Productive Weekend

Project: make a skirt
Goal: I need a white skirt to match the sweater I made last weekend

So I couldn't wear the sweater I made last weekend last week because it doesn't match any skirts I already have, which was a bit of a surprise since I have a ton of skirts. So I decided to make a white skirt out of the remaining fabric from the sheet I used in previous projects.

I wanted to use one of the patterns in my Burda magazine (to practice with patterns) but I don't have a perforating wheel-cutter so I couldn't. Instead I followed the same basic ideas as the flamingo skirt (this time from memory). I ran into the same problem as last time: the waistband is too big. I just can't figure out how to make it fit better. Luckily I have tons of belts to cinch the skirt up but still.

Also, since the sheet was not the newest of sheets it had some problems (slight staining and some rips) but I think I worked around them alright. I'm particularly proud of the button and zipper, and I did a very careful job on the hem. If only I could get the waistband right I'd be superhappy.

I also decided yesterday morning to turn this purple dress I bought from Kohl's a few years ago into a skirt; the problem I had with the dress was the bodice part never fit right and the dress was quite short. I didn't want the skirt to have the same problems (surprise, surprise, though; it did, in terms of length).

I took the elastic I had used to make the Morsbag and stitched it into a pouch at the top of the skirt. I like the way this turned out, even though, for silhouette- and modesty's-sake I'll have to wear it layered under a longer top. And it was superfast. Plus I elasticized something, so that's another skill I've learned. So here are the two finished pieces:

Not bad for a weekend's work, I don't think.

The Convertible Dress and the Reupholstered Slap-bracelets

So I've been back from Lithuania (where I got some "new" jumpers from a charity shop, so I'll be converting them shortly) for about five days now and feel super bad that I haven't updated in awhile; plus I noticed I've been taking fewer pictures while working on projects. I've got a project on the docket for today so I'm gonna definitely document that one better. Until I start on that, though, I thought I'd do some housekeeping and talk about the last two projects I finished.

Project: The Convertible Dress

Goals: Make a dress from information found on the internet

So I don't have many pictures of this because I kept throwing fits while making it so I'll just give you the tutorial and the final results from mine. I used the fabric I'd purchased at Season (the blue) and an old sheet from Auchan (the white with the print). I had so many problems with this dress but I think I'm going to try it again with this absolutely adorable fabric I saw at Season, and this time I'll do a better job. I'm very pleased with how it turned out, and once I get my bias tape maker I'm gonna finish the edges up.

Project: The Reupholstered Slap-bracelets

Goal: To re-cover some slap-bracelets I bought in Lithuania

So I was wandering through a shopping centre in Vilnius and I found these light-reflective slap-bracelets made for children who bicycle at night (at least that's what the packaging led me to believe). I hadn't seen a slap-bracelet in years so I thought, awesome, I'm gonna get some and do something with them.

When I got home I looked through my fabric scrap stash and decided that the H&M top I'd used for the zipper-in-the-bag project would be perfect, so I cut out two strips.

I pressed the strips, inside-out, down the middle (so the bracelets would have one side in one colour and the other in the other).

Then I pinned the bracelets into the fabric...

...and stitched around two of the three open sides.

I then removed the bracelets and turned the covers right-side out.

Then I did a zigzag stitch at the last open end and trimmed away the fabric and voila! two newly re-covered slap-bracelets!

Yesterday Tasha came over and brought some old things she doesn't wear anymore, so I think my project for today will be to make something from two of the pieces (a dress and a skirt). I have high hopes for it.