I've since decided that it's the proportions of the bodice that was wrong for me. The balance of the design just didn't suit my frame.

I considered sending it to the charity shop, but the truth is I love the fabric and the skirt part. I also had a small piece of the fabric left - just enough to create a basic bodice front. I found enough white cotton in my stash to make the lining. So inspired by "The Refashioners" Inspired by... theme I decided to remake this dress with a nod to 1950's style. and I just love the neckline on this dress worn by Audrey Hepburn, so this is what I aimed to recreate.

I took the bodice apart and carefully reused the back pieces and cut a new bodice front with bust and waist darts. I made a slightly extended shoulder to fit the original Cambie back pieces but widened the neckline to a boat neck. I used my self-drafted block for this.

Miraculously the new bodice fitted the waistband perfectly. I was expecting to have to do a bit of

adjustment, but not so. I attached the new bodice and lapped zipper by machine and then slip stitched the lining back into place.

I think this is a much better style for me and I think I might just wear it more than I did the last one.
(Photos were taken by my daughter whilst on a rather windy dog walk with Daisy our Wheaten Terrier)

Rags

One way to use up polar fleece scraps.
This is a traditional way to create curly hair.
Tie the length of rag securely around a section of damp hair. Spiral the hair around one end of the rag. Wrap the other end in the opposite direction and tie to secure. Leave to dry.
Bethan will sleep in these. The polar fleece is more comfortable than cotton rags and with the added bonus that it doesn't fray and get tangled in the hair. I'll post the results tomorrow.