Another future product idea

I've been browsing this LJ Community

It's all about the deconstruction/reconstruction of t-shirts. The things these ladies come up with are amazing and now I want to do something with t-shirts.

My idea is a dress. When I find the right t-shirt, I want to turn the sleeves to the inside and sew them down for a facing to have a sleeveless dress. I'm debating taking the neck ribbing out or not-that's still debatable. Then I want to do some type of quilt block for the skirt. I'm visualizing it pretty well but I'm probably not explaining it very well-a failing of mine.

Anyway, that's in the future-after the peasant skirt and when I've healed from the dental appointment coming up in about a week.

A Future Sewing Project

I have always wanted to try making a peasant skirt and knew it would probably be easy-the only hard part would be making the tiers the right size. I really didn't want to buy a pattern to do this so I've put it off.

That is, until I was browsing around, searching free sewing projects. I found free instructions for constructing a peasant skirt-complete with a calculator that takes your largest measurement-usually the hip-and calculates the pieces for two different lengths. Then it instructs you in how to construct the skirt. It's found here in case anyone's interested in trying it themselves.

I have some material here at the house, I just need to find time to iron the wrinkles out of it and get it ready to use.

I'm not sure when I'm going to do this but I know I'm going to give it a try sometime in the near future.

A dress

I finished my dress and it turned out really nice-even the sleeves and neck facing, which I don't like doing. I wore it to church this past Sunday and received many compliments on it. The only thing I would change about it if I were to make it again would be the length-it's a bit too long for my taste. I like my dresses and skirts on the long side but not almost touching the floor-a hazard of being short is that most dress patterns that fall below the knee will inevitably hit me around my ankles.

Anyway, here's a picture:

Trying something new

I found a pair of cropped trousers-they could actually be somewhere between cropped trousers and gaucho trousers-when I was cleaning in my sewing room. They're a size 16 and, while I can get into them, they're a might tight. I usually wear an 18 and when I'm sewing, I have to cut out the size 22. Anyway, since the things are also stained pretty badly, I thought I'd pick them apart and make a paper pattern with them since I like the way they're made-apart from the self belt in the front, which I don't have to put in. I got them picked apart and they're just like the shorts pattern I use all the time except the pockets are done differently. There's a front, a back and a pocket to trace onto paper-when I can find some-I'll just have to add on about ⅝" on each side. I like the length so I won't add anything there, I just need to make them just a bit more roomy in the hip and waist. I'll also probably have to add that much onto the straight side of the pocket so it'll fit right and also study it a bit so I can get it back together-I might just keep the other half of them to use as a guide for that since I only picked apart half of it and left the other half sewn together.

Wish me luck.

Finished!!

Lots of things:

An apron-cuz I'm a messy cook-done Easter Sunday night:

My Easter suit-Finished the Saturday before:

Another Skirt, pair of shorts and gaucho trousers:

I did all of them last week-the last week of May, 2007. It was nice to get my machine out again and zip a few items of clothing up.

I plan on making a dress, I cut out the pattern over at Gregg's while babysitting, now all I have to do is pin it, cut it out and sew. I should have it done before Sunday and might wear it to church if it turns out-I really hate doing set in sleeves but they're short so maybe they'll be all right.

Sewing, sewing

I've almost got a jacket done and I'm cutting out the matching skirt-I had enough material left from the jacket to make one and the skirt pattern that came with the jacket pattern is really nice.

So it looks like I'll have a matching outfit for Easter anyway-and as a bonus, I can wear the jacket with a couple of other things in my wardrobe too.

*Doing a happy dance*

Another note to Self

Working with t-shirt material is a pain in the butt, but if you get it right the finished product looks good and is comfy.

Note to Self:

Self: Do not put the needle in your sewing machine backwards-it'll skip stitches like crazy!

Shows how long it's been since I've sewn anything, doesn't it?

I thought I'd make myself a new outfit for Easter-nothing fancy-just a split skirt and a top, maybe a jacket if I can manage it.

First-I couldn't find the presser foot/power cord to my sewing machine. Then I got to thinking and dug a little deeper in the closet I looked in last night. I guess I didn't dig deep enough last night-I pulled some stuff out and found the presser foot in a box in the bottom of the closet.

I went to Wal-Mart early this morning and got some new thread and new needles for my machine but when I started sewing it skipped stitches like crazy. I looked at everything and when nothing worked I got to looking at my needle.

Another note to Self: The flat side of the needle is supposed to point away from you when you insert it into the machine.