Hardware First

My next project will combine decoration and function in a bathroom wall hanger. As I learned with last fall's curtain project, it's important to get the hardware (rods, rings, header boards) squared away before the sewing begins. Here are four pretty knobs I installed in the bathroom this morning.



And here's a bonus knob I added to the medicine cabinet.



More to come as this project progresses!
You can click either of these photos to see a larger image.

Making Old Clothes Better

The photos below are before-and-after shots of two shirts I'm in the process of taking in. The shirt on the left (purple) has quite a flare at the waist, which has always made me feel uncomfortable. I've addressed the problem by only wearing these blouses under a sweater or jacket of some kind, but warm weather is just around the corner and that's not going to cut it for much longer.

I began by extending the darts to the bottom hem, as you can see on the right-hand (green) shirt. That didn't do the trick entirely, so I ripped out the hem at each side seam and extended the side seams straight down from their narrowest place. This makes the shirt fit much better around my belly.



I re-stitched the hem along the side seams and now I have short-sleeved blouses for spring and summer!



You can click either of these photos to see a larger image.

Making Old Clothes New

Summer is coming and I’m getting that old itch to stock up on skirts for warm weather. However, a peek through my skirt collection reveals several great pieces I haven’t worn for a long time because they don’t fit properly or are out of the style I prefer. Inspired New Dress a Day, a blog I’ve been enjoying, I broke out the scissors and set about making the most of what I already have in the closet.

(You, too, can enjoy http://newdressaday.wordpress.com/)

I’ve been thinking I need something neutral and inconspicuous to cover my bum on leggings-and-tee-shirt days this summer. Denim fits the bill, but knee-length styles in denim are très outré and I haven’t worn this skirt comfortably in years. My sis recently taught me a stunning technique for shortening jeans, so I put it to work on my skirt.

The approach is to cut the skirt (or trouser leg) to the exact length you desire. Then, rip the stitching from the hem and make it into a length of seam-binding for application to your new bottom edge. Here’s a photo of my new mini, and the extra fabric I removed. I’m just about done with pin-basting, and I’ll use gold thread to attach the hem so it matches the rest of the garment.



Ta-da! Mini Me :)



You can click either of these photos to see a larger image.

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Those of you who have known me for a while may remember my chubby phase(s). Whatever. Through it all, I retained my sense of pattern and, at some point, purchased this darling cotton skirt. While I’m glad Mother Nature eventually returned my waist to me, I’ve spent far too long either (a) safety-pinning this skirt to fit when I really, really want to wear it, or (b) gazing longingly at it hanging in my closet.



The side zipper makes this one hard to take in at the seams, but my mother suggested I add darts at four places around the waist. I measured the amount of fabric I wanted to lose, divided it by four, and stitched those babies up!



You can click any of these photos to see a larger image.