Wardrobe Contest Update

As you can see, I've changed my wardrobe contest entry again. But that's what happens with this sort of thing if you're indecisive and easily bored like me. Plus how can you not when you keep finding all sorts of new and interesting patterns and fabrics!

This may not be the final draft, but it's getting close. I have 5 completed items done, and yes, that includes the cardigan. I don't have time to replace it, and I really want to, in the wise words of Tim Gunn himself, make it work!

My goal for today is to sew up the coral ruffle top and either get the coral petal-like skirt cut out or finish off the rose shirt that is sitting around 1/3 of the way done. I'm excited for this ruffle top, actually. It's going to be made out of this pretty "washer cotton". I hope that's the same as the "laundered cotton" the pattern suggests for fabric types. I really need to read up more on fabric types...

Wish me luck, all! I'm going to need it to complete this contest. ;)

Fabric Retail Therapy!

After admitting defeat with my cardigan this week, I decided a trip to Fabricland was in order to re-inspire me to sew again, since losing 2 pieces I thought were going to work sort of took the wind out of my sails. (Although I may yet see if I can get the cardigan to work when I'm feeling less defeated by it.)

I found some pretties. :D


I think the petal-like pink skirt from Simplicity 2368 is going to replace my white skirt, only in the coral washer cotton that I have a tonne of. I also want to make one of the tops from Simplicity 2599 in the same fabric.


I also think I'll replace my ambitious jeans project with a denim skirt using one of the styles from Simplicity 2343. I'll attempt jeans later on when I'm feeling more confident tackling pants.

And, well, I fell in love with the Butterick 5469 jacket pattern. And then I dished out good money on a medium-weight dark brown corduroy and a pretty floral cotton I've fallen in love with to make the jacket and liner. Although realistically, this jacket will probably cost me about $35 to make, and I don't think I'd find this type of jacket for that price at this time of the year anyways. Sometimes it good to keep these things in perspective.



Poor cardigan, you don't stand a chance.

And then I found this in a discounted basket filled with ugly jewelry. I think this is my favourite $3.00 necklace yet!

Le Cardigan, Part Deux. Eugh.

So, I got the cardigan finished. You know, the one I've been putting off forever, but have been excited to finally have in my wardrobe.

Sadly, it's a bust. My fear that the knit was too light-weight was justified. It's misbehaving in all sorts of way, but especially in how it sags with gravity.



Yeah, at first glance, it looks fine. But look closely at the sleeve and hem. It's pulling down unevenly in places, plus the material just hated being stitched. I'm getting pretty good at dealing with knits, but this was just a headache.

Look at what happened at the front where the hem meets the facing!


Yuck. :( And I'd like to note that I had let it hang for a day before hemming, and this hem was straight when I sewed it.

I found that the facing kept flipping outwards, and it didn't want to stay on the inside where it belonged. Naughty facing. First, I just top-stitched around the edge and under the collar, hoping that would do it. Not quite. So instead I decided to do 5 parallel lines of top-stitching to hold it down. THAT did the trick! You can see it in the picture above, and this one below.


I actually like the effect, and it might be fun to do some more decorative stitching here, or even some sort of design, flowers or leaves or something. I'll have to keep it in mind for future projects.

This afternoon, I ran over to our only fabric store in town to try to find a heavier version of this brown knit fabric, but to no avail. :( So I think I'll be taking the cardigan out of my wardrobe entry.

To add salt to the wound, I've officially tossed out my white skirt that was also going to be part of my wardrobe. And all it needed was a hem. I found the liner I made was too heavy, but when I cut it out, the skirt hung strangely on me. Plus you could totally see my panties. And when I took a good look at it, the style and colour wasn't doing anything for my hips and derrière. So just when I was thinking I was catching up, I got knocked back a couple steps.

Oh well. I think I'm going to simplify my wardrobe plan, though. And honestly, I really want more skirts, so bye-bye pants! I'll save you for when I don't have a time crunch! :D

Pantified Tees

I started off sewing clothes last year by taking old clothes and reconstructing it into something new. While I love taking a piece of fabric from the bolt and transforming it into something, there's a certain pride and charm that comes from making something unwanted into a useful article of clothing.



All three of these panties were made from old t-shirts, the black one from a top I had kicking around and the other two from the thrift store down the street. I started cutting out the red Canada panties a few months ago, but only recently put them together. In fact, I cut them out during the Winter Olympics, which was appropriate since it was an old Team Canada Olympic shirt from 2004!


This is such a simple project with such delightful return. I mean, yeah, you can't go showing it off to everyone like you would a new top or dress (unless you're like me and share it with the entire internet through your blog!), but it's a secret pleasure to know that you are wearing underwear you sewed yourself. When I told a friend about it, she couldn't believe that I could make my own underwear. But it's so easy! And since they're made from old t-shirts, you can find all sorts of fun designs to put on them, like the "Canada" across the bum of the red pair and the lacrosse player on the blue.


All I did was take apart an old pair of panties that I loved the shape of, traced half of each piece onto paper, and cut it out. Then it was simply a matter of laying out these pieces on the fold of a t-shirt, cut it out, and reconstruct the panty.

I considered doing a tutorial, but there's so many out there (this last one is the best, I think), including one by Zoe over at So Zo..., who first inspired me to try these out. In fact, she just made another post showing off a few more pairs and hinting that she might be willing to make a panty pattern to upload over at Burda Style.


This is such a fun project, I totally encourage others to try it out. It's easy and quick - the blue pair took me just over an hour to make, from cutting out to clipping the final threads, and it only took that long because I got fancy with two colours of fabric.



Happy sewing, all!

Lazy Cardigan - Part le un

After working my tush off all day doing thesisy things, I declared SEWING TIME. So I spent some time cutting out the paper pattern pieces (say that three times fast) for the cardigan below (view B).


Unfortunately, the knit I plan to use is a crinkly mess, and it's too big a piece to iron easily, so now I must wait for the Lords on High (aka my landlords whose basement I rent) to finish up with the dryer so I can be lazy and try to smooth out the fabric in there.

I've been quite excited about this pattern, ever since I purchased it in the beginning of June, but for some reason, have been intimidated to start it. Perhaps it's because I know my light weight knit is going to be hell to work with. It's already giving me a headache. But it'll be a nice light topper, and I do love to layer, and the colour is absolutely perfect for my wardrobe collection, so I guess I'll just have to give'er and hope for the best. Wish me luck! Well, once I get off my tush and start working on it. :)


(Bugger blogger for a handbasket, why do my horizontal pictures keep uploading vertical?! ARGH!)