May
06
The other day after picking up the little guy, we went to Value World. I find myself wanting to go here when I’ve been sewing to see if there is anything in there that I want to turn into something else.
But then I am overwhelmed by all of the rows and the occasionally aggressive shoppers who cut you off as if they just know that there aren’t enough values for all of you. I wind up hanging out by the men’s shirts. For some reason I am fascinated by them. I am still sad that I didn’t get the outrageous chili pepper shirt I saw there once.
The other thing is that I have a few shirts that used to belong to my grandpa. The shirts are way too big for me even if I try to belt them and pretend that they’re tunics. I’d like to wear these shirts somehow, but don’t want to ruin them with an unpracticed alterations hand.
A + B = C. I bought some shirts so that I can alter them for practice so that when I do grandpa’s shirt, I have something I can hang onto.
I imagine that the shirt here used to belong to a man named Frank. He was a neat and practical man, except that day he hungrily bit into his lunch without first tucking a napkin into his collar. Unable to forgive himself and unable to face the reminder of his haste when it peeked out at him from the closet, he took his shirt to Value World. Shame is the stain stick or whatever he used to erase the stain did a good enough job that I didn’t even see it until the shirt became a skirt, but not a good enough job that there was no stain at all.
Poor Frank.
Because this shirt is so thin, I will have to wear it with leggings or shorts lest I be mistaken for some sort of hussy, floozy or strumpet.
Wouldn’t want that.
Apr
05
I have been looking for the perfect wallet for years.
So today, to celebrate the beginning of Spring Break, I decided to make one. This is also a part of my decision to make sure that I don’t spend the entirety of the spring break just looking around on the internet. I am totally capable of doing that as I proved in December and then again in February. Many long weekends have been sucked in by the web as well.
Anyway, I found a wallet pattern (which I almost called a recipe) here. I made some teensy changes, one being a half-inch accident. The other change that I made was not to sew through all of the inside layers. I wanted to be able to put cash in the wallet for those rare cases when I actually do carry cash.
I wouldn’t call this a successful project, but I might try it again. I made some hasty mistakes in the beginning and by the end (knowing that I had already made mistakes) just rushed to get through it. I do like that my cards aren’t floating about in my purse and that in the rare occasion that I’m carrying cash, I won’t cram it in a pocket (to be forgotten and eventually laundered).
Nov
28
And now its a skirt.
A few months ago, I ventured into a thrift shop and bought a shirt because I loved the sheer wackiness of it. This used to be a man’s shirt. This man was not a small man. I imagine this man is named Mortimer. Mortimer I hope found good things after this shirt.
The skirt wasn’t too hard to make. I got my basic guidance here.
Though, due to those lumpy bits that seem like they should have their own specific name, I had to make adjustments.
The above is what this skirt would look like in real outfit form.
Nov
26
I collect things. I don’t mean to do it, but I have all of these ideas and grand intentions. Those intentions need supplies, right?
I reorganized some things around the apartment and came across some fabric that I have owned for years. How many years? I have no idea. I know that I have moved the fabric more than once and that I always had such great intentions for it.
I also had on hand the Simplicity 3858 pattern. After looking at a bunch of people’s versions of this, (among other things) I decided that I was going to make my own. I had the time, the fabric, the pattern, the thread and (so I thought) the notions. I made a muslin yesterday, knowing that I always need to make adjustments. (I added to the bust, and hip and took it in at the waist.)
So, this morning I cut out 2 shirts and made them assembly line style. And now there are two new shirts in my closet! Gotta love a long weekend!
Jun
14
Dear Simplicity,
You sort of make me feel like a trollop or hussy.
Don’t give me that innocent look. I performed my measurements very carefully; I took honest measurements. Then, I began my plans to sew.
But there was something in the back of my head that told me I should check the finished measurements of the garment. Sure enough, I discovered that there was way more ease that I am used to. So, I made the shirt two sizes smaller than the one my measurements called for.
And this top, which, despite it’s somewhat homely color, was supposed to be summery and flirty. It is downright loose. Or is it, Simplicity? Are you telling me that I just wear my clothes too tight? Are you calling me a tart? A slattern?
I will have to rely on my standard tactic, adding a belt, in order to wear this shirt. Maybe we can reach a compromise.
