Busy busy

I have been quite busy lately. Unfortunately for my blog I have been busy with school not crafting. I have been slowly plugging away at this hat. I am using the Fish Hat [Dead or Alive?] pattern by Thelma Egberts from Knitty. I have had this pattern in my Ravelry queue for a while now and after I finished my scarf I decided it was time for a hat. I don't know if it will be for me or for the kids. I guess I will have to see how silly I feel wearing it and whether Layden leaves me any choice in the matter. He is already excited about "his" fish hat.

I was up early this morning so I decided to go ahead and cut the legs of a pair of warm up pants I picked up at Goodwill for self defense. I think I will probably just leave them as is. I am not feeling particularly motivated to do any hemming.

Wrap Pants

While pondering what to do with a few yards of linen I came across this tutorial for making wrap pants. Since the hot weather of summer is already here I thought these looked nice and cool. I was right. These are super comfy and very cool, they feel more like a skirt than pants. The diagram to the left shows the finished dimensions, not including fabric for hems, of the pants. The fabric is folded on the right. If you check out the tutorial the diagram will make a little more sense. The pants hit my legs at about mid calf and tie at about belly button height. My ties were about 12" long. Please excuse the bad picture, it was done without a timer, using the chairs as a focus point after much trial and error.

Infinite Top mark II

I whipped up another version of the infinite top/convertible shirt. The fabric is a cotton/bamboo blend from Fabric.com and I really like it. It is nice an thin with just a bit of shine to it. Please excuse the poor quality of this picture but be proud of me because I am actually in it. I prefer to be behind the camera rather than in front of it.

Tablecloth to skirt.

While I was visiting my parents I took the opportunity to visit some larger thrift stores and picked up this tablecloth.

About a half hour of sewing later and I have this skirt. I have been wanting to try out a circle skirt but I have not been motivated to piece together that large of a piece of fabric. This was definitely quicker. I just cut out a circle from the middle with a radius of 7" (maybe a little big). Then I made a casing for the drawstring using a different tablecloth left over from some curtains. The second photo is closer to the actual color.

Lucky find, Polo dress

Today I had actually headed out to the fabric store specifically to buy this fabric. It had been on the $5/yard shelf and I decided I wanted to get enough to back a quilt. When I got to the $5 rack it was gone, very sad, until I turned around and saw it on the $2/yard table. So I now have 4.25 yards to someday back a quilt with when I have time to make a nice big quilt for myself. 

I have also been working on turning this mens' 6XL polo into a polo dress for myself. I got it trimmed down and the sleeves on only to discover I had sewn one sleeve inside out. I have that sleeve off but I still need to figure out what to do about the small hole near the collar. Any ideas? Applique? buttons? reshape the collar?

Linen hoodie

I stopped by the thrift store today with an eye out for clothes to refashion when I happened upon this little guy and decided he needed to come home with me. Technically he is a toy for Clara but he makes a lovely chiming noise that we can all enjoy. I also picked up a large T-shirt to refit and a lightweight linen hooded thing. I think it would make a nice coverup for the summer but I am not sure how to go about slimming it down a bit. As you can see it is a bit wide at the shoulders and not at all flattering. However, it is a fairly loose knit and I am afraid of what will happen if I start cutting into it. I think a serger is definitely called for but other than that I am at a loss, suggestions? Of course I could just unravel it and use the yarn to make a shawl or something but that would be a bit more work and it might not get done for a very long time (if ever).

re-fitted T's

I finally got some refashioning done today. Nothing too elaborate, just shrank some thrifted T's down to size. They were all originally XL's or so I love how this results in a nice long shirt. Length is good. The grey one was my first try and is a bit tight in the bust but still fits, thats ok it is really just for working in around the house anyway. I feel like I would like to do something more with the black one, maybe change the neckline? add something? but I just don't know. Any suggestions? The skirt was going to be a refashion but it turns out it fit me so I think I will count my blessings it hangs to about mid calf. I love our local thrift store all of these were a dollar or less each!

First I took a T- that fit well but was wearing out and cut off the sleeves. Then I lay the body on the T-shirt I am going to cut down and cut around the old shirt, starting at the hem, leaving a seam allowance. Then I put the old sleeves on top of the sleeves of the shirt I am refitting leaving a seam allowance and starting all the way down to the cuff.

We did some serious reorganizing of furniture yesterday. So now my "office" and craft room have been combined. I really should have been working on getting everything sorted out and cleaned up but I couldn't resist doing a little sewing.  I also dread getting everything plugged in, the outlet placement in this house is definitely substandard. 

Wardrobe Refashioning.

After being told by my husband that I need to buy some new clothes, I believe "anemic" was the term he used to describe my closet, I have decided that I will sign up for a 2 month period of wardrobe refashioning, officially starting in March. This basically means I won't be buying any new clothes but rather making or remaking my clothes. Wish me luck, I am sure to need it.

To get it out of the way, here is my pledge a few days early:

I Chelsea pledge that I shall abstain from the purchase of "new" manufactured items of clothing, for the period of 2 months. I pledge that I shall refashion, renovate, recycle preloved items for myself with my own hands in fabric, yarn or other medium for the term of my contract. I pledge that I will share the love and post a photo of my refashioned, renovoted, recycled, crafted or created item of clothing on the Wardrobe Refashion blog, so that others may share the joy that thy thriftiness brings! 

Signed Chelsea.

Now I just need to hit the thrift stores, I wonder what will be easiest to start with. Maybe a simple fitted T?