Weekend Wrap Up

I don't know about you, but I got a TON done this weekend!  I cleaned, I organized, and I forced myself to work on jobs I've been avoiding.  For example, there's been a little pile of things on the kitchen counter waiting to be mailed for months, so I sat down and put everything into envelopes and addressed them.  Was that so hard?  No!  I also decided it was high time I reclaimed my laundry basket.  It's been filled with refashions and mending jobs since, oh, about the time I purged my wardrobe.  I worked on a few of them back in March, but that barely made a dent.  Today I finished SIX more things!  I sewed buttons, mended holes, shortened straps, and brought in the sides of a top I thrifted last summer.  But this is my favorite!

This is a Simply Vera Wang dress I bought several summers ago.  It was deeply on clearance, and it seemed like the chicest thing I'd ever seen.  I loved the print and the fact that it had pockets.  I loved the sleeves, and I loved the pleating detail at the neckline.  I pictured myself wearing this (maybe with leggings?) and looking, oh, I don't know, sort of urban or minimalist or Scandinavian or something! :)  But whenever I put it on...blah.  I felt like a housefrau in a muumuu.  It was not good, and putting a belt on it made it even more ridiculous.  I finally removed it from my closet, but I couldn't bring myself to throw it away.  Maybe I would use the fabric for something.

Well, today I got the idea to chop it off.  I played with it as a skirt, and then I played with it as a top.  I decided to go with the top, so as not to lose the pleating detail that had drawn me to it in the first place.  Well...it was better, I thought, but looking a bit maternity.

So next, I got out my handy dandy fashion ruler and took in the sides.  Now we're talking!  That looks so much better, don't you think?

And here it is, all hemmed and ready to go!  I left it long enough to belt, should I get the urge, and this was the best belt I could find in my closet.  I'd like to see it with a wider black belt or something brighter, but this is what I had handy.  Something to keep an eye out for at the thrifts!

Did you spot both kitties in my pics?

Refashioning Returns!

For me, the toughest part of No-Thing New has been trying not to shop for clothes.  I don't ordinarily buy a lot of brand new clothes anyway, but for the purposes of No-Thing New, I am trying not to buy anything secondhand either, unless I really need it.  For the first two months, I did pretty well.  I bent the rules and went thrift shopping on my birthday, and both Gerry and I went looking for shorts for the upcoming warm weather, but I didn't do a lot of pining for new things.  However, now that the trees are in bud, and the daffodils are blooming, I am VERY tempted to pop into the local thrifts to look for colorful, new-to-me duds. 

One thing I really did need was a white tee shirt.  Mine had a stain, which was fine for layering, so I happily wore it under sweaters all winter.  I looked at a few thrifts for a new one, but had no luck, because white tees just aren't the kind of thing that hold up well.  And, I confess, it was hard for me to resist looking at everything else in the store, so I wound up bringing home a black silk tank, a fleece jacket. and two sweaters.  Ooops.

I finally decided to just buy myself a brand new tee.  Sometimes that's probably the best course of action.  One trip to Marshalls, $5.99. 

Now that I'm feeling completely guilty about buying stuff I didn't really need, I am looking for other ways to satisfy my craving for something new.  I started by pulling out my refashion basket to see what I could find there.  The dress in the picture above was a thrift buy years ago.  I always intended to chop off the top and make a skirt.  No time like the present!  It turned out to be a bigger project than I expected, because I wanted to keep the lining intact, but it's finally done, and I have a "new" skirt!

I also chopped a few inches off a dowdy pair of capris to make a "new" pair of shorts.  They will be worn so much more now that they're a more flattering length.

Also on the agenda:  A blouse that needs new buttons, and tank that needs its straps shortened.  It's like getting new clothes, only it isn't!

DOOP!

Look, I still make things! I know it's been a very long time since I had any sewing projects to share. There's just something about emptying your entire house that really makes you rethink how much stuff you need, including clothes! I have lots to say about that, tons, but I'll save that for another day.


So do we have any Major League Soccer fans here? I had resisted becoming a soccer fan, despite my husband's devotion to the game, until he impulsively bought season tickets to the Philadelphia Union games. And I won't lie: I was not happy with him. Good gravy, the cost of the tickets, the tolls, the gas, stadium food--ugh! This was going to end up costing us, and I didn't even like soccer.

Well (cue sheepish voice), I'm really enjoying the games. But not enough to plunk down thirty dollars or more for an official MLS shirt. Besides being put off by the price, I don't even like any of the women's shirts they offer. They aren't my style, and when I've seen women wearing them, the designs always seem to fall at a weird spot on the chest.

So, twenty minutes before we left for last week's game, I made myself a shirt! With only twenty minutes to spare, it had to be something simple, so I went with a big U, for Union, and a nod to one of the chants done at the game. Thanks to the wonders of the internet, you can even hear the C'mon the U! chant here!

I am SO PLEASED with my new shirt! It cost me nothing and two different women told me they liked it at the game! I'm sorry, MLS, for cheating you out of a sale. Make cuter shirts or put a picture of Danny Mwanga on one, and I'll reconsider.

Oh, and in case you're wondering what's up with the scarf, this should explain it!

Top Honors

And the award for biggest procrastinator goes to: Darling Petunia! I've had only to sew the buttons onto this blouse for let's see...oh, about fifty days. I think I thought about it every single one of those fifty days, too, but I just never picked up the needle. So I wasted all that time on "I should" when I could have just sat down for five minutes and crossed it off my list. Ah, perspective!

So, because it's been so long, this is Simplicity 2365, view B. It represents a deliberate choice on my part to a) sew more tops and b) sew something more complicated. Back in September when I started it, I thought it would be a nice transitional top. Lightweight and cool for those lingering Indian Summer days, but a good color for heading into Fall. And it would have been...if I hadn't procrastinated. Now I'm forced to wear it layered, which isn't my favorite, but I'm so excited to show it off, I hope you'll humor me by focusing on the shirt instead of the dubious styling!


The details on this shirt take a little more time, but they are worth it! This is the first time I've sewn pintucks, and they are not perfect, but it was fun seeing how they took shape. I did decide to use the antique buttons on the front, and I am SO happy with how they look. The sleeves are also detailed with cuffs and button tabs, which adds to the construction time, but really give it a finished look.


Choosing fabrics for tops is always difficult for me. I tend to like wearing solids on top rather than patterns, but I have a hard time finding solids I like. This batik fabric is another piece my friend generously brought back from India for me. I like how the design gives it some interest without it being a pattern. It's also not quite as vivid as it appears in the photos!
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Don't forget my contest! I'm still looking for ideas for book page Christmas tree ornaments!
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Now, if you'll excuse me, I must get back to procrastinating...

SSS Fashion Show!

I saw this on another blog and thought it would be neat to see a day-by-day retrospective of my Self-Stitched September. These are all the outfits I wore to work, in the order I wore them. I hope it works okay!

Final Day

Sweater, Kenar via thrift shop

Camisole, Old Navy

Skirt, self-stitched from McCall's 3830

Shoes, Ecco

Necklace, Bijou Brigitte

Do me a favor while you're looking at this, and imagine it much brighter. Well, hold on, you don't have to. Here's an outtake, also the only picture of the bunch that shows the true colors!

Do you like how I'm casually trying to show the shoes? Those shoes are a real departure for me, because they have --gasp-- heels! Oh, I know, that's not much of a heel, but for me, it is. My old-lady, orthopedic inserts don't fit in them, either, but even my foot doctor told me I could skip a day every so often. And really, wouldn't you skip a day for a shoe as cute as this?

This outfit was inspired by the necklace. The color is off in this picture too, so imagine those iridescent beads looking a little more teal. The sweater is one of several purple things I've picked up at the thrift shop lately. Is purple "out" this year? Because it seems like people have dumped a lot of it.

I made the skirt earlier this year, when my search for a tailored denim skirt came up empty. It may not have as much personality as many of my other skirts, but sometimes you just need something basic.

So this is the last day of Self-Stitched September! Hard to believe! I have to say, I'm really glad I participated. If nothing else, it's helped me to become a little more comfortable with standing in front of the camera! Seriously, though, it's made me think of alternate ways of wearing things (the belt!), wear a few things I wasn't too sure about (the dress!), and work on some of my sewing skills (the knit top!). A worthwhile endeavor, I'd say!

Owl Try It

Top, self-stitched

Skirt, Rafaella via Ross

Shoes, Dansko

Necklace, Carrefour

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Oh, sure, now the sun comes out, after I've given up trying to get a clear picture and changed my clothes! It's a good thing we aren't doing this self-stitched month deeper into the winter, or I'd never get any good photos! --grumble grumble--

This top was inspired by Self-Stitched September. Compared to skirts, I have very few self-sewn tops, so I decided to get busy and try to get over that hump. Not only do I gravitate towards sewing skirts, I also actively shy away from making tops. Why? Well, part of that is because I prefer knit tops, either tees or sweaters. I've sewn a few knit pieces over the years, but I'm never 100% comfortable with the process. I also like solid tops best, but I rarely find a solid fabric that grabs my attention. Finally, I admit it, I'm always a bit wary of setting in sleeves.

My first goal was to make a knit top. I picked up a cute knit print back at Gaffney's in the spring, and I knew I wanted to make a draped-neck top with it. Not wanting to run the risk of ruining my cute print, I dug this dark green out of my "KNITS" bin to make a prototype. The pattern is New Look 6901, and I remember buying the fabric for $1/yard at Fabric Mart.

So how horrific was it? It wasn't. Even with this very stretchy, slippery, slinky knit, it went pretty smoothly! Just one pattern note: I did lengthen this by about two inches.

Once I finished, I called my mom, and she said I should launch directly into another knit, so I'd keep the mojo going. I thought that was wonderful advice, and I wish I could say I followed it, but I didn't. I wanted to move along to my second goal: Making a print top. You'll see that result soon.

Here are a few close ups of my necklace. What else says autumn like an owl? This set me back a whopping 2 euro at Carrefour in Spain. (That's just 1 euro per owl!) What did I see the next time I looked at the jewelry at Forever 21? Owls, owls, and more owls.

Off With Her Head!

Skirt, self-stitched, Butterick 4461

Red top, Target

Cardigan, Lands' End

Shoes, b.o.c. by Born

Yet another skirt from the summer of 2008 makes its way into Self-Stitched September! It took me a long time to decide on a self-stitched piece today, because time is running out on September, and I want to fit in all my favorites! I was also hoping to be wearing decidedly autumnal things by now, but it was still pretty warm today, despite the lovely rain and general gloom. So, I confess: The cardigan didn't last long. I had it on for the pictures, but I needed the a/c in the car, and by the time I got to work, it was off.

These mary janes always remind me of the Buster Brown shoes I wore as a kid in the seventies, with the perforations and stitching. I don't wear them much, but they come in handy on wet days when I don't want to take a chance on ruining my good shoes. I think I got these at Marshalls for about $25.

Button Choices! Vote Now!

I am finishing up a new blouse--Simplicity 2365, view B--just in time for Self-Stitched September! All it needs is a hem and some buttons. I was tempted to go on a button-buying trip to JoAnn's, but I dug through my button jars instead.

Which buttons do prefer?

A: Antique. I only have three of these. I also need two buttons for the tabs on the sleeves, but I could use a more basic button in a similar tone. Would it be too weird if the buttons didn't match?

B: Basic black. I like how these stand out against the orange, but they might look too tiny on the sleeves.

C: Beads. I like the idea, but I think they're too shiny. They wouldn't look too good on the sleeves either, come to think of it. Maybe I'm onto something with the different buttons in Option A.

Opinions? Cast your vote! Let your voice be heard! :-D

Autumn Poppies

Brown tee, Florence+Fred, Tesco

Skirt, refashioned from vintage dress

Shoes, Tatami

Head, yes, I do have one!

This month is FLYING by! I only have three more work days in Self-Stitched September! Hopefully the weather will be a little more seasonal next week so I can wear some of the things I've been saving for a cool day.

Today's self-stitched item is the skirt, which I refashioned from a vintage dress. I've always worn it with navy, but this morning I grabbed a brown tee instead, and I think I like that better. Gosh, I love those poppies!

Because this is a wrap skirt, I wore an especially pretty slip underneath, just in case it peeked out during the day. It's by Henson-Kickernick, a name you'll often see on vintage lingerie. I was Googling a bit, trying to find out more about the company, and came across the American Cotton Museum which houses the Henson-Kickernick Lingerie Collection. Wouldn't that be interesting to see!

Belting It Out

Brown blouse, Ann Taylor via thrift shop

Skirt, self-stitched

Belt, Talbots via thrift shop

Shoes, Ecco

I'm worried that you are all getting bored with these outfit photos, so I offer you a more interesting pose! Very natural, don't you think? It bothers me that the thermostat is visible--usually I try to stand right in front of it!

The weird thing about this skirt is that, despite its autumnal colors, I've always worn it in the dead of summer, but whenever I did, I'd think, "I should really be wearing this in the fall." Follow all that?

Anyway, this is another Burda 8090. I made this long before I ever started this blog, so this is its first appearance. The fabric is a cotton from JoAnn's with a bit of gold sparkle in it.

And here's my little red thrift shop belt again! Now that I'm on this belting kick, I need to find a few more. The thrift shop had a beautiful, brown, Italian, crocodile belt the other day but it was tiny. One thing I haven't yet figured out how to do is make a belt bigger!

Do you all know about the trick for keeping the end of your belt from flapping around? Thread a small, clear hair elastic onto the belt to serve as a second...what is that loop thing called? A bale?

Solids

I was determined to make today's Self-Stitched September emsemble consist of solids only. This is tougher than it sounds, because almost all of my self-made skirts are prints, and I've made such a limited number of tops.

The pattern is Simplicity 4589, and I sewed it way back on Easter day, 2007. This was the first garment I ever sewed! My mom was always happy to sew anything I asked for, but I decided it was time for me to learn. Whenever I attempted to learn in the past, she would get impatient with me and take over, so I asked her to please let me do it, no matter how painful it was to watch!

The weather here is still pretty warm, so cap sleeves were fine, but I thought the colors pulled the outfit into fall.

Top, self-stitched
Skirt, Pantology via thrift shop
Belt, Liz Claiborne via thrift shop
Shoes, Tatami

Self-Stitched September Rolls On

Black tee, Marks and Spencer

Skirt, refashioned

Shoes, Tatami

I guess I wasn't thinking when I picked this out this afternoon. This looks a lot like what I wore on Thursday--a black/red/white skirt with a black top. Oh well. I wore that one to a different library, so no one will ever know!

I've never really been happy with this skirt. When I refashioned it, things didn't go as I'd planned, and the results were okay, but not great. The biggest problem was that pleat. It would look okay just after I ironed it, but the fabric is very stiff and five minutes later the pleat would be wide open again, making the skirt look super-wide. I cleverly hid that in the picture from two years ago, but showing a side view. Slick, huh?

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That pleat bothered me for the past two years, so I never wore the skirt again. This morning I saw the skirt peeking out from my closet and decided I was either going to fix it or get rid of it.

My idea for fixing it was to fasten the pleat closed part of the way. Originally I was thinking of doing something with grosgrain ribbon, but these buttons were handy, so I used them to hold the edges of the pleat together towards the top. This was semi-successful. I'm happier with the shape of the skirt now, but I think it could still use one more button. What do you think? Try one more button? Try different buttons? Or should I just give up already and throw it out?

Self-Stitchin' is My Game

I thought I'd lead off with the nicer photo today, because it's dreary and grey, and there's no hope of getting a sharp, clear pic of the outfit. This bracelet came from a yard sale years ago. It's marked "V B Sterling Denmark," and I paid next to nothing for it, either fifty cents or three dollars, but I don't remember which! VB stands for Volmer Bahner and this leaf design was one of his oft-used motifs.

Sweater, Spenser Jeremy via thrift shop

Skirt, self-stitched

Shoes, Ecco

Bracelet, vintage via yard sale

This skirt is just one of my New Look 6843 a-lines made from a mod print I got at Gaffney's. This is a good transition skirt, because the colors aren't too summery and it's a heavier weight fabric. Earlier in the summer, I lightened things up with a bright red tee, but I've also worn it with long sleeves in colder weather.

And now...I have a three day weekend! The Self-Stitched outfits will continue on Monday, hopefully with a few NEW things thrown in!

In the Pink

Sweater, Spenser Jeremy via Ross

Skirt, self-stitched from Burda 8216

Shoes, Dansko

Back to my default setting: another print skirt for Self-Stitched September! This was one of my early sewing triumphs, a many-paneled skirt made from Burda 8216. This taught me a lot about the importance of patience to sewing! I still find it amazing to this day that I finished every single one of those seams. I really like the waist treatment on this skirt, with the belt and wide belt loops, but I left the belt off today.

In other news, it must officially be autumn, because look what I found:

Someone was cozied up in her bed this morning! Oh, and I had a local apple last night that was delicious. I'll share about that soon.

Is That a Camera On Your Hip?

Omigosh! I forgot all about choosing a winner for my hankie giveaway! And you've all been so patient! :) The winner, chosen randomly by my husband is...

Lise of In the Purple House! Lise, send your address to darlingpetunia (at) aol (dot) com, and I will mail the chicken hankie right out!

Okay, getting down to business. My self-stitched item for today was one of my favorite projects ever: the tee shirt skirt. I think this was one of the most satisfying, problem-free things I've ever made!

Skirt, refashioned from tee shirts

Tee, Florence & Fred, Tesco

Shoes, Dansko

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One thing about a skirt like this--it gets a LOT of attention. You don't wear something like this if you mind having people giving your lower body some hard looks! Everyone wants to know, "Is that made of tee shirts? What kind of tee shirts? Did YOU make it? Is that a camera on your hip?"

I've always wanted to make another version of this skirt but here I am, two years later, and I haven't yet! --adding it to the list--

Tucked In

Top, self-stitched from Simplicity 3835

Belt, Talbot's, via thrift shop

Skirt, Valerie Stevens, via thrift shop

Shoes, Tatami

It's my seventh day of Self-Stitched September! Today feels like a good day to take a break from my formula of printed skirt + solid tee + necklace, but my grand plan to sew some new tops has yet to commence, so I am forced to dig deep into the archives. Another oldie from 2008, I'm not even sure I've worn this top before. Why not? Well, as with most easy-to-sew tops, it's loose and shapeless and not all that flattering.

So there seemed to be only one solution: I've gone out on a limb and actually TUCKED MY SHIRT IN for the first time in years. I can hear the gasps! I'll tell ya what, it feels darn strange to be all tucked in and belted, and it'll probably drive me nuts at work tonight, but I am going to stick it out.

For anyone else doing Self-Stitched September, how's it going? Have you had to move out of your comfort zone at all?

Asian Mood

Dark brown tee, The Limited via thrift store

Skirt, self-stitched

Necklace, Wal-Mart

Shoes, Tatami

Self-Stitched September could be Self-Stitch Skirt September for me! This one is from last summer, made from an Alexander Henry fabric and Burda 8090.

The necklace is a somewhat cheesy speciman from Wal-Mart, but it echoed the Asian design on the skirt, so I threw it on.

I have plans to sew some tops for a change, thanks to the $1.99 Simplicity pattern sale at JoAnn's. Do you have any favorites I should know about?

I'm Green, but the Grass Is Not

Black tee, Mossimo from Target

Skirt, refashioned thrift shop find

Necklace, Bijou Brigitte

Shoes, Dansko

Wow! I'm learing all sorts of things from this Self-Stitched September exercise! Note to self: Break your Wardrobe Refashion vow and BUY NEW BLACK TEES! Or wait...I guess I could try dying them. Maybe?

Anyway, today I went with a refashioned garment. Trust me on this--the embroidered skirt started out so much larger, I basically just used it as yardage. I went looking for it elsewhere on this blog, but it turns out I made it waaaay back in 2007, pre-blog!

It's not showing up too well on my monitor, but some of that embroidery is green, hence the green beads. I like how shiny and graphic, almost cartoony, they are.

And today at work, a little girl, maybe five years old, told me she liked them. What's that say about my style? hehe