Wardrobe Refashion : Post 8 [5/28/09]

*tsk* ANOTHER missing re-fashionista...

Hello everyone... Ok, so I deserve a slap on the wrist, I am extremely behind in my blogging. Although I haven't been posting like I should, I have been sewing like mad! Let's rewind back to Mother's Day...

My mom had been asking me to make her an apron for awhile, so I thought a hand-made apron would make a great gift for Mother's Day. So great in fact, that I made one for Ben's mom as well...

Here's the one for my mom:

And the one for Judi:

(I used McCalls Easy Stitch n'Save pattern #M5505)

Next up is my first *official* re-fashion. Most things I've created since I took the pledge have been made from scratch and not re-fashioned from other garments. A handful of months ago Ben cleaned out his closet at his dad's house and found this polyester Ohio State jersey that he (thinks) he got at a garage sale as a kid. Not wanting it for himself, I saw huge potential in it for me. Let the deconstruction begin! First I took off the sleeves (they were very stiff from the "plasticky" screen printing) and ripped out the side seams, leaving the shirt like a sandwich board. When I put it back together, I took in the sides to have a bit of a shape so it would actually fit me. Then I made some 3/4 length sleeves out of gray jersey (my original plan was to use an old long sleeve tee that doesn't fit anymore, but it just wasn't enough fabric) and added a band at the bottom to gather it together. The photo really doesn't do the shirt any justice, I'll try to get a photo of me in it...

I had one of those moments at JoAnn the other day where I fell in love with a fabric, but had no idea what to do with it. After a little thought I decided on New Look pattern #6758 and ended up with this:

I've already worn it too -- Success!

I felt inspired by all of the postings of the Spring Ruffle Top from over at the Sew, Mama, Sew! blog and decided to take a stab at it myself. It's not quite finished yet -- I need to take in the sides quite a bit. The shirt really makes me look preggers, and well, I don't want to be giving anyone the wrong idea now do I...

I do like it though, and it was quite a bargain! The pink fabric was from 2 fat quarters ($1 each) and the white is just simple $1.50/yard muslin. It's light weight and breezy, wonderful for summer.

Along a similar note, I used New Look pattern #6900 and some more light weight cottons to make another summer top. I wanted to try the pattern out for sizing and fit before diving into making the dress from the pattern. I didn't follow the pattern exactly and it still needs hemmed, but I really like it.

A local sewing store is closing and has had a really great close-out sale for the past week or so and for a grand total of about $22, I got all the things I need to make the dress from #6900. The pattern calls for 2 1/4 yards of the main fabric, so I figured $17 for that much Amy Butler print was nice. I think it's going to be super cute -- I love the retro, pin-up look of the dress

I made another pair of padded sailing shorts too. This time from a pair of Helly Hansen women's board shorts (so they actually fit me like I would like.) The first pair was a huge success and I'm looking forward to giving these a try at the regatta in a few weeks.

I had a couple of good thrift finds over the past a couple weeks...

We went to the Greater Columbus Antique Mall and I found 5 vintage patterns (all for $1 each!) and a Trimmings magazine, circa 1946 for $5. The magazine is really neat... it's full of how-to's for finishing and adding details to garments. You can see more over at my blog. I just love the vintage illustrations and trends from the 1940's -- Big Win!

I landed two floral/striped pillow cases and a yellow jersey twin set from the Goodwill (I found the blue pillow case in my basement.) I've seen so many cute tutorials for pillow case tops lately, so I'm leaning toward something like that for the floral ones. As for the yellow twin set, I can't lie, it's really pretty aweful, but I saw a lot of potential. I might just re-shape the pull-over (I like the button placket and pockets) and fix up the collar a little, since it came as a twin set, I figure I can find something to use the fabric from the top for.

Ok, so that's probably the longest post I could have possibly written, so I'll try to keep up on the posting a little more frequently. :)

Happy Sewing!
Amanda

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Wardrobe Refashion : Post 7 [5/2/09]

I'm back for another 2 months!

Welcome back everyone and hello to all of the new re-fashioners! I've re-signed for another 2 months... after pulling off a successful first 2 months, I just had to do it again.

I am *so* far behind in my posting... but not so far behind in my re-fashioning. My apologies. :) The weather has been so touchy here in Ohio, so I've been taking every opportunity I've had to get the garden rolling. Here's to catching up...

I started a really cute dress a few weeks ago that turned out to be a fitting disaster. I was just really frustrated with it and didn't want to start anything else until it was finished, so the sewing kind of got put on hold for a little while. I used Butterick pattern #5317 and followed everything exactly as the pattern said - I used the all my measurements to get the right sizing, I carefully cut out the pieces, and I followed the assembly instructions as best I could. Then it turned out to fit me like a HUGE potato sack... Not happy. The real kicker is that I picked up 1 yard of the red and white floral fabric when I was in Philly for Christmas and had no way to get any more of it. I should have known this project would give me trouble when I had to really pull some magic to get all the pieces I needed cut out of the floral. One yard was barely enough. I had tried to get this dress done for Easter - didn't happen. Then I wanted to get it done to wear to a wedding last Saturday - still couldn't get it to fit. ARGH! It was so frustrating! I have to send out a huge thanks to my mom though, she came over yesterday and spent at least 5 hours helping me fix this disaster. There was just no way I could have done it since it really needed to be altered while on me. So I can now *very* happily post this pic (sorry for the photo quality.) I still need to get the dress markings off and it needs to be pressed with some serious starch to stiffen the pleats, but IT FITS!! :)

I also completed this shirt from Burda pattern #7646:

I used a really light weight jersey that I found at WalMart for - get this - $1 a yard! I stocked up and got this chocolate brown, a forest green, a teal and green tiny floral print, and 4 yards of a great navy blue. I think I ended up with about 13 yards of fabric for only $13. This pattern was super easy (I had to re-size it a little, it was kind of baggy on me) and it is really comfy, I think I'm going to make another one. I was going to embroider it with this flower design, but I couldn't figure out the best way to transfer the pattern and the stretchy fabric was really hard to work with, so I nixed that idea. Oh well, I'm happy with it the way it is too.

I also successfully created a pair of padded sailing shorts from a pair of thrift store swim trunks and a minimal amount of poly duck fabric. My boyfriend Ben just bought a Jet 14 sailboat in December and I will be sailing competitively with him this summer. He's been sailing Jets for sometime now (and has a collection of trophies to show for it) but this will be my first time. Most of our friends sail these boats too and everyone swears by their padded shorts (you sit on the edge of the boat and sometimes have hike yourself over the edge to balance out the boat and it can really bruise up your behind!) I just can't afford to pay the $85 for the shorts and pads right now, so I thought I'd try to make some myself.

Here are Ben's shorts that I used for a pattern:
On the left without pads, on the right with the pads sitting on top -- the pads go inside the pockets to pad your butt and the backs of your legs.

Here's what I came up with for me:

Considering I got the shorts for $3.50, the poly duck and Velcro for about $13, and Ben brought home the foam for free, I'd say this was a far better price than the $85. I haven't used them yet, but I think they'll work just fine. If they do turn out to be a success, I've got a pair of Helly Hansen board shorts that would be an all-around better fit that I will make into a pair of these. I just had to try this out on something a little less important than a nice pair of board shorts. :)

Happy Sewing Everyone!
Amanda

Pattern Jack Pot!

Hi All! Sorry for the lack of posts lately, I've neglected the blogging...

A month or so ago I bid on and won a lot of 33 sewing patterns on eBay for $12.50 (it was about $20 after shipping.) The description said there were patterns from the 50's to new... Vintage, woohoo! I mean, 33 patterns for $20... that's a heck of a deal even if there were some in there that I wouldn't use. There are a bunch that I really like and can't wait to make. I'm a huge fan of some of the ones from the 70's, super cute. Here are some pictures of the bounty (sorry for the bad angle, there was a bad glare that day):









I'm super excited about making some of these, especially Simplicity #8192 (last photo - middle, late 60's key-hole dress.) I have a great blue and white floral linen tablecloth that I picked up at the thrift store a few months ago that would be great for that dress, but that pattern is the one that's missing a piece. (Piece D - the back - to be exact.) Does anyone out there know how I can go about getting a missing pattern piece? I may be able to recreate it by using the small drawing on the envelope and other pieces as a guide, but it would be great if I could just find somewhere to get it. *Sigh* Oh well, I'm still pretty pleased with this purchase!

Newest Gnomes

I delayed this post until I decided on names for the newest additions to the Gnome family. I don't like to just choose names out of the blue for these guys... I like to think about them for a little while and make sure they're the most fitting. I've made peace with the fact that I'm a little crazy, don't worry. :)

First up: Pan, keeper of the kitchen.

I have to send a HUGE thank you out to Ben's brother, Ethan, for this little guy. He brought us this lovely little vintage gnome (and matching toadstool!) as a house warming/thank you gift when he came to stay with us for a few days back in November, and I absolutely love him! There's a sticker on the bottom of his foot that says "Made in Japan", so what would be more fitting than to name him Pan. Now, I understand that my Pan doesn't have horns or the hind quarters of a goat, but he's still a mythical creature, so it stays. Also, I think he's holding a lantern, but since he's small and somewhat delicate and will be living in the kitchen, I'm going to say that it's a bottle of booze and he's a little punchy. (See the pigeon toes? I mean, it seems pretty obvious to me...)

Lastly: Alfred, bringer of water.

I picked up Alfred somewhere in PA on the way back from Philly after Christmas. Ben and I stopped off to visit with his grandma, Uncle Greg, and his dad and decided to take a little side trip with Greg to this huge garden store (forgive me, I don't remember the name.) I was disappointed that they didn't have any of the poured concrete gnomes in stock - there were three different girl gnomes in the book! - but I at least I didn't leave empty handed. I picked up Alfred and a big, two-piece ceramic toadstool. I just loved his beard and happy-go-lucky stance.

Also, I am questing for a female Gnome, preferably with a green hat. If anyone out there knows where I can find a female Gnome, I would love to know. I've found a few on eBay, but they're either too small or not quite right (no dwarfs please.) They are so hard to find and I am so badly wanting one to add to the family. I mean, I know that according to Gnome lore the women rarely leave the home, but c'mon... I want one!

Until next time... Happy Gardening!
Amanda

Garden Update : Part 4

Yay! After this update, we'll be all caught up!! (and hopefully Spring will have made up it's mind to hang around... boo to snow...)

The most exciting news is that Ben and I got all of the sod dug up to form the garden. I pulled on my boots on Saturday and decided to go for it. We had a nice rain on Friday so I knew the ground would be nice and soft, so I figured there was no time like the present. First I used some old grey primer spray paint and marked where I wanted to dig up (I started without marking first and it went really crooked really fast!) Then I took the big spade shovel and edged out the whole bed. I think I was a little too ambitious in the beginning - or maybe I just had no idea what I was getting myself into - but I was killing myself trying to get the pieces of sod up. I kept making them smaller and smaller, but it just kept getting harder and harder. So, once I got about a third of the bed torn up, I called it a day and decided to wait until Ben got home so we could knock out the rest together.

Good plan. We made really fast work of the remainder together. Ben was breaking up the pieces, tossing them into the bed (that knocked a lot of the dirt off) and I was shaking them off and piling them up along the back of the garage. We got done in an hour what would have taken me about six hours. Here are some before and after photos:

Look how dark that dirt is!! It makes me feel really great to know that I get to make sure all those years (about 32 or so actually...) of working that dirt don't go to waste. Thank you Grandma!

A quick tangent: There are 11 kids living in the house across the street from us. I'd say they're ranging in age from 1 to 17 (Jeremiah said that his oldest sister - #12 - is 19 and lives in Cinci.) That is A LOT of children... something totally foreign to me being an only child and all. Anyway, a bunch of these kids along with friends like to ride their bikes up our driveway, turn around on our "patio" and head back down. (I have no problem with this as long as none of my potted plants get broken.) So while I was out working in the dirt on Saturday, a whole gaggle of kids somehow ended up in my yard asking about the garden. It was actually kind of nice, they seem like pretty nice kids. I met Jeremiah and one of his littlest sisters (I'd say he's 6 or 7 maybe) and a friend of theirs, Christopher. They all wanted to try the lettuce and Christopher really wanted to help me dig up the sod. Regardless of how hard I said it was, he was persistent that he could do it and that he LIKED doing yard work. So I convinced him to try to pick up one of the rolls of sod that I couldn't even lift and that sealed the deal. I'll give him credit though, he really gave it his all. I would have been more inclined to let them help, but I really didn't want anyone losing any toes...

Ok, back to the gardening... Here's the latest of the sprouts (I wasn't kidding when I said they've really grown A LOT.)

L-R: Cucumber, Lemon Cucumber, Yellow Squash, Zucchini, Pumpkin, Brussel's Sprouts, Tomatillo, Carnival Mix Peppers, Hot Mix Peppers, Banana Peppers

Pumpkins Gone Wild!

Peppers... Growing slowly... :-/

Roma Tomatoes

Big Beef Tomatoes

Italian Ice Cherry Tomatoes

I also decided to take a few cans of spray paint and give some of the "yard art" a face lift...

Before:
After:
Overall, I'm really pleased with how those turned out. My theory stands true... There's nothing that a little spray paint can't fix!

Happy Gardening!
Amanda

Spring is Here! (or so I thought)

For the past few weeks it truly seemed as though spring was here to stay... until today. It snowed. No accumulation, but it snowed. I do not approve of this -- I am *so* over winter, I can't stand it. So, to help raise everyone's spirits who might have been downed by today's weather, here are some photos of the first spring blooms from my garden. The bright colors will hopefully cheer you up... if only you could smell their sweet fragrance too.

Come back Spring!

Happy Gardening!
Amanda

Garden Update : Part 3

Ok, so just like the last post, I really don't have a whole lot to say in this one... but I do have a fair share of photos that speak for themselves. Since replanting the seed trays, my little sprouts have just shot up and are growing like crazy! About two weeks ago I went out to Missouri with my parents to visit family -- I talked to Ben during the four days I was gone and he told me that things were really growing fast... I had no idea I'd come home to this:

Holey Moley! The yellow squash, zuccini, and pumpkins [above in the center rows] grew A LOT! My itty-bitty tomatoes were also really looking good! Their stalks were just starting to turn reddish and were definitely fuzzy.

The cucumbers are all looking really great too... This photo is one of my favorites -- I love how fuzzy the leaves are!
Now, last but not least, this is BY FAR my favorite photo yet... It's just has so much personality. This is one hungry little yellow squash...

mmm... munch munch munch...

Tomorrow's post will be the last update! Hoorah! After that, we'll be all caught up and it'll be current news from there!

Happy Gardening!
Amanda