Circle skirt

Sometimes I just go into fabric stores and look around. Sometimes I come out with nothing, but on May 16 I bought something.

 

Anyway I wasn’t really sure what to do with it at the time, I just liked the color and design. A friend suggested a skirt, and I thought that was a good idea. I just didn’t get around to doing it until now. Plus, I was busy with some other sewing project (and work, which I started just this week). I had quite a lot of this fabric so I figured I had enough to make this circle skirt which was simple enough. When I had bought some wide elastic, I went to work on it right away.

Back it up, Back it up

These are just a bunch of modifications of my clothes that I find too poofy. I pin these every time I wear them so I figured I might as well make them permanent. I’m not much of a belt person and I didn’t want to change the front of these blouses so I tucked them at the back.

Candidate #1 is an orange blouse from Apple & Eve. One of the most expensive articles of clothing I’ve bought! I got a medium because the chub on my arms prevented me from buying the smaller size. So I have nice fitting sleeves but it was extra-poofy around the waist. The front wasn’t very different in the before and after, though. But it feels better now.

sheer

Dainty – made with sheer fabric, wood beads and buttons.

 

PhP 130

Surprise Craft Attack

Who watched Art Attack on Disney Channel? Wasn’t that guy (I can’t recall his name) really awesome? I love his accent and how he says “PVA Glue” all the time. Anyway, this isn’t about that.

I was supposed to just do some stuff on my laptop this afternoon but when I realized there was still some daylight, I figured I could make a quick craft. I’ve been seeing a lot of fabric-covered bead necklaces around so I started making that. When I turned the fabric I sewed inside-out, I forced it a bit and popped some of the seams. My craft momentum slowed to a halt so I just sat back in front of my laptop and tied the thingy I made around my neck.

After a few hours, the look kinda grew on me. I like it.

 

See my bandaged finger. I cut myself while ripping out thread on another craft this morning. <sarcastic YAY>

oh, and that’s a safety pin hanging from one end.

Wire, Pins and Other Things

Today I tried a bunch of experiments with wire. I should get thicker gauge wire someday.

inspirations/sources: [1] [2] [3]

Also, I saw these lovely pincushions and realized how pitiful my makeshift pincushion was. So I pulled out an old sponge and wrapped it with cloth.

Finally, a necklace from a bracelet and a pinecone-ish pendant made of ribbon. Yes, I am wearing a restaurant shirt.

I’m planning to do this next, similar to the yellow-and-green triangle things up top. Let’s see how far my patience takes me.

 

Ready for the Tea Party

I have a bunch of sewn stuff that I’m actually willing to sell. I’ve been hesitant to sell some of the stuff I’ve made because I’m still trying to improve my sewing machine skills. But these pass my high standards so now I allow myself to share these with you. Besides, though I love what I made, they aren’t really my style so I probably wouldn’t use them myself. It’d be better if somebody else does 🙂

They’re sort of in a similar theme, I imagine wearing these to a picnic or a tea party (hence the title). We don’t do tea parties here where I come from :p

1. Granny Cardi(gan) – The cardigan is an extremely rarely used piece (I have a blue one and I use that). I think I’ve only used it twice. It was bought many, many years ago at Cinderella; cream colored with a golden sheen; is fastened only by a hook at the collar; size: small (my beautiful measurements here). I added the ruffles and the hem which are repurposed elastic lace and stretchy beige fabric.

PhP 300

Param-pa-POM-POM

Things I made today with little fabric pom poms. The strips of cloth I used for these were cut from hems of shirts I’ve already cut up.

Earrings! I’m at a shortage of fish hooks, so I just put these antique bronze ones on for hanging purposes.

 

When 2 Become 1 and then some

In case you’re wondering: Yes, I was a Spice Girls fan. I was a teenager, go figure.

Today I finally got thread to (almost) match the aqua shirt I’ve cut up to attach to a skirt. I say almost because I settled on a more turquoise (darker) shade. I couldn’t find a better match. I’ve cut, measured, pinned and basted the top since last week, but I only got around to sewing them today.

Here’s the top. It was a T-shirt in its previous life, now I cropped the bottom and removed the sleeves.

Here’s the skirt. When I wear it properly, it falls just above my ankles. If I wear it empire style, it stops at mid-calf.

Scrappy

Today I turned an underused skirt into a bag. This skirt was one of the first pieces of clothing that my boyfriend bought for me, so… sorry to him. LOL.

Before: Skirt. True to the blog post title, this skirt looks like a patchwork job made of small pieces (scraps) of the same army fatigue corduroy fabric

After: Bag!

Pockets!

The number one thing I want for my skirts are pockets. I love my skirts, but I hate having to hold my small things (phone, lip balm, loose change, etc) or have them all jumbled up in my bag. That’s why one of the first things I thought of doing when I started my sewing projects was to put pockets in my skirts. At least, those that can have pockets.

Even before I relearned using the sewing machine, I’ve been going around fabric shops buying 1-yard lengths of fabric to use for this (among other small things). I folded them in half and cut them into pocket-shaped pieces, sewed around it (twice, but not forgetting to leave one side open), partially ripped open the side seams of my skirts and sewed the pockets on.

Here’s what it looks like on the inside: