I digress.

An old linen dress I wore in the mid-90s on the shop floor of a certain Regent Street store known for its fabric (though I got that particular linen in Dublin when we went for our fifth anniversary) will serve as the top edge of the bag and the strap.

Are we perhaps taking frugality a little far? Are we all in this together/tightening our belts/believing whatever claptrap the Pick-n-Mix government is spouting today? Why DO I keep the news on after Himself leaves for work?!?

Both the bag and the lining got a bitty first layer then another layer to sandwich it all together. I’d usually use a heavier weight interfacing on a bag like this but the light weight interfacing scrap bag was quite full of decent size scraps and I have an awful lot of lighter weight fusible for some reason — you can’t tell from the front of the fabric that I used a crazy patchwork of interfacings.

Every time I make one of these bags, it seems to have different types of inner pockets. This time around I wanted a divider right down the center of the bag so made that of linen:

While I was at it I made a tiny pocket for a pound coin -

It’s just a wee scrap of the linen with one edge satin-stitched first then the three raw edges satin-stitched right to the top section of lining of the bag. I added a loop and a strap for what will eventually have a clip in the end of it. Didn’t have the right size clip so will have to pinch look around for one somewhere. As for the other side,

Individual pockets are nice, but I was itchin’ to get on to the project below so just cut a piece of the lining fabric about half the height of the lining, hemmed the top edge

and stitched through the large pocket and that side of the lining to make the size compartments I desired. Next time I’m doing this sort of pocket I’ll shorten it a bit more as the slots were too deep for my pen, pencil and backup pen (why, yes, Sheldon Cooper IS one of my heroes. Why do you ask?).

Anyhow, I’ll certainly be making one of these bags for the summer — and I fancy a half-size version — but that’s design work for another day. Or the next time I am sitting at the airport waiting on Himself to arrive.

Wait. That’s later today. Pattern, sketchbook and tape measure. Give me a moment while I throw those in my bag.

Plan A was to do short V. B version of Butterick 5362 in a C-list fabric

to just get the fit right (I was thinking the yellow, so naturally this garment would have been halfway out the door before I even cut it). Because of the orientation of the embroidery on those Next curtains I went with the longer dress instead. What’s a little extra thread?

The curtains are mirror image of each other so the embroidery would all be on same side. White is SO no good for this whiter than white black Irish girl. I figure if I liked the fit I could give dye a try — if that didn’t make me love it enough to take it to Asia with me, it could go into the charity bag.

It’s a reasonably heavy chino so even left white wouldn’t need lining. The fabric I have in mind for the actual dress will need a lightweight lawn for a lining. By real dresses I of course mean the ones made from my sentimental journey (see previous post) fabric. Bodice mocks are top of the sewing project list these days as I won’t be starting the trip dresses until after Easter when the winter weight (15-20 pounds/a stone and a half/234567890 kg — the IWOM don’t do metric) is well and truly gone. I could cut and make all my dresses the size I WANT to be for the summer but really, how stupid is that? It’s like buying jeans that you PLAN to fit into. Best lose the weight first as incentive, eh?

The curtain fabric is somewhat heavy and the dress wasn’t draping quite right (it actually has more shape on me than it does on poor Dorothea here). I fussed a little and rid the sides of an odd shape triangle of fabric that was just too…um…bunchy.

Note the far left side of the dress — you are supposed to sew about 2/5 of the way down but when I put it on the resulting lumpy sharp corner was just — weird. I did make the dress three and a half inches longer to account for the embroidery and the fabric is much heavier than advised on the envelope so I don’t think it is a fault with the pattern per se.

Cutting this triangle shape from each side after unpicking that seam I mentioned above then sewing down my cut line and NOT sewing down the last edge again sorted this particular dress.

I have no doubt this will be fine in a lighter weight material as the designer intended.

However, there’s really no way this pale-face can wear a dress as light in color as this and expect you to pick her out FROM the dress. I think I am going with this

and will throw in a few chunks of leftover fabric so I can make matching binding for the neck and arms.

Friday afternoon update: Ye gods….

THAT is bright. I have some navy binding kicking around from another project but I am not sure that the contrast would benefit the overall look so may stick with making binding in the same color. Looks like I need another night to sleep on it.

It also could be turning 45, but I’ll think about that tomorrow. Today is for thinking on the new refashion goal for this year. And snarfing the healthy banana bread I made this morning instead of the chocolate cake I REALLY wanted to make for my birthday.

The blog has undergone a bright and cheery theme change, there are pix up of the new temporary layout of the craft and sewing room and I’ve had a good sort of all the fabric I’ve bought in Asia and other places during the two year Hong Kong assignment. The cottons from Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong and Hawai’i have all been washed and iron and each piece remeasured. I pulled a bunch of go-to, basic dress patterns

and chose the new ones I want to try.

I also picked out some C-list fabric for making bodice mocks on some of the new patterns (better safe than sorry) and in general got myself organized. I know lots of folk do that at the start of the year but this is one time that following the herd/calendar is not such a bad thing.

Simply put, I need a wardrobe for a three and a half week trip round the world at the end of July, I don’t want to spend anything on it and in addition to refashioning what hot weather clothes I kept, I want to use lots of the fabric I’ve acquired (with no purpose in mind at the time) to create a flexible travel ensemble for an almost all hot (HK, Singapore, Darwin, Hawai’i: only Sydney should be a bit chilly) jaunt with the guy whose airmiles are putting us right up front of every plane and in hotel rooms that use reward points (slight compensation for the dozens and dozens of nights apart in 2011). There will be more money to spend on wine that way (two or three of the Australian days will be in the Hunter…).

My first blog and the projects therein was successful because I had a PURPOSE, which is what my refashioning efforts have lacked these past couple years. Knowing what I need and want is already putting me in a better place — before I’ve cut a single new/not so new thing. I’m not sure if I will go on a no-new-clothes buying path yet, but it might be fun to give that a go again too. I’ll let you know.

Best I can tell, Life With Monkey seems to have started this project on its virtual journey years ago: I’ve seen assorted versions, as well as one person who took the idea and sells the finished product . I’m not sure of the etiquette on such things, though if somebody was making and selling something from my books I don’t think I’d be overly pleased unless said seller asked permission. Since I don’t know the details of their arrangement I’ll leave that…but I can’t help but wonder. When I was teaching at Liberty’s Sewing School in the 90s I told people that they could make up to 20 items for charity without asking but anything else needed my express permission. I had a few honest people call or write about that over the years.

Anyhow…all credit to LWM for giving me the basic design idea, which I’ll only be using for myself or a gift. I made one test following her version pretty much exactly, then came up with a slightly different way to make ‘em. All the machine sewing can be done at once and the stuffing and hand finishing done at night while you are sitting watching sports with your handsome husband.

(Who will NEVER see me in these. This is an overnight when he’s away for work/wrap first thing in the morning AFTER he leave for work situation. After nineteen and a half years I’m not going to let slip the secrets of looking-fabulous-as-if-by-magic. It would only be a short step to leaving the bathroom door open. Therein lies the start of the end. Don’t be giving me ‘he should love me no matter what I look like’ crap or we’ll have to step outside — and we’re just here to sew, aren’t we?).

So, why post it here instead of my main blog? Blogger’s prerogative, plus I haven’t put anything here in a while due to lack of refashion inspiration. Er, make that I haven’t refashioned anything of great interest to ME, never mind y’all. I’m on sabbatical from Refashion Co-op at the moment and am not likely to get back soon what with this drought! Well, some of the curlers are made from scraps of fabric with which I made items of clothing so perhaps this tips into refashioning. A little — but not enough.

I digress.

I started with a trawl though the Quilting Leftovers: When you’ve cut too much (next on deck to be published) sample tub for 4 inch strips. I made some of the curlers with 3 1/2 inch strips too, just because I could. I have little blond nieces so I may raid the 2 inch tub next if their Mommy wants some for them. Let me know, Mommy. The winters are dark and long here and Himself is not about to stop travelling so much for work any time soon. Having a good long list of projects from which to chose keeps me away from cheating on Himself with Ben and/or Jerry.

I used 9 1/2 inch strips (LWM used nine inches): more on why in a moment. With the right sides together and one short end turned and finger pressed

I sewed the unturned short end and long end. The turned under end will be the insert stuffing end. If you have a copy of Fabric Leftovers: Simple, adaptable ways to use up scraps you’ll see why I thought to do it this way if you go to page 31. Shameless plug. Naughty IWOM.

I snipped the corners then turned and pressed the tube. A quick test of the auto button hole function of my Janome Memory Craft 3500 was in order as it had been ages since I used it.

I measured five inches from the buttonhole end and stitched straight across.

I think you know why I chose that particular title for today’s post. All I’ve really done is make LWM’s curler in reverse.

Same thread to hand gather = thread to use for sewing on the button. I am a LAZY crafter after all.

Repeat 19 x times. I have made mine to accomodate my very long thick hair — the ‘strap’ needed to be longer than the roller so that’s why I made it 5 inches and the roller 4 inches. As Harriet always says: ‘ten bald men curse you daily’. Himself says that one of his earliest memories of me is when I pulled off my fencing helmet and masses of my long dark hair spilled out. I’m told people around him at the time actually heard him gasp.

Once again — yeah rah Life With Monkey! You have GOT to love someone who uses a CHISEL to cut open her buttonholes!

Yeah, I’ve had enough of jewellery work today but the craft and sewing room is lovely and warm on this cold December day but, unfortunately, mending comes first and that’s not interesting enough to post about.

In the beginning the latter was a little too big a deal. I am stuck with quite a few pair but my very favourite set did not come from a trip in the big seats. If you have a look over on my first refashion blog the story is told there. Those navy British Airways bottoms have been chopped into sleeping shorts for the times I need to wear something to bed so I needed another pair to throw on so I can go outside and shut the garage door when Himself leaves in the morning.

It’s Qantas this time. The top has their funky ‘roo logo on it so I was thinking about what to do with that while I put a good old reliable lettuce edge on the hem once four inches came off. Coincidently enough, that’s about how much I am getting cut off my too-long hair in a few days.

I think these must have been a pair that they gave Himself as they were SO long! As ever, I keep a recipe so the lettuces would match:

Then it was on to an idea I had for fixing some worn bits on one of my Thomas Pink shirts.

Some leaves cut out from the leftovers of a favourite bag (which started as furniture) then formed into a flower shape looks like they will do the trick.

At least one flower will hang out over the edge. A combination of machine and hand stitching

will be a nice contrast to the very tailored shirt but I want to go dig out my old notes from a six Saturday course I did at the London College of Fashion after my year at the Royal School of Needlework before I go any further. I haven’t done anything like this in a while and want to look at all my samples and notes for inspiration.

Went to a wedding over the weekend. The small civil ceremony and meal afterwards were held at an elegant country hotel. Quite a few people were properly dressed: men in kilts or summer suits, women in dresses ranging from simple sheaths to flowery summer frocks. The sister of the groom, who I remember as a mousey little thing at my own wedding, looked stunning in a seriously classy, understated way. The groom beamed so much during the day I’d have allowed him jeans and a T-shirt. (Grooms seldom look so happy throughout to whole day and this one did). Shame about the bride’s too-long dress which hampered her walk down the hall to the room where the short service took place.

I changed my mind and wore a solid plum dress, the sleeves of which I removed to make it more summery, with one of my Jim Thompson silk scarves from Bangkok. Naturally I still wore my HK biggies (see my previous post) with the big pearl studs that J gave me. Luckily it was a brighter purple than the deep aubergine that the bridesmaids found themselves stuffed into. (There are plenty of flattering dresses out there for women of a more ample size. These were not them).

Here’s how I figure it. The men who didn’t wear kilts didn’t have them or didn’t care to hire them so wore suits. The ones who simply wore shirts and trousers didn’t care enough about the event to dress respectfully. (One did wear a tie, which simply looks foolish without a suit). The woman who wore a skin-tight hooker dress…in WHITE…I can’t even get to where I might think about why she wore that.

WHO. WEARS. WHITE. TO. A. WEDDING?

Help me out. ‘But I only have one nice dress and it is white’. Two words: machine dye. Or wear a jacket over it. Or a big pashmina. Sew on some appliqués. Get someone to do it for you. Take ‘em off later. Borrow a dress. It ain’t your day. You are detracting from the bride. I don’t care if it is her third or fourth time out or she’s been shacking up with the groom for a decade or her children with said groom are in the wedding party. There are some things that you do not do.

A few of the older women there were just spitting. I suggested that one of them could go up to this tart (and that’s what you look like when you go to a wedding in a skin tight, leave nothing to the imagination, better darn well not drop anything in case you have to bend over to pick it up WHITE dress) and ask if she always wears white to a wedding or was it just this particular bride she wanted to insult. I made several new friends with that comment I tell you.

Oi. When Himself gets back from his latest travels (I want to say Denmark) I’ll take a picture of the plum dress refashion, which was really just a sleeve removal and facing making. It was a good call: the flower dress shown in the previous post is nice and all, but just a touch too casual.

In the meantime I have some paid work. I decided the way to get round my dilemma of doing paid work would be by swapping for my skills (a practice that also applies to my pearl jewellery ‘business’) based on the hours taken for a particular project. Rebuilding a skirt waistline was done for a bottle of a very good Barossa shiraz. The two trousers hems today were negotiated for a bottle of a Marlborough sauvignon blanc of which Himself is quite fond.

I can think about what to do with this as well:

In a reverse link, I talk about this over on Refashion Co-op in order to enlist the help of my fellow refashioners by picking thier brains. The usual way of a joint blog such as RC is to post a few details and pix there then leave the main story to your own blog so you do not hog up space. I’m just feeling a bit wicked today.

Like a GUEST who WEARS WHITE TO A WEDDING.

Look at me, look at me, look at MEEEEE. That’s got to be what it is.

The zip is topstitched on. I’ve had to do too much ‘perfect’ sewing these days between commissions and alterations (yes, I know I said I don’t do that anymore but I have found a way to  get round it in my head: a post on that is to come) so something in the other direction seemed called for on this long-running project.

It isn’t that I don’t WANT to finish the bag, I’ve just have other things to do first. There’s the garden of course, which is feeding us lettuce, zucchini, strawberries and (in another day or two) blueberries, then I had to build up some pearl stock due to so many people asking about what I had for sale these days , then I got a few commissions (one of which I swapped for house work), which then led to more sales of the stock, which is why I need to get back to pearling once I sort out what to wear for this wedding. Let’s hear it for another weekend of golf competitions both days. They do help me get caught up.

There are few truths in this world. Of one I am certain: just as the majority of men look good (or at least better) in a dinner suit (and like thugs and low-lifes in tammies), most men look FABULOUS in a kilt.

Himself wears his but once or twice a year now. I joke that it takes him longer to get dressed for formal things than it does me (then again, I build foundations into my gowns and don’t wear make up so I’ve got plenty of time to help him with all the many bits he needs to get into). The wedding is at 3PM so technically too early for this jacket and vest but it is what he has at present. When we go to Hong Kong next summer we can go to his tailor and get a more appropriate jacket made for day wear. I’ll go shopping at the pearl wholesalers while he does that.

There was no question that I was going to buy anything new for this thing. Frankly, we are spending far more on this event than we should. As the only child of two only children, Himself has a tiny family.  A cousin of his mother married a cousin of his father and they had two kids, who are therefore his only cousins, and it is the older who is tying the knot. We have not seen the groom in perhaps ten years and never met the bride. The couple asked for money (which is beyoooond tacky), we have to spend the night at the hotel where the wedding is taking place and you’ve heard me before on the price (85% tax) of petrol in this country. Did I also mention that we are driving up and back and staying in the same hotel as Himself’s parents? This whole event falls under the better or worse clause. If I were a petty, modern feminist sort of wife I would say that Himself owes me. Good thing for him I’m not, eh?

After checking the weather for this coming Saturday three hours to the north of us, I decided to go with this dress

which is a restyle of a dress I made about 20 years ago. See here for the story. 

It is, however, backless and I do not show my ink in such settings so I chose this old cardigan to go with it.

On a recent Refashion Co-op post, you’ll find a very easy and fast way to spiff up a T or tank or sweater. I need to go grab that link for you but it isn’t that long posted so will be easy enough to find!

For my fabric circles I used one of the old muslin curtains I’d made for the conservatory windows when we headed off on the assignment. My little makeshift curtains were replaced with custom built-in venetian blinds with part of the ‘settling back in payment’ — which should not be in any way considered a bonus ’cause we don’t use that word anymore — and have been sitting around looking for a purpose.

I like these flowers better when the folds are offset.

But…I was not liking the look as much as I thought I would.

Spread thin these flowers are too flat and bitty. Bunched up they were going toward a clown collar look. They were also making the buttons pop more than I liked, so I took a break and change the buttons to pale blue.

While I was fussing with the flowers, I though ‘I’ll wear my big, fabulous Hong Kong pearls’. You could wear a sack with those and nobody would notice anything but the pearls. Just as Himself only gets to wear his kilt every so often, I am no longer in many situations that require BIG pearls. J (she who taught me to string, knot and chose pearls, for which she has my eternal gratitude) always says there is NO outfit that you can wear that does not benefit from some sort of pearls.

Those little fabric circle flowers are going to detract big time from the pearls, so this refashion (after an hour or so that COULD have been allotted to the fish bag!) amounts to a change in buttons. I’ll save the wee circle flowers for something else.

 (you’ll have to imagine this as I did not take a picture of it before starting to cut)

and a pattern picked up on sale last trip across the pond;

add a little improvised neck embellishment (sewn onto a pin to make it easily removable)

and there you go. I am in harvesting mode vs. refashioning mode these days so have a few thoughts about how to use Himself’s lovely Thomas Pink shirts with this pattern.

I do like that lower edge.

 View A is my go-to bag.

I made the first one out of scraps from this project -

- a super king mattress quartered and covered with these two fabrics. Stacked two by two and stuck into a nook in the office, it turns that room into a single guest room. It looks great against the birch tree mural there in the nook.

I digress. 

Others have been made — sometimes with bought (!!!) fabric — for all sorts of people. Using denim for the bottom of the bag OR the straps/top band is a good way to stretch a piece of fabric you want to use but don’t have enough of to make the whole bag in it. (Please don’t call the grammar police – just read that sentence again). I am quite fond of using posh Tana Lawn and old worn out denim together. Gotta love that contrast. In my Scrap Craft classes at Liberty’s old Sewing School I would suggest this and get shocked looks from some of my students. If I remember right the Fabric Bowls in my book (see the ‘About my Book page on this blog) use this combo.

Train of thought…back to the depot….

I need/needed a version of this for a specific reason. It needs/needed to go with the choice of clothing for said reason. (Can’t tell you what it is/was. I’d have to kill you). An item in the re-refashion box was the perfect color and pattern. Yes: I have refashion boxes AND re-refashion boxes. When I have a morning of organizing the craft room, I have a morning of organizing the craft room.

I have not worn that wrap skirt since we left HK. I often wore that robin’s egg blue Gap top from the last post with this Death Fabric skirt. Actually, I’ve made lots of things from this New Look pattern over the years.

(For heaven’s sake, IWOM: keep on topic!).

I did not take the skirt to pieces – I simply cut what I needed from the bottom part so that I could just re-hem it as a short above the knee skirt that I can use on our trip to Asia next summer. A belt made from the same fabric did for the two straps.

The pattern calls for one large pocket on one side of the lining, but I made two pockets for the other side as well on my first bag using this pattern. That large pocket looked really large, so before assembling the bag and lining I stitched two lines down each side for pens/pencils.

After carrying around the original for a bit, I started making notes on the sort of things that might be useful in future incarnations. A strap with a hook for keys, buckles on the straps to make them adjustable and some proper inner zipped pockets have gone into the others that I’ve made for gifts. One was a vinyl tablecloth in its first life which makes it waterproof. I could use one of those myself.

I didn’t have time to fuss with zip or flap pockets for the lining on this bag so made snug pockets to order. The pattern calls for interfacing the bag lining and band facing but the fabric is quite a soft weave so I used some medium weight on both the bag and pockets. I used interfacing scraps to reinforce just the bottoms of the inside pockets.

If you are making one of these, before you get too excited you need to make sure your pockets are the size you need. (One of these had to be re-made). And once you choose the location, move them up a little and in from the edge a little. Trust me. You’ll be happy you did.

You can put a pocket on a pocket if you like

and if you are going to include a hook on a tab for keys or the like do sew it into the band facing for strength.  

All the pockets were designed around the items I need/needed to bring with me. Didn’t/don’t need the case for the sunglasses, the mobile pocket holds/held the thing nice and snug and away from the other stuff in the bag and that pocket in a pocket was/will be useful for holding my travelling tape measure. I over-pulled a cheap freebie tape measure to the point where it would no longer retract so cut it from the holder and keep it in whatever bag I take on my travels. Can’t tell you the number of non-fabric related incidents for which it has been useful.

I was surprised not to have a more interesting button in the stash 

but I may find/may have found something better on my travels.

IWOM. It isn’t just an online name….

My Gap camisoles bought for what became the two year Hong Kong stint have done their duty and then some. All of them need to be something else. Today is the robin’s egg blue’s turn.

This halter took about five minutes to make. Re-make. My fish scarf was 14 inches by 66 inches (so sort of 35cm by 180cm?). I tied a gentle knot in the middle,

tacked it to the center then tied two more knots in on either side so that they would sit on top of the spots where the straps were removed.

(I suppose you could put more knots in if you liked the effect it would achieve).

And…err… that would be it. Put on. Tie behind neck. Show us the back, Dorothea, if you please.

I suppose you could use any lightweight material from your scrap bag/box/drawer, hemming or zig-zagging the edges of course so it doesn’t fray. And I suppose if you didn’t want it to be permanent you could use safety pins instead of sewing the scarf to the cami. This would be a good project for a beginner or non-sewer.

The original cami style was always a little too underwear-y for me so I always had some sort of shirt or wrap over it. I would wear this now as is. Well, anywhere I didn’t mind displaying my ink.

This is so simple that I am rather embarrassed to be using it for my July RC post. Gonna use it anyway so I can get back to the fish bag.