Refashioning

 I think I've made a plan to make the kimono dress wearable, hooray. One thing that gave me the 'courage' I needed to make changes was my recent discovery of the website Refashionista.net   It has been going for ten years, so I don't know why it took me so long to discover it! Jilly buys thrift store clothing and then snips and sews and refashions them to suit her own size and style. There are some simply amazing transformations on her site. I had to cut off a section of the back to make it less pouffy, channeling my inner jilly as I did so! I hope to get finished today, fingers crossed. 

Working On It

 

Slowly, very slowly. Working on the kimono dress that is. I am glad that I decided to draw the pattern on paper, rather than directly onto the fabric, because after I'd drawn the first piece it was clear that my proportions are very different to Soonjoo's! I used another pattern to adjust the kimono pattern. Right. I'm happy with the front of the bodice, but not so much the back. It's very pouffy. I think you'd need a fabric with very good draping qualities to make it work as is, although the original is in linen, which isn't known for drape. I've experimented with pinning different parts of the back. If I can't get it right, I'll have to make a flowery skirt instead of a kimono dress. 

No Pattern?

 

When I saw this kimono dress on Pinterest, I thought it might make a good alternative to my ubiquitous go-to pattern.   There is a step by step tutorial, great. But Soonjoo draws the pattern directly onto the fabric. Mmm. I think that's a bridge too far for me. I'm drawing it on to paper. That will hopefully give me some idea of whether it will work for me, before I go cutting into fabric. Also, if it does work well and I want to make it again, I don't want to have to start measuring from scratch again. 

Crackers

 

The craft group I help with in a retirement home meets for the last time this year on Friday. So we organisers got together this morning to make Christmas crackers to give to the crafters. My contribution, apart from making the crackers, was tatted bookmarks:

I used the Jane's bookmark pattern (link on the sidebar) because it's quick and easy and I wanted them all the same. I sometimes  add a tassel, but since they had to be squashed into a cardboard roll alongside sweets and furry toys, I decided to leave the tassel off. Oh, there is a riddle in each cracker too. 

For Me

 

I've been sewing for myself, rather than my neighbour, a dress made from the Nigerian fabric I bought recently. I haven't worn it yet, but am happy with how it looks. I altered the sleeve slightly.  I made up the pattern myself and have used it many times. The only drawback with the garments I've made is that the sleeve flips up. I thought perhaps the shape of the bottom on the sleeve causes that, so I've changed it and will have to see if that makes any difference. 

Buttons

 

I wanted to have a go at Lace-lovin' Librarian's new pattern yesterday. First requirement is a 1/2" four hole button. Right. I fetched my button box and rummaged through it. Hmm. I have 1/2" buttons, but they all have two holes. And I have buttons with four holes, but they are all much bigger or much smaller than 1/2".  Thinks, thinks. First of all I had to decide which was more important, the size or the four holes. I think the latter because with only two holes the tatting wouldn't be properly anchored. I used a 1" four hole button, Diane's stitch count, and tatted three rings for each hole instead of two. Worked fine, I'm really pleased. 

Part Two

 

Or perhaps that should be Part Three. I'm still sewing for my neighbour, shorts this time. The fabric looks like cotton, but is actually a stretch fabric. Don't tell anyone, but I cut the pieces in the wrong direction. I placed my pattern pieces as normal in relation to the selvages, but the stretch is parallel to the selvage, so my pieces should have been at right angles to the selvage. Since the shorts are loose, with an elasticated waist, the elasticity of the fabric shouldn't come into play anyway, so I've carried on regardless. Another lesson learnt though, sewing fabrics outside my normal range!