Me-Made May 2016

I finished Me Made May 2016–a month of wearing garments made by myself, either sewn, crocheted, or refashioned somehow. It was fun, and not a particular stretch to wear 30 different handmade garments. I might could have gone another week, though it would have involved wearing some fancy dresses and older things.
Click here for a closer look: MeMadeMay2016

Three-way Shawl

I found a big hank of hand-dyed navy-blue wool-silk fibre from Little Wool Co. of New Zealand, in a bag of yarns at a thriftshop. Of course I grabbed it. I knew it could make something quite large, so I started making a big rectangle, not completely sure what it would be….and this is what it became.

The gold edge detail is mohair from another thriftshop goody bag–it’s a little heavier weight yarn, but it helps with holding the shape. The buttons belonged to my great-aunt. And it turns out it can be worn three ways–I like the shoulder-button way best, because it means I can carry a shoulder bag without it getting bunchy.

Trash for Teaching in Gardena

Trash for Teaching in Gardena 2, originally uploaded by pennylrichardsca.

I checked out Trash for Teaching, a warehouse of mostly post-industrial stuff that can easily become supplies for art projects, models and dioramas, displays, crafting… you get the idea. The image above shows four of the bins. The image below, about half of the bins. There are a lot of bins.

Bins, Trash for Teaching in Gardena

I got a materials membership, so I’ll be back a lot… stay tuned. If you want to come with me sometime, they’re open on Wednesdays in the daytime, and one Saturday a month.

Don’t tempt me

No really…. even if you send me something as small as a button–if it’s a cool Polka Dot Creations button–I’m going to have to make a purse based on it.  The brown purse is from a thriftshop, great leather, clean inside (except there was a sample vial of perfume in one of the pockets). Before:

Brown purse, BEFORE

AFTER

The button is attached with thread, after I got Peter to drill holes in the leather.  There’s a lot of gesso, acrylic paints, sharpies, modpodge, krylon.  (See my altered purse tutorial here.) And that button.

DETAIL

Sheert

Sheert, originally uploaded by pennylrichardsca.

A sheert? Yeah, a shirt made from a sheet, or in this case, remnants of two vintage sheets. This is made with the Simplicity New Look pattern 6809, which I’ll definitely use again–it was simple, it fits, it was forgiving of my carelessness, and it’s a good shape for lightweight sheet fabric. And now I’ve made something with sleeves!

These sheet pieces were acquired in Lisa C.’s summer skirt sheet swap–thanks for the fun sheets! (yes, those are flamingos and palm trees)

Frankenblouse #1

Frankenblouse #1, originally uploaded by pennylrichardsca.

One of my reasons for learning to sew is that I have a closet full of thrifted clothes that don’t fit me, but that I like for some reason, and want to wear somehow. So I’m putting together the best parts of two blouses to make one–thus, “Franken-blouse.” This is the result of my first attempt–and I’m pretty happy with it!

The solid peachy-pink blouse I used in its entirety–just slit it down the front. Then I attached much of the front of a second blouse, and reused the sleeve trim from the second blouse too. No extra trim or fabric required–and now two garments that were only taking up closet space are replaced with one garment that will actually see some wear. Yeah!

(Project also posted to Wardrobe Refashion.)

Happy Feet

Green DM MJs, originally uploaded by pennylrichardsca.

Love love love these Doc Martens pastel green mary janes, found in my size at a thriftshop a few years back.