Adventures in Trashion

A mimimalist rule to live by

2011-10-13T13:05:00.000-04:00

“If you want a golden rule that will fit everything, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” - William Morris

If you've been to my house...don't laugh.

Fabric Roses

2011-10-03T18:00:00.011-04:00

I did it! I got married! While I didn't accomplish all 1293847520983745 crafty projects I had set for myself, I did accomplish enough. It was more sewing and making than I had done in a very long time and I'm SO glad I set aside enough time to work on things. That said I will admit to sewing the lining in the dress I chose to wear in the last few minutes before we left the house to head up to the wedding site.

I don't have a lot of pictures yet, and I don't want to share *too* much of them online, but I will show you some of the things I made and of course the dress(es).

Here is my bouquet - I am 100% thrilled with the way this came out (picture by Isaac Wasuck):

I used a Clover Rose Maker in Large (using the "advanced" method where you turn it inside out to hide the seam) and after testing out a ton of different fabrics (using mainly thrifted castaways) I settled on using fat quarters from Jo-Anns. I thought they gave the best "rose like" appearance and the ease of picking colors was an added bonus.

For the stems I bought a bunch of fake roses and gardenias and disassembled them, removing all the petals and plastic pollen pieces but leaving the green plastic "base" where the flower attaches to the stem. This left me with a nice base to glue the roses onto. I used Beacon Fabri-tac for the glue - this stuff is INCREDIBLE and I swear by it for anything you might normally use a glue gun for, plus anything not worth spending the time to hand sew. It's a costumers best friend.

SCORE!!!!!

2011-04-06T19:00:00.001-04:00

I stopped in at my new favorite thrift shop on my way home from work today and found what for me is the holy grail of vintage patterns.

A complete copy, with instructions, of Vogue 1610 :

I paid $.50 for it, but I did find a copy for sale on etsy (for $70!!), and eBay (bidding starts at $10).

Wedding dress in red: Vogue 1162

2011-03-30T19:00:00.000-04:00

THE SLEEVES!

Let's have a closer look at those:

This is Vogue 1162 by Sassoon of all people! I will be changing up the skirt to something fuller/A-line, and probably adding a waistband as well. I have no idea what fabric I'll use for this, but the sleeves will be organza.

Wedding dress in blue: Vogue 1030

2011-03-23T19:00:00.007-04:00

Cobalt blue was all over the Fall 2011 runways so this will be my "trendy" dress.

This is Vogue 1030 by Badgley Mischka. At this point I'm thinking a rayon blend matte jersey with georgette or chiffon or maybe go dramatic with organza for the ruffles and overlay.

Wedding dress reconstruction: McCall's 5382

2011-03-16T19:00:00.008-04:00

My mom has given me her blessing to completely repurpose her wedding dress and after looking at 100's of dress patterns, this is the one I'm going with.

It's McCall's 5382 and there isn't a single thing I plan to change.

2011-03-08T18:00:00.000-05:00

So yes the blog has been silent and that's mainly because I've been so busy with work I haven't had time to do much creating. That ultimately takes its toll because working with my hands is really important to keeping my stress in check.

Out of necessity I went looking for a crafty project that I can do in about 30 minutes:

It's called nail stamping and it's by a Korean company called Konad. I love it!

Also in the picture are scratches from my new kittens (!!!) and my engagement ring.

My next big sewing project is making my wedding dresses. I'm going to do an off-white reconstruction job from my mom's dress, plus blue and red dresses just because I can. I'll have to document things in the abstract so as not to ruin any surprises but I'm sure many lessons will be learned and shared.

My First Christmas (tree)

2010-12-21T17:30:00.002-05:00

I got my first tree as an adult this year! We had zero ornaments to start out with and I really wanted as many handmade ornaments as possible.

I have been saving vintage wooden thread spools since I was little, so I painted the empty ones with acrylic paint and hung them on the tree.

We also got a little crazy with sequins and styrofoam...

...and I've only just begun playing with clear plastic ornaments and "stained glass" paint...

I have to be honest and say that my absolute favorite ornaments are the ones that came on the tree:

And the ultimate Goodwill score - five sets of these for two dollars!

I am addicted to the cross filter setting on my camera.

Trend: Sheer maxi skirt

2010-11-17T16:50:00.000-05:00

I must have one. I'm stalking this one on Etsy with the idea that I'll chop the lining to miniskirt length.

Spring 2011: The Final Post

2010-09-30T10:08:00.001-04:00

Sometimes there was only one look that I liked in an entire show: these are those looks.

Victoria Beckham:

Tracy Reese

Thakoon:

Rag and Bone

Lela Rose

Carolina Herrera

Project Runway

My Sewing Library

2010-09-29T19:44:00.002-04:00

This is (was?) a really great series. I have an extra "The Perfect Fit" if anyone is interested. Sewing Activewear? An ENTIRE BOOK on sewing Lycra, basically.

Rusty Bensussen KNOWS her stuff. Those first two books on the left are both by her. Making Patterns From Finished Clothes? HELL YES.
Sewing Secrets From the Fashion Industry - this was one I got for $1 at a library booksale and was surprised by how totally fabulous the information was. Usually I expect to pay $1 for one or two useful tips....this baby is chock full.

I like to think that I'm a stainiac. Alma Moore is the expert on How to Clean Everything. You'll notice I've got a few books on upholstering...that's in my queue, too.

Spring 2011: Rachel Roy

2010-09-28T10:00:00.001-04:00

Could I get away with this at work?

Check out these skirts!!!! It looks like they are just a tube, with the top pleated to create a waist. So easy and what a great effect. I'm also loving the color choices here.

Puffy Paint t-shirt: Skullphone

2010-09-27T14:44:00.003-04:00

So, I got this awesome set of puffy paints at Urban Outfitters on sale for $2....

...wouldn't this make the sweetest t-shirt ever? How about glow in the dark white for the skull and hands on a black t-shirt?

Denim Vest DIY

2010-09-26T19:39:00.001-04:00

I got this acid wash Guess? jacket at Goodwill....knowing it would have a second life as an awesome vest.

So I cut off the sleeves.

And then I made it awesome...

...by adding a patch cut from a Japanese bag I got at a secondhand shop on Haji Lane in Singapore, plus an eagle patch I bought at Jo-Ann's.

Spring 2011: Bare Shoulders

2010-09-25T10:04:00.000-04:00

Spring 2011: Zac Posen

2010-09-24T10:00:00.001-04:00

I just love every single thing about each of these dresses.

Spring 2011: Rebecca Taylor

2010-09-23T09:56:00.000-04:00

Fabric epaulets applied to a sweater:

This outfit is crap...but check out the detail at the bottom of the pants...a great way to take in a too-big anything.

Polka-dots and florals...everything sheer

perfectly placed pockets!

A pseudo-tribal return to form

2010-09-22T09:00:00.001-04:00

It's been ages since I did a really fantastic reconstruction. And by fantastic I mean combining several pieces of clothing to create one really wearable and inspired piece. But I am feeling it now!

I bought this shirt at a secondhand shop in the spring....something about the print spoke to me.

And then at a clothing swap this summer, this gem was in the leftovers pile. I took it knowing it would go under the knife in combination with the one above.

A few Sundays ago I had most of the day to just play, and ended up pulling these guys out of my treasure chest, along with an ankle length black knit skirt that I got out of the $2 box at Urban Outfitters years ago and a copy of McCall's M6109.

My initial intent was to use the taupe-y guy as the top, the magenta as the bottom, and the black just to break it up with the waistband. It soon became clear that I had nowhere near enough magenta for the fullness of the skirt, and instead of eliminating the fullness, I decided to go full on color block and well, here it is pinned on Millie:

Spring 2011: Philip Lim

2010-09-21T10:00:00.000-04:00

Just love everything about this dress...

And more perfect pants:

Spring 2011: Marc Jacobs

2010-09-20T10:00:00.000-04:00

These pants are perfection.

I love the idea of these sleeves, almost like an afterthought and a great reconstruction technique. This would even be cute on something that already had sleeves for a layering effect.

Spring 2011: Charlotte Ronson

2010-09-19T10:00:00.001-04:00

This was an unapologetically 90's grunge themed collection, and I love the use of sheer chiffon layered over floral prints.

Spring 2011: Betsey Johnson

2010-09-18T10:00:00.000-04:00

NOT A FAN of the rhinestone 'RIDE ME' necklaces but the rest? Awesome.

Spring 2011 - A. Wang

2010-09-17T09:37:00.003-04:00

I love this layered knits look

And the belt poking through the open knit

Fall 2010 Highlights

2010-09-13T10:50:00.005-04:00

So the fashion blogging world is all abuzz with the Spring 2011 collections being shown at NYFW *right now*. I just figured out yesterday how to save the nice big pictures that they show at the NYT site, so here are some of my favorites from Fall 2010...you know because it's September.

Chloe: I know that it's unlikely that anyone can truly "rock" or "kill it" in this look. It's a KNITTED JUMPSUIT. But the texture of that cape is calling to me. It's an incredibly labor intensive thing to hand-knit, but I might be up to the challenge of a hat? Mitten cuffs maybe?

Oscar De La Renta: NEED THAT HAT. I have a vintage faux-fur capelet that is ready to be chopped up in the service of me attempting to make one. That sweater is a 10, too.

This faux-sweetheart neckline is something I am dying to try.

Galliano for Dior: check out the shoulder strap detail....

And this is just begging to be DIY'ed...

Isabel Marant: I might not ever wear something this metallic, but I am appreciating the overall shape with the perfect leather obi-belt.

Marc by Marc: This is the kind of thing you could spend $$$ on and wear until it's threadbare.

Louis Vuitton..again with the sweetheart neckline!

Tracy Reese...I am all about the lace insets for fall.

Another labor intensive shaggy/loopy hand knit.

I'm loving this from a potential-wedding-dress design perspective. Down to the jewelry and the tights...even the boots! Though it would be even more over the top to add some leopard platforms to the mix.

OMG Laser(disc)s!

2010-08-06T10:46:00.004-04:00

My friend Nathan has this idea to make headpieces/hats out of laserdiscs! He just got 33 of them from that wonderland of the forgotten, eBay. He's pretty insistent that they be left whole and recognizable, but since he has so many we've agreed I can cut a few up. I first noticed this hat from Christian Dior's Fall 2010 RTW collection when it was featured in the August issue of Elle.

After seeing it on the models though, I think it needs some serious downsizing:

So yeah, I really want to make one of these out of laserdiscs. I took a millinery class in college - I'm feeling confident.

...and the winner is

2010-07-23T13:35:00.002-04:00

Congratulations Liesl!!!! You are the winner of my very first sponsored giveaway. Look for an email with the details very soon.

Everyone else - thanks so much for commenting. This was really fun! Your comments have inspired me to *really* start updating. I'm finishing up moving this weekend, and for the first time in a few years I'm going to have my very own sewing room so I should be a tornado of productivity!!

A giveaway for my readers!

2010-07-13T12:30:00.005-04:00

After more than three years of sporadic blogging, I have reached what I consider a true milestone - my first giveaway, and it's SPONSORED!

CSN stores is offering one Adventures in Trashion reader a $40 gift certificate!!

You can use this $40 towards anything on their entire site: a bedroom vanity, shoes, glasses, maybe a little extra storage?

So what are you waiting for? Just leave a comment with your email address telling me what you want to see me post more of. I will pick a winner at random on July 23rd and announce it here!

Oh yes, this is open to everyone, but please be aware that there may be extra shipping charges or international fees for Canadian addresses.

Maximum Shrew

2010-07-07T15:00:00.002-04:00

Dear Rucchi, please use your graphic design powers and help me make this a Heinous reality:

A little Resort 2010 for you, Shrew style

2010-06-18T10:28:00.003-04:00

So I may have completely lost it, or I may be coming into my own style-wise. Up for your consideration is the fact that I have purchased both of these items, and I intend to wear them together (though the caftan will likely be hemmed to just below the knee).

Trench coat into a skirt

2010-06-10T10:39:00.000-04:00

I really want one of these:

Mika Organic

2010-04-20T08:54:00.003-04:00

So this is definitely on the more cutesy side of what I usually go for, but there is something about these designs that I find irresistable and inspiring.

OK, so the flamingo is probably THAT side of cutesy, but the applied wing detail is just genius. I could see this done more symmetrically and on the back instead of the front for costuming purposes.

I love birds' nests, and while this is a screenprint, how much fun would it be to machine embroider something like this, working in bits of feathers and string as you go? I'm not very artistically gifted, but this is totally within my abilities.

OMGFRINGE! I now need to find the perfect horse t-shirt!!

Found via Outsapop

T-shirt reconstruction

2010-04-09T08:42:00.005-04:00

By far the most popular query that lands people here is "t shirt reconstruction". Unfortunately I think most people end up disappointed since I don't have any tutorials or even lots of pictures. This is funny because reconstructing t-shirts and sweatshirts is really what got me into sewing from old clothes in the first place - it's just that it was way before I began taking pictures of things, and I've long since given all of that stuff away.

I will share a few of the secrets I've learned over the years:

Always re-do the neckline. It can be as simple as cutting out the ribbing, stretching it as far as it will go, and making the new neckline that size (either in the scoopneck-wise or boat-neckwise direction). This always results in a more flattering and modern looking shirt.
NEW NEEDLES - this is always important, but particularly when sewing old shirts. I've definitely forgotten to change my needles and had my machine literally tear through my project.
Serger vs. conventional sewing machine: I used to exclusively use the serger on all knits, but with experience I have found the built-in stretch stitch on my Kenmore to be very useful. I now generally baste everything with a straight stretch stitch before heading to the serger - getting pins anywhere near that sucker is always a risky proposition.
Hemming: I'm still working on the perfect hemline which doesn't require the purchase of a blindstitch machine. The best I've come up with is a two-piece type job. What you do is take a strip of t-shirt twice as wide as the hem you want and twice as long as the t-shirt is wide, plus 1". Sew it in a circle, fold it in half, then serge it to the bottom of the shirt. Press the seam allowance toward the top of the shirt, then topstitch it using a long straight stretch stitch. Maybe I'll try to post a how-to on this with some pictures.

I do have quite a few t-shirts in 'The Trunk' just waiting for me to take the scissors to them, but I've been waiting to be more creatively inspired than the usual tube top/tank top nonsense. Doing my own search resulted in...not much at first. I'm sure there are lots of creative and talented sewers out there doing fantastic things with t-shirts but I wasn't in the mood to give it more than 20 minutes. Then I found Lekkner! They (she?) are no longer doing custom orders, but there is a gallery of past work posted and it is by far some of the best I've seen.

Here are some of my favorites:

OTSBH

2010-03-07T17:05:00.003-05:00

I've mentioned my desire to go to bra making school, and a little over a year ago I bought enough supplies to make about 12 bras to get me started.

Instead of being somewhat embarrassed that it took me this long to make one, I'll focus on the positive - I made my first bra today!!!!

It was much easier than I had anticipated it would be. I was also pleasantly surprised to find that I got to use a bunch of the built in special stitches on my machine which really added to the professional finish.

I definitely ran into a few issues though.

I thought I was better at sewing elastic than I actually am, so I didn't bother pinning it first, which would have saved me some time and some re-sewing.
The underwires that were provided were *just* a bit too long - I was able to force them in but I'm going to have to look into what I need to do to shorten them. If it's anything like shortening boning for corsets, it's going to be a very messy undertaking.
I also didn't bother measuring myself before I traced and cut the pattern pieces. Anyone that has met me will find this partly hilarious and partly unbelievable, but it's too small. I made a 34A, which makes me wonder if even bras have fallen victim to vanity sizing. Except that it doesn't really make sense - wouldn't vanity sizing mean you would want to buy a bigger size than you really were?

Here are some ridiculously large pictures so that you can examine my fabulous execution in full detail.

The front:

And the inside:

P.S. Did you know that the little decoration - usually a bow - that is placed at the center front is distilled from the busk ties on corsets during the Elizabethan era?

All About (my curly) Hair

2010-03-03T17:56:00.001-05:00

I was born with hair that has the potential to curl, but for most of my life all it has done is frizz. This is an unsolicited artists rendering of me, and I think it does a very good job of representing both what my hair looked like and how it made me feel, until very recently.

I learned about the Curly Girl method (or CG) several years ago after finding this book at a yard sale. Basically the idea is to eliminate or greatly reduce your use of shampoo, use lots of conditioners (both rinse out and leave in), and never ever put anything with any type of silicone in your hair. I tried several times to stop shampooing my hair but after only a week or so my hair would be heavy, stringy and admittedly kind of gross feeling. I actually thought I must have oily hair....

A little over a month ago I discovered Naturallycurly.com....and learned that there are more silicones than just dimethicone. Pretty much anything that ends in -cone, -conol or -xane is a silicone that will not wash out of hair without a sulfate-containing shampoo. Cyclopentisiloxane is one of the worst, and one of my favorite products had it listed as the second ingredient!

After reading (obsessively) about ingredients and curly hair techniques on the Curl Talk forum I gave away most of my haircare products and came up with my own routine.

Cowash - this refers to washing your hair using conditioner (instead of shampoo)
Condition daily, deep conditioning at least twice a week
Leave in - yet more conditioner
Gel on soaking wet hair while still in the shower
Plop for 30+ minutes with a 100% cotton sweater
Air dry
More gel - just a pea sized amount
Scrunch out the crunch
Curl creme, if needed.

On a good day, this is what I end up with:

It even looks good from the back!

I can't believe it took me this long to figure out how to take care of my hair...but I'm so glad I did!

New feature!

2010-03-02T17:45:00.003-05:00

I often wonder whether to include anything other than sewing-related content on this blog, more often than I post most likely. Today I'm thinking that because I update so rarely, I may as well post about whatever strikes my mood.

Maybe some people read this blog, not because they know me, but because they are interested in the things I make. They don't care that I have curly hair, or that at 32 I have finally learned how to take care of it. For you, I have created a new category of links in the side bar. You may now subscribe to an RSS feed by tag!

And if you think that's awesome, you should read more.

Marc Jacobs Spring 2009 RTW

2010-02-11T12:22:00.000-05:00

HOW did I miss these safety pin necklaces???

I hope you have a broadband connection....

2010-02-10T11:44:00.001-05:00

Japanese Fashion Magazine Scans

My Thanksgiving dress

2010-01-31T18:26:00.002-05:00

I cooked the turkey this year, so I chose to celebrate its significance by making a dress to wear.

I used a vintage 70's wedding dress pattern for this one, with some modifications. For fabric I used this really nice heavy wool that I have had for so long I no longer remember where I got it.

One of the modifications I made was the gathering on the skirt. The original had the gathering on the sides....which is a terrible idea if you ask me. I think it looks much better with the gathers between the princess seams.

Probably the most fun part of this is the lining: an Alexander Henry print.

The most significant aspect of this dress though is what happened after I put the zipper in. The top edge didn't quite line up, and so to hide that I attached a little bow which attaches with a trouser hook on one side.

This is going to be my signature detail from now on - I love it so much!!

I'm using Tumblr for my queue now

2009-12-09T11:26:00.001-05:00

It's a perfect match! I don't expect anyone to look at it except me, but if you really want to go ahead.

Creative catharsis

2009-10-19T13:02:00.002-04:00

I've had some issues to work out lately, and I made some great progress on that front this weekend. I reconstructed a skirt, two dresses, and a giant cardigan and it feels SO GOOD to be creating!

For me there really is little that can compare to the feeling of going through my day wearing a product of my self-expression and creativity.

I'll try to get some pictures up this week.

Leoplaid

2009-10-15T14:04:00.005-04:00

The first time I saw this combo (on Sea of Shoes whose picture appears first below) I thought it was genius, and now that it's popping up all over the place I'm not sure whether that makes me a slave to fashion or a trend forecaster.

Queue: Kate Spade necklace

2009-10-14T13:36:00.002-04:00

I saw a picture of this in this month's Elle (the one with Victoria Beckham on the cover looking plastic as all get out).

Luckily the nice folks at Kate Spade provided a very clear picture on their website for me to ~~copy~~ be inspired by!

Fall '09 = 1990's

2009-10-01T11:38:00.002-04:00

My babydoll obsession of 3 years ago has developed into a full fledged grunge-a-thon for fall.

These are on their way to me. Mark Jacobs plaid wool pants!

Almost a tutorial...three piece dress

2009-09-23T11:10:00.004-04:00

The idea for this dress came to me while I was riding the bus to work. All three pieces were in my donate pile for various reasons.

I cut the top off the blue dress:

I cut the bottom off of the white top:

and I cut two rectangles out of the green rose print top:

Then I serged the green pieces into a tube:

did some draping and pinning on Millie:

and finally serged everything together:

This dress has everything I loved about the original pieces and nothing I didn't.

24-hour Super Wal Mart

2009-09-14T22:46:00.004-04:00

I'm travelling on business and there is a Super WalMart directly across from my hotel room window. I thought this would result in wacky WalMart parking lot hijinks observations.

Instead:

I did buy some sick iron on studs....I just wish I had 1 hour to go to shopping so I could do some hotel room crafting!

I got the sickest layering piece ever...from the Girls department. Yes, I bought clothing from WalMart, and yes, my girls are Girls size.

Speaking of WalMart, have you seen this? I found more evidence there.

The obligatory Twitter post

2009-08-04T15:48:00.002-04:00

I don't usually do this, but are you following/reading Karl Lagerfeld on Twitter?

It's not a bad idea.

Floral empire waist dress with hand-picked zipper

2009-07-15T12:20:00.005-04:00

I made this with rayon I purchased at Jo-Ann's - I've been dying for the perfect floral dress and I thought that this would be it.

I didn't plan out where I would cut the fabric, and so the bodice oddly has almost no red in it, which I was concerned about at first, but once the whole thing was together the skirt made up for it.

It took me almost 10 years to figure out, but the best way to sew in a non-invisible zipper is by hand. It's called "hand picking" for some reason and it really does give you the most amount of control, and honestly in the end takes about as much time as machine sewing. It does a nice job of looking handmade without looking "homemade." Does that make any sense?

Unfortunately I'm not crazy about the way it looks on me, so I'm going to put it in my Etsy shop in the next week or so along with a bunch of other stuff. Time to reopen!

Allison Rose

2009-06-29T10:38:00.001-04:00

lovetheserosebeads...so much. This is an older pair of earrings that I made - probably among my very first.

Allison chains

2009-06-28T10:31:00.000-04:00

This is a bit out there, but I'm still pretty sure I'll wear it. Another second-lives-for-broken-necklaces piece, inspired by the body chains by Bliss Lau that are all over the place right now.

Birds and flowers

2009-06-27T10:27:00.000-04:00

...are a recurring theme in my jewelry.

I made these last Monday with some pieces I got on etsy, plus some assorted repurposed jewelry bits.

Amber

2009-06-26T10:25:00.000-04:00

I made these during my obsession-with-amber phase:

Another way to reconstruct a t-shirt

2009-06-25T14:11:00.000-04:00

In November of 2008 Etsy seller necklush sold their first piece...so I'm going to credit them with the original idea. Urban Outfitters' Urban Renewal line has created something very similar, which I got for $1.99 on clearance recently. You can even find online tutorials (like this one from Connie at this old dress) if you'd like to make one for yourself...which is exactly what I did on my lunch break last Friday while working from home.

I used an almost threadbare t-shirt which was being thrown away and had plenty of holes in it.

Necklace explosion

2009-06-24T11:00:00.000-04:00

I forget which blog I found this link on, but I was almost instantly inspired to try it myself. The less than instant part consisted of taking a picture and posting it here...I think I finished this about a month ago.

I made it entirely out of random broken jewelry and pendants that I had on hand. I just took a short length of chain with relatively large links, and attached two charms on each link (one on each side) with jump rings. I put the largest pieces on the bottom, the smallest on the top, and mixed things up a bit in the middle. That's really all there was to it.

I wear it on a very long chain, and so far have only lost one item off of it, which was promptly returned to me by the bouncer who picked it up, so I'm thinking it carries a bit of good luck with it.

Making good...

2009-06-23T09:48:00.003-04:00

...on my New Year's prediction, I finished this hunter camo jacket last night, using the same pattern as for the leather jacket. The only things re-used here are the zipper and the thrifted cotton lining, and let me just say it was a pleasure to sew with straight-up basic cotton after the last few projects.

s-t-r-e-t-c-h

2009-06-18T08:00:00.002-04:00

I had intended to reconstruct a dress to try out this pattern, but there wasn't nearly enough fabric (the front is fully lined) and so since I had 4+ yards of it I used this slinky stretchy stuff I had on hand. I cannot remember where I got this fabric from, but I'm fairly certain that I got it at a store (as opposed to a thrift shop or yard sale).

Once I was finished, I liked the look of the fabric so much, I tried making a dress out of it. I used Vogue 1046 by Anna Sui and while the pattern itself is really simple my choice of fabric ultimately proved to be a poor one. The front has a slight cowl neck, which requires you to cut it on the bias - no problem there. It's also lined, and so I used a vintage nightgown for that part, which I was really pleased with - nice and thin and slippery.

My first problem came after it was mostly assembled. The curved seam in the front and the back got really stretched out and just looked terrible. To fix that, I topstitched the allowance down about 1/4" from the seam, and then inserted some elastic in the casing that was formed. My second problem came when it was time to sew down the facings. I had to hold the fabric stretched between the fingers of one hand while slip stitching the lining shut with the other. Not fun and very tiring for my hands. In fact I'm still not done! Only the back is sewn down in this picture:

I'm not sure I even like it on me, but I do think the pattern has potential if next time I sew it with a woven instead of a knit.

Apropos

2009-06-17T15:51:00.001-04:00

While I was working on the jacket, I realized why they call them zipper teeth!

THE leather jacket

2009-06-16T12:01:00.006-04:00

Remember this? I've been collecting various leather items (for years!) with the intent of cutting them up and making my dream leather jacket out of them. Well, I finished it several weeks ago and here it is!!

I couldn't be happier with how it came out. The leather is so soft and buttery and it fits me PERFECTLY. The pattern I re-used is Vogue Elements 7266 - it's out of print now which is a shame because that whole Elements line was the best thing Vogue ever did, in my opinion. I used thrifted polyester satin for the lining and a reclaimed zipper that I shortened and dyed black. The only new things I used were the needles, thread, snaps, and interfacing.

And for completeness - here are pictures of two of the jackets that went into making it:

Leather is definitely not the easiest material to work with.

Use leather needles in your machine and change them frequently (I used three just on this jacket)
Don't pin anything! I have rubber coated metal clips that I use to hold the pieces together while sewing. I've read that paper clips work well, too, but haven't tried those.
Keep your seam allowances in mind when assembling. You don't want to have to sew through eight layers of thick leather if you can help it.
Use a slighly longer stitch length than you normally would, particularly if the leather is very soft. Leather needles are shaped like a triangular blade, and so are literally cutting through the leather with each pass of the needle. This can result in perforated pieces that easily tear apart if you're not careful.
Surprisingly (to me at least) you can successfully use fusible interfacing on leather. I used the wool setting with steam and it worked great.
I wasn't able to find rubber cement for use with leather, so I tried the "regular" kind. This did not work. At all. The suede side of the leather completely absorbed any cement I tried to apply.
...but it doesn't seem to have mattered! I didn't do anything to the seam allowances (with the exception of #3 above) and it still looks great.
As time intensive as it is, hand sew as much as you can. This ties to #4 above. I used leather needles made for hand sewing (and a really good thimble) to sew all of my linings closed and it really made a difference.

Queue: Red Striped shirt

2009-06-15T09:40:00.001-04:00

I went yard saling this weekend and found the perfect XXL men's button down to transform into this:

Queue: leather fringe anklets

2009-06-10T12:23:00.002-04:00

I have these:

If I make some leather fringe anklets I could have these:

sort of?

Here comes the bride!

2009-04-28T10:28:00.002-04:00

I've been busy, travelling, which is why no posts, no making stuff. My next project is some bedazzled tank tops for my sister's Bachelorette party, and I know you don't need to see that, so you're going to have to be patient for just a little while longer.

I did do some awesome thrifting while I was in MA though - I'll share some pics of that at least!

Queue: Whacked out leather fringe necklace

2009-03-24T13:06:00.004-04:00

By ACB on Net-A-Porter

Two coats, one pair of pants, and one skirt later....

2009-03-15T20:04:00.002-04:00

...I've created a mountain of work for myself.

Purple zipper

2009-03-15T19:59:00.003-04:00

I began working on this yesterday and finished it up this afternoon.

Before:

After:

I was able to keep the pockets from the original - I love when that happens!

And a close up:

Assymetrical sweater

2009-03-15T19:55:00.002-04:00

I got this sweater at UO...sound familiar? It had big ugly "brass" buttons and this crazy ruffle nonsense going on in the shoulders. I switched up the buttons and reset the sleeves without the ruffles and now I have a very wearable basic.

The Stud Bug

2009-03-08T18:26:00.005-04:00

...has bitten me. I finished de-studding this belt a few days ago:

And now I have these!

I spent today working on this shirt transformation after being inspired by Clevergirl. I didn't actually watch the tutorial until afterwards (it's very well done!), it was the before and after pictures that got me thinking. So I picked up this men's shirt on Friday and worked on it while I should have been outside in the sun.

It's so cute and there are so many great details that I'm in love with. PLUS, I saved *just* enough fabric to make a matching bra!

Sorry for the blurry pictures. I finally broke down and ordered a full size tripod that is scheduled to arrive on Wednesday. TONS more sharper pictures to come!

Vroom!!

2009-03-02T18:18:00.002-05:00

Here's a before and after of a reconstruction I finished this weekend. It's a sweater that I got at UO for $5 a s a gift for someone who thought it was too "swashbuckler." I figured I had nothing to lose so I cut it up and took it from a men's XL to a ladies' XS. I tried a new technique - serging the raw edges and seaming with a conventional machine.

The pictures are unimpressive but the finished result is much better.

...and these are Millie's new wheels!!

Queue: Tuxedo collar

2009-02-27T11:05:00.003-05:00

Ignoring the fact that this picture is rather salacious, cutting the collar off a thrifted tuxedo jacket (or even just a black sport coat or suit coat) and adding ribbons to the ends could be really cute!

Introducing: OSFA for Heinous Shrew

2009-02-26T12:08:00.003-05:00

Economic stimulus

2009-02-20T17:22:00.002-05:00

I just spent $100 on bra-making supplies at Sew Sassy Fabrics. It's supposed to be enough to make 12 bras + matching underwear, less the fabric.

Let the bra-making begin!!!

Cody's inspiration

2009-02-20T15:15:00.007-05:00

Sweet moves

2009-02-18T11:59:00.002-05:00

I moved my sewing machine from the bedroom to the living room. This is one last try to make the tiny apt work before I get a studio space.

Queue: Leather handbag

2009-02-17T12:12:00.003-05:00

This is by Sir McQueen (can you believe he's doing a line for Target?).

Queue: Dolman sleeve sheer stripe shirt

2009-02-17T12:10:00.002-05:00

I got some striped fabric off eBay a while ago (and I have NO idea where it is) that would be great for a shirt like this.

Queue: Shoulderless shirt

2009-02-17T12:08:00.002-05:00

Queue: Shrink plastic jewelry/buttons

2009-02-11T09:38:00.005-05:00

I've done this before...many, many years ago. I'm thinking this could be cool to try making buttons with, or just Heinous Shrew hangtags...or maybe a pair of "fake" frames to hang on a chain. Or maybe something like this:

Queue: repurposed lenses/frames

2009-02-09T15:34:00.004-05:00

Queue: leather jewelry

2009-02-09T15:29:00.004-05:00

Bracelets:

And earrings:

These are the "two hole" earrings I made!

2009-02-08T21:36:00.005-05:00

These were made from recycled necklaces. I used to have two of them, but somewhere along the line I lost one.

Introducing...the queue!

2009-02-07T22:51:00.003-05:00

I've mentioned the Ravelry site before. Part of its incredibly useful design includes something called a queue, which is pretty much exactly what you would think it is: a list of things that you intend to work on (in this case knit) someday.

I am now instituting a queue! At this point I find that I spend more time thinking about making things than I do in the making of things. So now I can get those thoughts out of my head and onto my blog.

And the best part? I love the word 'queue'. I love looking at it and I love typing it. And the second best part? It rhymes!

So my first entry in the queue is something I just stumbled upon, and as you will find (all 3 of you that read this blog) a lot of the things I think about making are ~~blatant ripoffs of~~ inspired by things I see on the interweb.

That crazy fringe-y looks-like-it-was-made-from-videotape thing is an earring. Earrings? It's one thing that attaches to both ears. I made earrings once that go in two holes but on the same ear...I should post a picture of those. Anyway I'm thinking of doing this with chain, but it would have to be light chain otherwise I might tear my earholes open.

Earrings by TEAMO found via Outsapop.

Markers, WIPs, and eyes

2009-02-02T20:27:00.002-05:00

I cast on for another hat (it's a long story but I ran out of yarn for the one I was working on):

Then I realized I needed a stitch marker, and I didn't own any, so I made these:

And finally, after searching for....well as long as I've been wearing bifocals, which is longer than I care to admit, I found the PERFECT pair of vintage cat eye frames at an antique/record shop right in town!! Kiss my ass eBay!!

It was a good weekend.

my spring/summer uniform

2009-01-28T12:08:00.004-05:00

Alloy scarf, Victoria's Secret tank, Heinous Shrew skirt, Aldo jellies

Weird black skirt to cute black skirt

2009-01-26T20:39:00.002-05:00

As done by me this weekend. It was much longer and had suspenders. I saved what I trimmed to maybe make a belt that ties in the back. I have no idea what those black dots are all about. I'm posting this from my teeny tiny Asus so I've only got about 87% control over what happens.

Gifted to Keegan

2009-01-23T22:15:00.002-05:00

"Elegantly redneck"

2009-01-23T14:34:00.002-05:00

Their words, not mine!

Realtree camo is ON for prom!

And finally (for today)

2009-01-21T12:37:00.003-05:00

Wouldn't this be amazing for a Rue Mevlana performance? I can just see all of us in neon colored knit leotards over black catsuits.

2009-01-21T12:32:00.002-05:00

I'm going to ~~ripoff~~ pay homage to this dress by Jeremy Scott:

Internet window shopping

2009-01-21T12:27:00.005-05:00

D&G

Marc Jacobs

Zac Posen

Phillip Lim 3.1

2009-01-15T14:00:00.003-05:00

I spent some time last night playing with my new yarn ball winder. I'm not ashamed to say that it was one of the most ridiculously satisfying things I've done in a while.

I made this!

2009-01-14T09:51:00.001-05:00

A new avenue

2009-01-08T12:45:00.002-05:00

Last weekend I took apart a red sweater that was really soft but shed all over my ubiquitous black pants. I didn't unravel the entire thing, I just took out the seams and then sewed the pieces into two hats, which was fine.

Then, feeling emboldened, I took the scissors to a thrifted cashmere sweater and in doing so realized...I can unravel this and then I'd have a whole ton of 100% cashmere yarn to do whatever I wanted with!!! So that's exactly what I did. Well, the unravelling part, the doing whatever I want with it part has so far consisted of stashing it in the crawl space while I finish up some other projects.

My 2009 Prediction

2009-01-01T11:20:00.000-05:00

I think 2009 will see RealTree camouflage become the next big thing.

For me, it all started with a trip to Kmart and the purchase of a hunting cap.

Cabela's has 100% silk pajamas and hats.

Jacket and miniskirt from the Realtree site

"vintage" skirt from the MossyOak site (they also have bras and underwear, and swimsuits!)

Things I like

2008-11-25T13:00:00.004-05:00

Union Jack

See through mesh

Make Believe

Animal prints that are actual animals

Grey Goose and Buffalo plaid

Cute glasses

Lip balm

Images from Cobrasnake

Needs and wants

2008-11-20T16:03:00.003-05:00

BEST BIRTHDAY EVER. Seriously. I got to go to the Preloved store and I got a dress and a skirt! I wore the skirt out to dinner on my actual birthday and felt both adorable and cosmopolitan. I wasn't even going to buy the dress since it's not my usual style, but I was encouraged to do so and less than an hour later I was SO GLAD. So far I've looked at it every day just to marvel at the amazing design.

Now I need a new dress form because mine has finally shit the bed. I need a new serger for the same reason. Big purchases make me nervous, and living in the middle of nowhere without a car I can't really go and try out machines to decide which one I like best. Maybe when I head home for Thanksgiving....

I also spent about an hour checking out Ravelry today...forgetting about all the great free patterns for a moment, that site has to be THE most well designed site for anything, ever. I am IMPRESSED.

Happy Birthday to me!

2008-11-12T13:16:00.003-05:00

I really love this ear-warmer thingy. It seems like something that would be easy enough to make. I probably couldn't figure out how to knit that flower without a pattern, but I could crochet it no problem.

But then I think....is this yet another one of those things that I think are sooo cute but would never wear? Things like: red lipstick, hats, suspenders, high waist jeans, T-shirts with words on them...

I have to pick up my rental car and pack tonight for a trip to the big city up north this weekend. So excited!!

Collars, mending, knitting....more making stuff!

2008-11-10T14:14:00.005-05:00

I started and finished my first personal sewing project in almost a year yesterday! I thrifted this dress while I was house sitting in Richmond that had potential, but needed to be shortened, and I thought would really benefit from the addition of a peter-pan collar. The only downside is that I completely forgot to photograph - both before and after - so you can't see what I did....yet.

Edited 2/8 to add a picture!

I've also been working on this knitted lace dress using an incredible 100% bamboo yarn...it's slooooowwww going though so I decided to bust out a new more-bus-appropriate project. I haven't really settled on one though. I'm trying to balance my love of seamless-knitting-in-the-round with the unwieldy-ness of the nearly finished project that produces.

And so this isn't too wordy...here are some pictures from the street fashion blogs featuring sandals+socks+tights - ALL AT ONCE. I would love to try this out but....I'm not sure my particular brand of leg can pull it off. Maybe something with a big cuff.

I made something!

2008-11-07T10:24:00.003-05:00

Finally! I've said it before and I'll say it again - nothing gets me motivated like a deadline. So I accepted this assignment to desecrate a giant American flag for the sake of Rock and Roll, and I have to say, I'm really happy with how it turned out:

Diane of The Dirty Blondes, image courtesy of The Burlington Free Press

I'm going to make something today.

2008-09-21T13:57:00.003-04:00

Bows:

I think she looks great in a really gross way

All of these ladies just look adorably great

2008-09-04T15:04:00.000-04:00

All moved in!

2008-09-04T14:50:00.002-04:00

I found the tiny boys blazer I'd been searching for at Goodwill a few weeks ago. It is EXACTLY what I wanted.

Now that I've moved I no longer have a sewing space. This sucks. Even though I haven't made anything since January, it was still nice to have the option. It's not supposed to be permanent though. We'll see.

Here's some cute sewing themed crafts I've come across this week:

House sitting, moving...not much sewing

2008-08-04T11:57:00.003-04:00

And because I'm not getting too inspired by the street fashion blogs, here's something completely different - apartment stuff from my "to make" folder: