… and two steps back. I’m in the middle of a sewing alteration project right now, and it’s not going well.
I say the “middle”, I thought it would be the end, but I’ve had to pick out what I did, change the plan and start over a few times already, so maybe I’m even closer to the beginning. It’s the linen skirt with the rose print I shared in this post. The elastic on the back was sewn badly, and so the skirt was really sagging, and I thought if I “just” added a couple more pieces of elastic in channels (like another similar skirt I have) it would be a quick and easy 1 hour project, with a skirt that fits better. Well, here we are a week later (I took a long break!) and I still don’t have a skirt with a waistband. That’s the problem with some projects; one thing leads to another, which leads to another, which leads to another.
I was reminded of a sign I saw on Pinterest that read, “We do this not because it is easy, but because we thought it would be easy.” Well, if that doesn’t just about sum up most of my creative endeavours lately!
And yet, I keep working away, altering things and improving them, despite the fact that I don’t particularly like altering, because I do like the finished and improved garments, when they are finally done.
One of these days this project will be complete…. just in time to start another one!
What are you working on lately? Is that quote a life motto for you too?
Well, I had hoped to have a better post this week, but this sneak peek of my first completed garment sewing project for the year will have to do. Every time I think I might be able to go outside and do a photo shoot, it starts to snow again. Today it’s a blizzard out there with high winds, so no outdoor photography today!
I started sewing this smoke blue eyelet dress years ago (McCall’s 6696) to wear to the Ladies’ Garden Tea in 2018, but ran into some difficulties, as usually happens with garment construction. So I sat it aside, and then it no longer fit, and the years went by, but I tried the bodice on a couple of months ago and it fit pretty well, so, it was time to resurrect the project.
This is the inspiration board I made on Milanote with my ideas. Originally I had been planning for floor length and sleeveless, but then it morphed into sleeveless and knee length like Skeeter’s dress on the top left, from the film “The Help” (That dress of hers is my favourite in the film!). Then I decided I didn’t really want sleeveless, so then I considered elbow length sleeves like the turquoise shirtwaist dress I’m wearing in the bottom left. But as you will see in the sneak peek above, I didn’t really end up doing any of those sleeve options! The dress ended up with short cap sleeves with a narrow cuff. I had plenty of other ideas, including a keyhole with a tie, but this is the one that won out as after playing around with the mock-up I realized that a simple sleeve suited the shirtwaist collar of the dress the best.
Even though the inspiration board didn’t really end up being reflected in the final garment, it was still so helpful to have a place to collect all those images and write down all the ideas to keep track of them.
And to see what the dress looks like on…well you’ll just have to wait until the snow melts and Spring decides that it’s time to come out, and I then I can finally wear it!
Have you had a project that passes through many ideas before settling on one that looks nothing like your inspiration board?
Summer is out in full force, which means that the garden is growing nicely, we’re beginning to harvest already… and I am ready for falltime! I am definitely not a summer person; when the temperatures start rising, I start looking for a cool, dark place to hide.
Anyways, I mentioned in one of my previous posts, that I was really starting to run out of clothing to wear for casual days at home, and with the advent of summer, I was really lacking on clothes to wear for these hot summer days. This fabric has been sitting in the stash literally ever since I was a child- my mom received it from my aunt when I was little. I had always planned on making a long, dirndl style dress with it. I envisioned something like Molly’s blue dress from “Wives & Daughters”. Well, after about five years of that plan, I decided it was about time to sew the fabric up, and into something I could actually use and wear “now”. A peasant style dress is one of the easiest styles of dresses to make, and is so perfect for hot days, especially when it’s made out a lightweight chambray like this, so after managing to squeeze all of the pattern pieces onto the fabric I had (with only a few small scraps left over) I went ahead with the plan.
This dress is made off of a pattern from an old dress I had. I have made it before like this, but this time around I wanted to try and make it similar in style to this dress I used to have (sadly the fabric on that one wore out). I at first sewed up the dress with a drawstring waistband, with the idea that it could be loosened or tightened for comfort. Well…that didn’t turn out so well. It ended up veeerrry frumpy, and the shape it gave was certainly not an elegant “Jane Austen heroine” one. So, I had to take it back apart and then, after tossing about several ideas, settled on putting in a waistband, but sewing elastic channels in the back to give it a shirred look. This ended up with exactly the shape I wanted. It fits perfectly and the little bit of elastic makes it super comfortable! The dress pulls on over the head, and the neckline is gathered with a drawstring, rather than elastic, for a more historical look. I’m quite pleased with how it turned out, and I definitely plan on making up another version of this dress. I’ll just plan to put a waistband in rather than try something new, next time. If it works, don’t try to reinvent it right?
Of course, when your new dress is covered with a pattern of strawberry vines, you have to take photos of it in the strawberry patch!
We’ve had a lovely abundance of berries this year, though we’ve lost some some to the voles, and some to mould (because we’ve had so much rain this year). But, there have definitely been enough for treats and fresh eating, and even some to freeze for winter- aren’t fresh strawberries in July the best?
How has your summer been so far? Do you have a garden; either a plot or a pot? What do you like to wear during the summer?
Goodness, it’s been cold lately! It was -38 yesterday and this morning! I’m not used to it (am I ever used to the cold?) because we’ve had such a mild winter (so mild that I was wearing my raincoat in January, because my cashmere coat was too hot!)
But, this past week we got a huge amount of snow and chilly temperatures along with it- so it’s winter again in Alberta! All that to say- it seems like the perfect time to share a tutorial for felted woolen mittens!
I made these mittens a few weeks ago for my best friend’s birthday gift (and I couldn’t post this tutorial until she opened them today!) I wanted to give her a pair of mittens, since hers have sadly reached the end of their life, but the only problem is that I don’t knit! I also didn’t think of giving her mittens a few months ago and looking at all the Christmas craft fairs, where I was sure to have found plenty. I didn’t want to give her “store-bought” ones, and I also didn’t have time to order any from Etsy or someplace like that.
So, what to do? Felt them!
As I was figuring out how to make them, through much trial and error, I had the forethought to take a few quick pictures to share with you, so today is a tutorial on making your own mittens out of felted wool!
This is the first project I have ever made out of felted wool (I think. . . ) so it was a completely new experience. When I had the idea to make some mittens, I started looking for a pattern, but couldn’t find one that seemed to work. Many of the patterns I saw had the bottom of the palm and the thumb as one piece with a seam across the palm. I made up a test version with this style, and I didn’t like how it fit. There was a lot of excess fabric on the palm and the thumb was not off to the side enough to fit well.
So, as I was scrolling through pictures of felted mittens, I found a pair for sale that had a separate piece on the side for the thumb. I decided to attempt making this style, so I took a scrap piece of fabric, sewed a test mitten, created a pattern from it- and here is the result!
You will need:
A piece of 100% wool, such as an old felted sweater. Check out the thrift shop for wool- just make sure it is 100% wool content, so it will felt for you.
Lining fabric- make sure it is stretchy. I used a scrap of t-shirt fabric. For extra “eco cred”, you could even recycle an old t-shirt!
Needle and Thread
Optional:
Woolen thread of the same colour, for handstitching
Elasticized thread for sewing in lining, if you are lining them
STEP ONE:
Felt your wool if it isn’t already felted. You can put it in your washing machine on hot, with a bit of detergent and then wash as normal. If you put in a few sweaters, they will felt faster, because of the agitation. Check your wool once washed, and see if it is felted enough- if not you can repeat the process until it is. Then let it dry.
STEP TWO:
I don’t have an actual pattern to share with you, because as I was sewing, I changed things along the way, and had to cut out excess fabric etc. but this is the original shape that I started out with. Measure and trace your own hand to create a pattern that will fit you. I made the underside/palm of my mitten slightly smaller, so the seam wouldn’t show as much, but once I made them, the wool was so forgiving I don’t know if it made any difference. If you include a 1/2” seam allowance and start out with pieces shaped somewhat like this, you will have room to tweak as you go along!
ps- this is the size I made it for my hand. The measurements might be different for you.
STEP THREE:
Lay the wool out flat, and decide where you want your mittens to be. Look to see if you can use some of the existing elements, such as cuffs or collars in the design of the mittens. If you have a patterned sweater, like mine, choose where you want the pattern to run. I ended up placing my pattern pieces along the hem, so I could incorporate the finished edge as a cuff. I also made sure to line up the edges of the pattern along the bottom, so the pattern would be consistent from front to back and across the thumb.
STEP FOUR:
Cut out your pieces!
STEP FIVE:
Pin along the top curve of the mitten and sew, either by hand or by machine.
Once you get over to the side, you’ll have to feather out your stitching, like a dart. If, when you turn the mitten right side out, the curve isn’t smooth, use a thread to hand stitch the pieces and soften out the curve and pull the pieces together nicely.
STEP SIX:
Sew the curve of the thumb piece.
Try on the mitten, to see how it’s progressing for fit. If you need to make any adjustments to size, do so now. It’s easier to make changes before it’s completely sewn together.
STEP SEVEN:
Turn inside out and pin thumb to the hand piece. Line up the bottom edges and then sew together. You probably won’t be able to sew all the way around with the machine, because the pieces are so small. Finish attaching the thumb piece on with a hand stitch. I found it was easiest to put the mitten on my hand, right side out and then hand stitch the pieces together.
STEP EIGHT:
Turn the mitten inside out!
If you are not creating a lining, then you are done! Simply tack the seam allowances down at the edge of the mitten, and steam into shape if there are any bulges etc.
STEP NINE:
If you are creating a lining, repeat the steps with the lining fabric, but don’t worry about shaping (as long as it’s not too big), as it’s going to be hidden inside the mitten.
STEP TEN:
Once you have finished the lining, leave it inside out, and fit inside the woolen mitten. Turn under the edge and then stitch to the outer mitten with some elastic thread.
And there you have it!
The nice thing about making mittens out of felted wool is that the fabric is very moldable, so it will soon conform to your hand.
This was a relatively quick project. I finished them in several hours- and that includes the trial and error of fitting them. Now that I have sewn with felted wool, I am thinking up other projects I can make. . . earbands, slippers, baby boots. . . what else?
Have you ever made anything with felted wool before? Do you think you’ll try making some mittens of your own? What other projects would be good to make out of felted recycled wool?
My sewing plan for 2019 is to double the amount of sewing projects that I completed in 2018. Since I only made one of the projects in my #makenine list, this should be a relatively feasible goal. 😉
Sadly, yes, I ended up completing only one of the projects on my 2018 sewing list, so my #makenine unfortunately ended up becoming “#madeone”. Well, it isn’t completely true that I finished only one project in 2018, because I did also sew a tote bag, my Tanith Rowan Designs beret, and a few other quick mending/restyling projects that weren’t on the list.
But, of the nine projects, only one actually managed to make it’s way out of the sewing pile, and into my closet. However, considering that the project I completed was one that has taken me 10 years to finish, that’s actually a fairly decent accomplishment!
The project that I sewed in 2018, which might also be my greatest sewing achievement to date, was Simplicity 4403, my plum wool coat. I have talked about this project in the past, (see my 2018 sewing list here), and I will have a blog post in the future, featuring the coat, so I won’t bother talking about that specific project much right now.
But, today talking about my sewing goals for 2019. . . I plan to keep on with the same list I created last year. I have all of the supplies for each of these projects, so the only thing they require is actually sewing them! I am also planning to, before I start sewing, create a custom bodice sloper. I started making a bodice sloper a couple of years ago, but never completed it- but I think that if I actually do finish it, then my sewing projects will go a lot easier!
This year I have also decided to dedicate one day a week to be a “sewing day”, which I will spend with my mom. She has all the sewing stuff at her place, so it just makes it easier to go there to sew. (She also has all the fitting and sewing knowledge, so I like to sew with her!) We might not be able to do one full day, but even a few hours each week should give time to get some of these projects completed!
So, I guess the sloper is project #1 and here is the rest of the list, including what progress I have made so far:
McCall’s 6696 shirtwaist
I still love this shirtwaist and had planned to make it out of some blue eyelet I have in my stash. So I’m keeping this one on the list!
2. Wool coat refashion
After looking at this coat, my mom realized that I can probably get away with shaving the pills off of the fabric, and won’t have to “turn” it! She has kindly started on it for me, so I need to just to fit it better! (it kind of looked like I was a child wearing my mom’s coat when I wore it. . . )
3. Simplicity 2154 blouse
This would still be a good addition to the wardrobe, as I am seriously lacking in blouses in any colour other than black.
4. Turban
Still in love with all the turbans, so yes.
5. Circle or half circle skirt
Instead of making a circle or half skirt, I may instead refashion a couple of wool skirts that I got from the thrift store recently. I know that I am not supposed to buy “projects”, but 100% wool plaid kilts, for $2.50 are the exception. 🙂 I am not sure if I can just tweak the waistbands (they are all a bit too big in the waist or too small in the hip) or whether I will unpick them and then use the fabric to make new pleated skirts. Either way will result in some sorely needed mix and match separates for my winter wardrobe!
6. Simplicity 3673 dress and jacket combination
I still do want to make this, but I think it is going to be the last project I attempt this year, simply because it is the one I need the least. I would still like to add it eventually, but after all the other projects are finished.
7. Background dress
Yes, a “background” dress is still sorely needed. I have very few dresses in my wardrobe currently, and I miss having them ready to throw on. Dresses are so easy, as you don’t have to try and find matching tops and bottoms!
8. Butterick 5748 sundress
I love the fabric (a calico) that I plan to make this out of- and sundresses are so versatile, so this one is still definitely on the list.
I think that if I manage to finish 8 projects, it will be a herculean accomplishment!
What are your sewing plans for 2019? Did you do a #makenine and how did it go for you if you did?
