Vying for Attention

Do you know how to get a crafter's attention? Abby does:

This was her "subtle" way of letting me know she needed to sit on my lap. I guess I needed to take a break, too.

My Bible

I don't actually own many patterns, but the ones I do own exist in a multitude of versions--altered necklines, sba's, lengthened sleeves--so much so that they don't fit in the tiny envelope the originals came in. My first solution was to put them in larger envelopes, but I hated having to go through all the pieces just to access one variation, so I came up with a much better solution. The binder.



In the first sleeve, I keep the pattern envelope, directions, receipts of fabric purchased for that pattern, and any sketches I have made of it.



The following sleeves contain the pattern pieces and any variations I've made. I love being able to flip through the patterns, and pull out exactly what I need.





I have all the pattern pieces marked with what they are and what garments I've made with them, but eventually I'd like to have all the sleeves labeled, too. My one concern is that if the binder falls upside down, pieces could fall out, but using a zippered binder would fix that. I just ordered a couple of patternmaking books, so hopefully I'll being filling my binder with even more patterns soon!

How I Wore...Velvet Skirt

Here's how I wore the velvet skirt I made last week:

I love the way the velvet looks with textured tights. I'm trying to decide what to pair it with to dress it up for a more winter holiday look.

Velvet Skirt

"I would drape myself in velvet if it were socially acceptable."

      -George Costanza

I'm not sure I would go as far as George and wear a totally velvet ensemble (although I probably did in elementary school), but I have wanted to add some velvet to my wardrobe, and yesterday I did.

While scouring over my fabric stash, I came across some green velvet fabric my mom uses to make Christmas ornaments. It wasn't enough to make leggings (which is what I wanted), but there was just enough to make a skirt.

I didn't use a pattern, but since I didn't have much material to work with, it was easy to visualize something. I started with a thick waistband, then gathered the body, and decided on zipper and buttons for a closure.

 

Because I stole fabric from mom (she forgave me when she saw the finished product) and used old buttons and a zipper, this project cost absolutely nothing. Overall I love the skirt's color and the fit, and I'm looking forward to wearing it all winter

How I Wore...Men's Shirt Refashioned

Got a couple of pics in the Men's Shirt Refashioned from the last post. 

I love how it looks layered, and it's comfortable, too. I think I'll try it belted next time.

 

 Our local JoAnn's is having a major liquidation sale (it's moving), so I went by today and picked up a few of things.

 

About $100 worth of fabric for $25? Not too shabby. Looks like my sewing machine will be pretty busy this month.

 

Men's Shirt Refashioned

I've had a plaid men's button-down sitting in my unfinished projects pile for a while. Originally I wanted to make it into a dress, but a few mistakes had brought the whole process to a halt, and I was feeling uninspired. But then I can across this post by Cotton & Curls, and I knew exactly what I wanted to do.

Instead of a dress, I made a blouse. I basically followed the tutorial except I added 2 darts to the back, because my shirt was looking baggy.

This was my first time gathering, so I used this guide. It's not perfect, but I'm satisfied with my first attempt at the technique.

In retrospect, I shouldn't have taken pictures in front of the disgusting basement drain, but hey, I'm new to blogging.

I'm looking forward to taking this piece out of the unfinished projects pile and finally putting it in my closet. Here's to more Saturdays spent on inexpensive and easy transformations like this one.

Better Late Then Never

I'm bringing the blog back!

...but it's going to be a lot different.

Instead of being about study abroad or whatever pops into my head, it's going to be about crafting--mostly sewing, knitting, design, and decor.  I've had difficulty finding sewing and knitting resources in both my age group (early 20s) and aesthetic (NOT Anne of Green Gables), so my hope is to find them through this blog or connect to others in the same boat. 

Topics you can expect:

-projects I've completed/am working on
-inspiration!
-resources (blogs, techniques, books) I've found helpful