bee creative

if we look we find things

While looking for something else I found this piece of fabric and decided to do a little doodling...

Deb Lacativa fabric.

from the front porch: how to repurpose a dress into a tank top

 

I am imagining everyone on my front porch with me...

and if you listen carefully you can hear one of the cats.

One thing that I didn't mention, to avoid having to sew the side seams over, the bottom of the arm hole needs to meet the edge of the piece of clothing when you cut.  For me if it's an article of clothing that already fits me, it works.  If it's larger the side seams would need to be resewn as well. Extending the arm hole out does not work unless you don't care if your bra shows. It is also the best reason to use a sleeveless shirt pattern for this.

This works well with skirts too.  An example of how I did this can be found here.  The pictures in this post also provide an example of what I mean by the side seams.

Two other things as I replayed the video:

-This dress has a dart.  To make a new neckline/arm hole for this I would have to go below the dart to cut.

-I think it's really funny that my verbal tick was "so."  If I were a perfectionist I'd probably have done the video over. But I am not so there you go!

P.S.  I've never tried this with something that has sleeves but I have some ideas now that I want to try...

 

Beauty even though

A bit of a frustrating day…car and computer issues.

Back with a video to clarify last post tomorrow…

more hand sewing, more problem solving

Not the best picture but it tells a story.

Last night I decided I really wanted to wear this dress today but the facing needed some repair (really wasn't the best fabric choice for facing).  I also have wanted pockets on this.

So...with some help from my trusty assistants, I folded the dress in half so that the side seams were in the middle, placed the facing pattern just below the arm hole on the seam line, cut out a new arm hole and neckline, flipped the pattern piece upside down and over to the other side, cut the rest of the neckline and the second arm hole. I had to cut a little more out of the neckline to get it over my head and to smooth things out.

I then sewed the shoulder seams (french seams) and finished the neckline and arm holes with a rolled hem, which is the most common way I finish necklines, armholes and hems. This is the proper way to do a rolled hem. I skip the ironing and just roll the hem, finger press, and stitch once.

I'll use the fabric I cut off to make a pocket later, but for today it's ready to go!

P.S.

The side seams are now center seams. 

pause

We had a high of 90 degrees yesterday (average summer temps 70's), sleeping was challenging.

More on sewing clothing later...

 

more on the shirt, part two (design as you go)

The inside seams: one french seam, the other bound with rayon cut on the bias (leftover from another project). Would have been better if the rayon had been just a tad bit wider as I didn't get it all tucked in.  It will fray some but not as bad as the linen! I really like French seams. For anyone interested is a comparison of different ways to finish inside seams.

The more I play with patterns, the more it becomes that the pattern, the piece of clothing, is fluid for me.

I started this project with the idea that it would be a dress but after I had everything stitched together and I tried it on I realized it just didn't work for me.

I looked at it for awhile and realized two things were bothering me, the sleeve length and the length of the dress itself. 

Sleeve length is an easy one for me.  I know what works.  There is a length that is flattering and a length that isn't. And there is a length that just irritates me...like a scratchy label or a rock in your shoe.  The solution was easy.  Cut off a few inches so that it hit the sweet spot. 

The length of the dress puzzled me.  It was the same length at the tank top style dresses and the rayon dress that I've made which I love.  What was different? Answer:  solid color. Way too much solid color. So I cut off about 15 inches from the bottom and made it tunic length.

New plan: skirt with leftover fabric from the shirt plus other pieces of fabric to coordinate.

more on the shirt, part one

The square on the upper right hand corner is the color of the shirt I've been making.  To follow up on the shirt:  

I've got binding attached to one side seam of the shirt and am happy with the results. It should keep linen's tendency to fray to a minimum as well as strengthening the seam.

To back up a little, the pattern for my shirt is self drafted and essentially the robe pattern that Jude shared in her  Contemporary Boro class.

A little more complicated version with directions by Cal Patch can be found at A Verb for Keeping Warm. I say complicated in that it is more fitted.  Mine is four squares with a neckline.  I also cut an angle on the sleeve squares just to see...  The squares work for me because it is loose fitting.

For anyone interested in sewing clothes, Cal Patch's book is great even if you don't want to draft your own patterns.  Knowing how patterns are drafted helps with understanding fit.  The directions she gives for assembling clothes can be applied to any pattern. 

I have more to say about the shirt...later. :)

get ready

It's going to be hot for the next week.  I am planning cool meals to have for the week, trying to decide what I want to cook now in preparation... probably some potatoes for salad, zucchini butter, and some wheat berries for salad. 

Last night's dinner, a quick stir fry:  onions + garlic + cauliflower + peas + cherry tomatoes + soy sauce + sesame oil + rice vinegar + pot stickers (from the grocery store).

among the weeds

Yesterday...4 hours of pulling bindweed, blackberries and buttercup.  They truly are weeds; invading blueberries, strawberries, one of the apple trees, all the things I want to grow. 

There is still a lot more. I missed my opportunity to deal with it when it would have been more manageable.

I discovered 4 prunes growing on my tree.  They are, of course, on the one branch I would prune because I have to duck each time I go out the gate in the back. And then, 2 Damson plums. That's it for the plums this year.  I've never had a really good crop on either yet. Maybe next year.

I watched the bees, dragonflies, and the birds drifting through.  The chickadees were planning their raid on the blueberries.  The black squirrel was feasting on the green hazelnuts. It takes seconds for the squirrel to munch through the soft shell that is forming to get to the kernel. 

I remind myself to just enjoy being outside, enjoy the small things and to submit a request for a week off in April next year...

hand sewn

Something new...

I sewed this all by hand, working on it for anything between 10-30 minutes at a time over the last couple weeks.

The seams still need to be finished inside as I only did French seams on the shoulders.

One project for the weekend so that it will be ready for next weeks hot weather.

I will be sharing more about this, it taught me a lot.