Friday's Findings...

It's been a while since I've posted any finds from my weekly foraging... going from estate sales to garage sales looking for treasure...  Here are my deals and steals...

Super cool 70's chandlier... $3...

Super excited about this book I picked up for .50...

Straight from the 70's it's a master pattern book... for just about anything you could ever want to sew...

It still had all of the pattern making materials
attached to the back!

I haven't had a chance to play with it yet... but the step by step instructions don't look to overwhelming...

Necklace... It's plastic... but I like it anyway... $1...

Another $1 necklace find... and believe it our not I hemmed and hawed over buying it... until someone snapped some sense back into me by pointing out... "Hey!  It's only a $1!!!"

Never one to resist... BUTTONS... $1 and .25

More fabric for my collection... each $1...

I love digging through old things...  I'm a treasure seeker to the core...  I enjoy making up a history for items in my head...  and peering into the past...
Happy Hunting!
***Jennifer

Skirt Week Top 10...

I am very excited to share with you that my summer stripe skirt was picked to be in the top 10 for Skirt Week over at Crafter Hours...

Even though I did not win (mine is in the second row on the left)... It was so fun to be cheered on by my friends and family... And as my first year entering the competition, I was thrilled that I was even noticed (for the full skirt category there were 59 entries)... So... I will take my TOP 10 status and wear it with pride! And there's always next year...

***Jennifer



Same Coat... Different Attitude...

As the cold weather is yielding to the warmth of summer... I am stuck in between... Craving the bright colors and less layers of summer clothes... but still not able can't give up my coat...  The dilemma?  My winter coat is muted and doesn't match my brighter more summery self...

I have loved and lived in this jacket all winter... Cut out of a vintage burgundy wool with red and blue pin striping...  and big snap closers...

Always game for changing up fabrics(as previously seen here)  I decided since I liked my wool coat so much... I should just make another one out of a lighter weight fabric... 

I have to say I'm pretty pleased with the results...  I cut it out of chambray (since my practical self took over)... and used a vintage sheet for the lining...  The hip length option seemed more spring/summer to me and I used buttons instead of snaps... (you can see me it... at the end of this post)...  The only hesitation I had in recreating this jacket, was all the slip stitching the bottom of the lining required... Snore!  I HATE hand stitching...

So I decided to avoid it and sew the bottom together like any other seam, and left a little gap in the side of the lining...

By leaving a gap... I then could turn the jacket right side out by pulling it through the opening...

Perfect... and I didn't have to sew it by hand...

After it was right side out... I also pulled the sleeve and lining though the gap in the side... to machine stitch instead of slip stitch...

To do this is a little tricky, but just double check that the sleeves are not twisted... then pin right sides together...

The lining kind of folds back on itself... and that's how your able to pin all the way around...

After stitching your seam push it back through the gap... and now you have finished sleeves too! (the only slip stitching required... is stitching up the gap in the lining... easy...)

My new coat is just perfect for the change in seasons... It's fun how making simple changes... Can drastically change a garment...  Same coat... different attitude!  Happy Sewing! ***Jennifer



She Wore a T-Shirt Tiered Skirt to Twirl... Upcycling your daughters outgrown tees into a skirt...

It always makes me a little sad when my kids out grow their clothes...  Not only because of the memories involved with them wearing those clothes... but it also means they're getting bigger...  And the idea has popped in my mind from time to time... There has to be some way I can reuse this...  So, as I was clearing out her outgrown T-shirts from my daughters drawer... and with Skirt Week on my mind... the idea hit me... I could make these into a tiered skirt!

Here is how I did it... It was such a quick project I can't believe I have not done it before now...

I used 4 t-shirts... but you could do this just as easily with 2... 

To make all cuts even I first folded the t-shirt in half... Making sure all layers were even... 

Using one of her skirts as a guide for the length... I used this measurement (which was 17inches) and then added 1/2inch for seam allowance (for a total of 17 1/2 inches)... 

I measured 17 1/2inches (from the bottom up) and drew a line from the folded edge... extending past the side seam and into the arm (I'll explain why in just a little bit)...

Here is what it looked like after I cut the sleeves and the top of the shirt away (laying unfolded)...

So... to achieve the length I needed, I had to extend the length into the sleeve... I cut this (sleeve section) 1/2 wider than the side seam (already there) for my seam allowance... (If this seems confusing, keep going... I think the next pictures will clear things up)...

With wrong sides together... Using a stretch stitch... Stitch from the armpit up... to the raw edge...

This is what that little piece of sleeve will look like now...

The side seam now extends past where the sleeve use to be... And if it's not prefect... no worries...This top part isn't even going to show... You can't tell, but I also removed the pocket...

Now for the other layers...  I shortened my original measurement (17 1/2inches) by 3 1/2 inches (14inches)... Drew my line across, and cut...

I then layed this layer on top of the first... matching up the side seams... 

The next layer I made 3inches shorter then the previous layer (hot pink 14inches)... and cut this layer at 11inches for the length... placed with the others... and matched up side seams... 

The final layer I cut at 8 1/2inches (making it 2 1/2inches shorter than previous layer)...

Next came the waist band... I measured a piece of elastic that would fit comfortably around my daughter's waist... I used a 1 1/2inch wide elastic...

Then from left over t-shirt I cut out a waist band piece(leaving side seams still intact)... To get this measurement I doubled the width of the elastic plus a 1/2inch seam allowance giving me the measurement of 4inches...

Now to assemble...  Fold your waist band piece in half width wise with wrong sides together... (your folding along the side seams that are already there)...

Then with pins divide into 8 equal parts (to do this fold in half... fold in half again... etc...)

Do this also with the raw edges of your skirt pieces held together...(if you are worried about your layers sliding around, and not staying even... you can first line all of your edges up and baste them together... all the way around)... 

With raw edges together match up your waistband sections... with your skirt sections... (you may have to stretch the waistband a little, to line up with the pins)... 

Stitch through all layers with a 1/2 seam... using a stretch stitch... Make sure you back stitch a couple time when you start because your going to finish about 1 1/2inches from the starting point...

Here's what it looks like... you'll want to leave about a 1 1/2inch gap in between your starting and stopping points... 

With a safety pin clipped to an end of your elastic... open the fold at the waistband (where you left the gap) and feed in your elastic... 

Feeding it all the way around to your starting point...

Making sure there are no twists in the elastic... overlap your ends 1/2inch... Pin in place... 

Then stitch together... I like to stitch a box... And then stitch once more down the center... 

With the elastic now enclosed in the waistband... Repin your layer back together(in between the unstitched gap) matching raw edges... 

Now finish up your seam... Closing up the gap...

And your done!  By using the original side seams, and the original t-shirt hem... this comes together quickly...  A good skirt even for beginners...  Please keep in mind, that these measurements aren't cut in stone... change them up and make the layers closer together... knit is ssssoooo forgiving... Just have fun!

 

My daughter had fun modeling it... She couldn't decide if she liked it better with the shirt tucked in... or out... She was however very firm, when she told me that I could post the pictures of her new skirt if at least one of  them showed her butterfly tattoo...

Silly Girl... 

Well... she made this skirt look like so much fun... I might have to raid my closet and make one for me now... so this may not be the last you see of this skirt...  And if you happen to make one yourself... post it here so we can see!  Maybe you can wear your T-shirt Tiered Skirt while Taking a Timeout... he he he...

Happy Sewing!***
Jennifer

P.S. Just to prove these are indeed old shirts... here is a pic from two years ago... with Violet wearing one of them...