Shrug it off - a pretty little how to

I arrived late during the shrug trend of 2005. In fact I didn’t purchase one until the sales of 2006 and then it was couple of years before I wore it. However I find it vital bit of wardrobe in that it goes with things that proper cardigans don’t. I really see it as a set of sleeves. It keeps you warm and covers up bare shoulders in the office. A great bit of summer kit. I was about to start looking for a shrug pattern a while back when refashioning inspiration struck!

I have a jumper that was just a little bit too small. But I really like the colour. So I fiddled around a bit chopping and sewing and created this:

This refashioning concept also works well with t-shirts that have gotten a bit baggy or thin (i.e. see through). On Saturday I converted two tops into long sleeved shrugs and have loving documented the process for your crafting pleasure.

Take top and be certain that you are ready to cut it up. I have green t-shirt which is so loose bending over in it has become dangerous and a creamy jumper which don’t fit very well.

First decide how long you want the back to be. Measure an existing garment if possible. Don’t forget to leave a bit extra for a hem if you want one. Some fabric rolls up in a very pleasing manner and removes the need for a hem.


Measure this length on you garment and chop the bottom off.

Then cut up the front of the garment. You can hem the raw edges now if you like (or not).

That’s it unless…

You have very long arms (like me) and want to use up the leftover bit of fabric that you chopped off you can extend the sleeves.

Take your chunk of fabric and either rip the stitches or cut up the seam. You want to keep close the actual seam. Now you want to make tubes of fabric. Put your shrug on so that you can see where the sleeves come down to. Wrap the fabric round your arm and pin so that you can get an idea of width. Then cut. The amount of fabric and the size of your arm will affect how long your tubes will be. Remember you do need to be able to get the thing on and off so unless you have a lot of stretch in the fabric absolutely skin tight probably won’t work.

Make the tubes by turning the fabric wrong side out and sewing done the open side. I’ve done this on a machine but you could hand sew.

Join the tubes together. I find this easiest to do by putting them over my hand and spreading my fingers to stretch smaller bit of fabric. On my first shrug I hand sewed these because I wanted the joins to be invisible. I did this round on the machine. Then in the same way attach tubes to existing sleeves.


That’s it unless you’ve been lazy like me and left the hemming to the end. I used a zigzag stitch in this which results in this pleasingly wavy edge.

Go and discover all the things your new long sleeved shrug goes with.

For my next trick I will change a pair of trousers into a dress

Stomp, stomp, think, think
One of the advantages of the training I am currently doing in preparation for the Moonwalk marathon in May is plenty of time to think. Saturday morning’s ten miles was spent thinking mainly about my new sewing projects. Hence on my return I was all ready to get started.

I had three pairs of grey trousers that had worn away in various places. My usual thoughts would be to turn these into long skirts but I was in the mood for something different. Two of the pairs were a light summer fabric and I’ve gotten a little tired of my usual summer uniform of long linen skirt, t shirt and cardigan or light jacket. Instead I plan to turn all three pairs into dresses.

The first pair are a heavy flannel fabric that I made myself. The great thing about these is that they had no real waist band; the top had just been turned over and hemmed. I ripped the inner leg seams, took out the side zip and ripped a similar gap in the other side seam. Then on my mannequin I pinned the sides of waist band together on each shoulder and pinned the inner leg seams back together. A quick stitch across the shoulders and down the back and front and I was pretty much done. The only other thing was to create a v shaped neck by ripping out part of the seam running down the front and folding it back on either side. I ran up a simple tie belt with some spare fabric to give the thing some shape. Next time I really must take some photographs to illustrate my efforts.

I’m now working on a pair of dark grey linen/cotton trousers with an unusual weave. I paid a pittance for these on New Look some years back not realising a0 the waist is strangely high and b) the fabric is very delicate. They have a really wide waist band. I removed this and am thinking of simply hemming the bottom of it and using it as a belt. The remaining fabric will probably get a similar treatment to the first pair of trousers.

This might have to go on hold for while though as I need to make a costume for a Mods and Rockers party in a few weeks. I’m a bit uncertain about what to wear. I think that as I tend towards a casual (OK scruffy) look that rocker would be better, but my Internet research seems to suggest that female rockers simply didn’t exist! I do have an old black cotton mini dress (I’m assuming it was intended as a dress although I tend to wear it as a top) that I could extend to make it slightly decent, but I’m not sure about shoes…

Any suggestions are very, very welcome.

Walking, sewing and muffin making

What an excellent weekend

I got to experience the great outdoors on my usual Saturday walk. I was once again really thankful that I had walking boots as the snow was still quite heavy on some parts of the path. It did put a bit of time on my walk though. I’m training for the Moonwalk and really hope the snow is gone before I get to doing the longer training walks.

Following the great cardboard clear out, I got stuck into my makes, repairs and upfashions pile. I made a present bag for my Dad with a representation of the Tardis on it. He’s a big Doctor Who fan and one of his presents is related to this so it seemed appropriate. I even remembered I had a K9 brooch tucked away so I dug it out to include. Alas I forgot to take a photograph so I can’t display my handiwork here.

I repaired a skirt and a pair of leggings and altered an Icing t-shirt and an army surplus top to fit. I think I might be getting to grips with bust darts. Just doing the work on these garments has cleared part of my study. I now have two paper carrier bags of projects rather than an untidy heap. I’ve decided that I like to have my next project set up on the dress model immediately after I finish the current one. In this case it’s a pair of grey trousers that are destined to become a dress.

My search for an excellent breakfast has continued and I was totally inspired this time. I bought mushrooms for this weekend but for various reasons we didn’t end up using them. I thought about how I might incorporate them into breakfast thinking about some kind of pate and then I had the eureka moment. Savoury muffins! I did a quick google search and found a recipe. I then almost totally ignored it using my usual vegan muffin recipe and adding sun dried tomatoes. The only thing that I took from the recipe was frying the mushrooms first and adding herbs. These are totally delicious and will be making regular appearance on my breakfast menu. I’m now thinking of other vegetable combinations I could use.

Have splendid week and try not to worry too much – it’s only life

Things I Love Thursday

Having new goodies to test for The Beauty Bible

The prospect of a week off

Memories of serving mulled wine with one of my best friends at the town firework display

Twelve Bar Blues

Staying on track with NaMoWriMo

My sister

Amplification

Buying skull patterned fabric to reline my coat

Not having to pay for the fabric because I have a voucher for the fabric shop

Green tea

The way my hair looks - rock and roll!

Buying Christmas cake soap from Lush and then storing it away for the start of December. Hello instant Christmas!

Sewing inspiration

I suddenly got all inspired yesterday evening about some new stuff to sew. I was removing an enormous piece of very dark green fabric from my stash and thinking about using it for present bags when a couple of other pieces fell out and inspiration took hold.

I bought two pieces of green heavy cotton fabric from army surplus at the start of the summer and had been thinking that they’d make a dress. Something shift like and fitted because the fabric is quite stiff. This means that I can’t get away with my usual ‘minimal seams and shaping’ approach and just tie the whole ting together with a huge sash. But I did suddenly think what an amazing skirt it would make and after pinning it round me and holding in place with a large purple bow I decided that was just what it would be. I think I’ll use the usual A line pattern I vaguely follow from Yeah, I made it myself.

My other inspiration was regarding a top and came from two sources. I have some woolly fabric in a very dark grey that I made a skirt from some years back. I’ve never know quite what to do with it because it’s absolutely the wrong type of thing for a gift bag (even for lining) and there wasn’t enough to do anything else with it. My vague thoughts before shoving it to the back of the cupboard for use in the very distance future were around some kind of pillow case.

Then yesterday I looked up Sandra Garrett Multiples after I found a reference to them in an old letter from my Mum. These were pieces made from plain jersey fabric. The idea was that they all went together and that you could use various bits of the clothing in multiple ways. They were big in the 1980s and she is now selling them again. You can view the pieces on her site. What struck me was that they all had such a square shape (just like a pillow case).

Then last night I jumped from doublespeak to Fashion Robot and then to Gem Fatale. It was here that she was talking about making a top from a pillow case. I realised I had enough fabric to make a pillow case with and the dye was cast. Here comes another sleeveless top!

I can’t wait to get home tonight and do some sewing before going out the allotment society AGM. One day my fabric stash will be gone...

Bank holiday TV

I came across this on the BBC website this morning and it makes me sad that people choose to spend their day off watching TV. I suppose if they weren't watching TV they would be shopping.

I'm really looking forward to this weekend and I've got so many things on my activities list:

• Met my sister and her man for lunch and drinks and hear about her holiday and have a general catch up.
• Cook pittas from scratch and store in freezer
• Visit my allotment for a digging session and harvest veg to give to my sister
• Hang new sash window in bedroom (if it's delivered on time)
• Eat long breakfasts with Dear Heart
• Go for a country walk and pick blackberries (and apples if they are ripe)
• Play with my sewing machine
• Sit around reading and drinking wine while my face pack dries
• Put henna on my hair
• Take some time to think about the next few months and plan out things I need and want to do

I hope I can fit it all in!

What shape am I then?

I've always found Trinny and Suzannah a bit of an inspiration so I decided it was about time I read their book about body shapes. However, I found it very difficult to decide what shape I was. Then I thought that maybe I had a skewed idea of my assets and faults and that was causing me to fail to fit into any of the ten different body types.

So I asked Dear Heart to have look. He was very good when I was undecided over my face shape. He immediately told me that it was obviously square. So we went through the book and he kept saying 'no' every time I asked if I was this shape or that shape. Eventually we got the end with no decision reached. the best we could come up with was that I was some kind of mix between a skittle and an hourglass.

I am now tying to feel good about having a unique body shape and thinking may be this is why I used to have such problems getting clothes to fit (which was what inspired me to start making my own in the first place).

Rather sad that I'm not actually an hourglass (sounds so glamorous), but I am the same shape as before I read the book so I am still divinely glamorous ( inn my mind anyway).

Trying to stay on track

I didn't post an update to my weekly tasks on Monday and there was a good reason.

I had a hectic week, as I was quite busy with a big event for work. It all went splendidly. One glorious bit was Mimi, knowing that I'd been in really early and running around, bought me in a smoothy. I hadn't had time for breakfast so it was just what I needed. It made me feel really special and supported. Thank you Mimi. If I compile a list of the nicest things that have happened in my life I think that will be on it.

I planned to spend part of Sunday writing letters and catching up. I got up early, made a good start on some paper work when we heard from one of Dear Heart's sisters. She was coming up to London for the day and did we want to meet up for lunch? We rushed around, leapt on a load of buses and trains and had a marvellous lunch on Gerrard Street. I got to visit one of the Chinese supermarkets and bought many delicious things.

However, it also meant that I didn't get all the stuff I wanted to done. I couldn't face the thought of posting and adding the same tasks to my week list. So I made sure that I left work on time to put a dent in my tasks.

I pleased to report that I published one of my draft posts (Talking books), made start on the tie pouches and finished the top.

I dyed some of the t-shirts. However, for some reason we don’t have a plug for the sink in the utility room. I had to produce a complicated arrangement of plastic tubs and weights to stop the dye draining away. The colour of the t-shirts is a lovely olive green and covers the staining, but it's not even. However, this gives the garments a designer, Per Una kind of look. I think with a bit of appliqué and beading it could even look intentional!

Here are my Mother's Day creations. I put a poem inside the card that I found here http://www.thetoymaker.com/Holidays/MothersDay/1Mothers.html This is great site and find it very inspiring.



The flower on the front of this card is actually a brooch. I was really pleased with the way this turned out.

And I have laid out paper, envelope and pen on my desk so that I can start on my long overdue letter to a friend as soon as I get home tonight. It’s been on the job lists in my notebook for way too long.

I’m not setting any new tasks as such this week, although I anticipate sorting through the seeds for my allotment, a second round of dyeing and running up a skirt and a few other bits.

Did I do what I said?

Of course I didn't. Despite resolving last week that I would publish posts that are currently in draft form, write a long letter to a friend and take the bags under my desks to a charity shop, my actual completion rate was very poor. I did manage to drop the bags off at a variety of charity shops. However, the letter remains unwritten and despite posting several times last week none of the posts were actually ones that I had begun and abandoned.

So this week I am going to sort out those posts, write the letter and post photographs of my mother's day creations. I might also figure out how to use the weekly resolution logo from Icing who inspired this weekly thing in the first place.

I did do loads of sewing. I made it to the sewing shop last week and got some dye and some zips. so over the weekend I refitted a pair of trousers and put a zip in. then I cut out a top and got about half way through it before I ran out of time. this week I want to finish the top, dye a load of t shirts, make some pouches out of ties and turn an old pair of trousers into a dress. Will I get it all done? I intend to give it my best shot!

Happy Birthday Dad

This is the present bag I made for my Dad's birthday. It's his birthday today so I'm not spoiling the surprise. I tend to find it quite difficult to work out what to buy for him as he seems to want for nothing (which can only mean he's very content?). Here are the back and front views of the closed bag.

Here is the open bag. It contains a couple of pairs of trousers (a sort of cross between jogging bottoms and pyjamas). Just the thing for wearing on the days he works from home. In the smaller pocket is a Starbucks - for the days he has to leave the small town in the country he resides in and venture into big smoke.

I usually make up present bags for specific people or occassions. However, I've had a little time recently and made up these two that I have no immediate use for.

There's this drawstring bag with three hearts.

And this little yellow bag which has turned out to be exactly the right size for a CD.

I'm thinking of putting them on Etsy. It's a bit scary though. The first few sales on Ebay were a little worrying but once one has picked up the form and knows the procedures it's OK. Selling sometjhing you've made yourself is putting your work (your art?) up for public discussion. It's good to do thing that frighten you though so I'll give it a go in the near future.

Advance planning

In previous years I've spent a bit of time every week wandering around the shops looking at clothes. I'd see what was new in, try on an item or two and plot what I might buy.

This year I'm trying to only buy things I really need and that I cannot make myself. I've been wearing the clothes I already own. As a result I've haven't been planing what I might wear because I know it's going to be something from my current wardrobe.

Tonight is the work meal and rather than planning what to wear well in advance I only started to give it any real thought last weekend. I think on reflection this has been a mistake. Apart from anything else my body shape has changed slightly as a result of more exercise and better diet. Alas this means I'm not as curvy as I used to be and so some of my slinkiest party wear doesn't look quite so hot.

I had a panic at lunch time and ran around the shops trying things on. However, I couldn't help but think that I could have replicated many of the effects I admired. What I need to do in future is have a look around a month before an event that I want to dress up. This will give me time to make alterations and additions.

I'm wearing a little black dress that I bought when I was 16. I hope it works out OK. I need to wear it with attitude! I'm considering adding a floor length net skirt for future years. I'm also very keen now on the idea of making some slim satin trousers in dark grey. I've heard satin can be difficult to sew with though.

Next week I will post pictures of my latest present bags. I'll also try and get my head straight and embrace the festive season!

P.s. This is post 100!

The BrocanteHome Puttery Treats Challenge

Today my blog is inspired by Brocante home the source of all delicious, cosy and wonderful in vintage housekeeping. If you haven't yet discovered Brocante home do visit at http://brocantehome.typepad.com The puttery treat challenge asks for a post inspired by a certian puttery treat. I have chosen this puttery treat about vintage fabrics to start me off.

Use the stacks and stacks of vintage linens I know we are all hoarding. Stretch scraps of vintage embroidery over canvas and prop them one leaning against the other on your mantelpiece. Cover a pinboard in a tablecloth. Peg a line of pretty hankies across your kitchen window. Use crocheted table runners to scoop back your curtains. Decide to have a fresh pillowcase daily. Just for the hell of it. (It will be a teeny bliss you will come to adore). Use your bestest teatowels till they are threadbare because that is what they are for- to bring pleasure to something dull...

I rarely buy material and when I do it tends to be an end piece in the sale that has caught my eye. What I have been blessed with in abundance over the past few years is vintage fabric in various forms. Much of it came from my grandparent's house. My grandmother worked in a clothing factory for a while and used to bring home offcuts. When I see these I am transported back to afternoons at Nanny's making clothes for various toys while sitting in front of the gas fire. A plate of homemade buns and a cup of tea usually featured as well.

I've also inherited lots of curtains. Some are pairs in beautiful condition that I feel the urge to tuck away until I have somewhere to hang them. There is a pair in magnificent shiny green that have a gold sheen when viewed from the right angle. Some curtains have been damaged (one has a large round hole in the middle!). I also have pillow cases and antimacassars, often with beautiful embroidery.

The cupboard that I have designated for fabric storage is usually over flowing with bundles of fabric, ribbons and jars of buttons. To overcome this I have paper carrier bags. Only really lovely ones are permitted. I have a Kew one and two deep, dark blue ones from a charming home and kitchen accessories store called 31st of August. Into these I pack projects that are in progress.

Of course, progress doesn't always mean that I have begun the project, merely that the fabric has been designated for a project. I take a Saturday afternoon. Chilly Saturdays are best, but summer days when it is too hot to be outside are also pleasing. I will already have visited the High Street and purchased bread and other supplies for the week ahead. Dear Heart and I will have had a light lunch and he will be lighting a fire (unless it is summer) in the living room and settling down to play with this friends on Xbox Live.

I go up the stairs to the room I grandly call my study, mug of tea in hand. I close the door to block out the electronic beeps from below, disturbing the wind chimes hanging from the door handle. I might play music but not always. It's good to enjoy the small sounds of the house. I begin to unpack the fabric from my cupboard and from the bags. I examine each piece in turn seeing how it speaks to me. Sometimes a piece of fabric is clearly wanting to be made into a bag or a wallet or a dress. Sometimes when I sort through my designated projects I discover that the fabric has changed its mind and wants to be made into something else.

I fold the the fabric with a pattern if appropriate and any trimmings that I have to hand. Then it goes into the paper carrier bag ready to begin. Often a piece of fabric knows what it wants to be so much that I must begin to cut and sew immediately. A beautiful green and white curtain spoke to me this way in the early summer and I made a kind of wrap dress which I wore with white linen trousers all summer. A crocheted doily that wanted to be part of round drawstring bag.

Maybe I'll cut out the pattern. Or pin it to the fabric. Or decide to wash and iron a new piece of fabric. Or look through patterns and sewing books for inspiration. Or change the lace pinned up at the window.

When I've finished I pack all of the fabric back into the cupboard and bags. Maybe I'll leave out on my desk something that is actual work in progress. A piece of fabric with a needle and thread resting in it looks so pleasing lying on the wooden surface with light coming in from the window next to it.

Then (wearing my new creation if possible) I'll venture down stairs to Dear Heart and the fire. He'll hopefully admire my new work of art. I'll top up the mugs of tea and put some more wood on the fire. Then I'll curl up with a book on the sofa, pausing in my reading occasionally to admire my handiwork.

What I've been making

I finally got around to loading the pictures from the camera to my computer.

This is the bag my sister's birthday presents went in. I actually made it for another occasion but some pomegranate juice intervened. It washed out well though. The outer fabric is a napkin which lacked matching companions and I really liked the design woven into the fabric.

This is a dress I made from an old skirt belonging to my Mum. The waist was too tiny to fit me. I removed the broken zip and the waist band, cut into three of the side seams to make arm holes and the V-neck. I then machined sheering elastic around the waist to give it some shape. Very happy with this and it looks great over jeans.

More as soon as I clear the clutter I referred to yesterday.

Fabric stash

A dear friend is getting married in August and for her hen party we are going to a Great Gatsby Party in the gardens of Easton Lodge. It's a 1920s theme night with a jazz band.

I intended to make a simple dress, adorn it with trimming, wear during evening and then remove trimming and have a pretty summer dress to wear.

With this in mind, I headed off to the fabric shop at lunchtime, with the vouchers Dear Heart gave me for Christmas. I had a hard time choosing between all the different fabrics on offer. I kept having to restrain myself from selecting something that I wouldn't be able to wear on a regular basis after. Happily I managed to find some fabric I liked in the quantity I needed in the remnants bin. I also found some pale green spotty fabric which will make a lovely summer dress. And I picked up some fabric dye to dye my rather tired looking once-cream espadrilles.

I left the store thinking about which fabric I would use first when I realised that I have perfectly nice green and gold dress at home that would do for the party. It has a tiered skirt with a very low waist. It will look excellent with a green and gold headband.

Now all I can think about is what other patterns I might use my fabric to make up. I'm rather busy over the next few days and the weekend which is rather frustrating because I just want to get sewing.

A possible solution?

Naturally I still haven't found time to have a good look through my wardrobe and find something for Saturday night. However I have spent a lot of time finishing my fabric bags to wrap Christmas presents in.

These are made from whatever I happen to have in my fabric cupboard (suppliemented with a few metres of specially purchased fabric). I was sewing a piece of jersey (a rather streaky wine red with dark grey flowers) when I realised that I had made a dress fom the fabric a few years ago with the intention of wearig it to a wedding. The weather then turned out better than I expected so I wore something else.

Hence I have never worn this dress. It's too formal to dress down, looks awful over jeans and really would only be suitable for a party! I'm not certain that the quality of construction is brilliant (it being one of my earlier efforts), but as long as it holds together all should be well. At the very least I know that no one else will be wearing it and I can claim that I made it myself!

A rod for my own back

Last year I attempted to start my own Christmas tradition. I've become concerned by the amount of waste that Christmas generated. So I decided to make drawstring bags (with cute little designs on them) for presents to go in. I used old curtains and all kinds of bits and pieces from my sewing cupboard. They looked absolutely gorgeous. I really wish I had taken a picture. I'd even done fabric gift tags with initials on them so they could be used as a glass charm after.

My big , forward thinking idea was that these would be used year after year for presents instead of paper. I put my initials, the date and 'please reuse me' on the back. I imagined looking back in years to come and remembering who had made various present bags and when they had first been introduced. I rather hope that some other family members might have come up with their own versions for this year (or re-use the ones I made last year).

However this means that I have got to produce around 20 bags for this year's gifts to go in. I'm going to make bags that fold over at the top this year with little ties rather than drawstrings. I suppose I'd better get to work on them tonight or I shall be burning the midnight oil and sewing when I should be enjoying mulled wine by the fire!