A fall-plaid skirt

A stash-busting, fall coloured, plaid skirt! This beautiful wool plaid has been hiding out in my stash for years. After the moth infestation I went sorting through my boxes just to ensure that everything was moth free and came across it. Amazing what you forget you own. As soon as I saw this plaid I knew exactly what I was going to make.

Inspiration came from Lladybird's beautiful and bright circle skirt and from Andrea's gorgeous half circle skirt over at four square walls (I love those skirts!).

There was only just enough material to make a half circle skirt, and amazingly enough I was able to match the large plaid pattern. That took a lot of plaid tracing and measuring, and I had to repeat the process three time because I couldn't believe my luck when I realized that it would work.

The zany-zipper dilemma was sorted. I had to remove the invisible zipper and refit the waistband of the skirt. Instead of re-inserting another invisible zipper (had I mentioned that the first one broke?), I decided to go with a bright red 'regular' zipper from my stash because the wool was too thick folded over to allow the invisible zipper to do its thing (that would be ZIP).

If anyone out there knows of a really great online 'regular' zipper tutorial, please give me shout. I've figured out the invisible ones, but perfecting the normal zippers still seems to be beyond me. I am content in the fact that the red zipper does not standing out, but please try not to notice the lumpy-zig-zagging stitches that hold the zipper in place.  :)

So, with a lot of hand stitching to ensure the bright red zipper was hidden as much as possible, I now have a finished fall skirt.

Whatever happened to those comfy pair of jeans?

I promised you here that one day I'd show you my jean 'collection'. Well, since my sewing machine is given me headaches (not picking up stitches), I thought I'd share the collection instead.

So, whatever did happened to those comfy pair of jeans? Those that I've worn out, I've stashed away in boxes like this:

 Then they are disassembled and stored here and here:

 

And then finally they get made into something usually like this:

A shopping/utility/multi-purpose bag! Personally, I enjoy using them way more than the cheep ones sold at the grocery store. Each bag has it's own personality; I add in drapery fabric from a sample book I was given. They are great to use too because they have the same weight and (usually) texture as the jeans.

This funny hobby originated from my favourite jeans about ten years ago. You know, those pair that are incredibly comfy, you wear them all the time, and then they slowly start to deteriorate and so you add a patch here, and there. Then they rip more, and you hand stitch them there and here, and add another patch to reinforce the old ones too. And then those pants deteriorate so much that one day while doing maintenance work, you hear a RRRIIIIPPPPP, and you know that the only you will wear these pants anymore is with a pair of leggings underneath. (And you do too, because you work at camp, and this is totally acceptable).

But one day, those jeans must retire. And myself, having artfully stitched and patched those pants, couldn't bear to toss them. So instead I cut them up and made my very first jean bag. (The yellow plaid was even the patching material I had used over and over).

And I still use it years later! I have made many more, so many I couldn't take pictures of them all. But every part of the jeans are used. The back pockets are used on the insides, belt loops for decorations, and the waist bands (the most valuable part) are used as the handles. (You always need two pairs of jeans to make one bag...)

The material gets used for the obvious, and even the thick seams of the jeans I will cut out and weave together and make funky bags.

Family and friends started donating their old jeans to me, and now I've made many projects with denim, including a quilt (a gift: Thanks for the picture D.), hot 'plates', coasters and even a computer case (unsuccessfully).

It's a heavy fabric, and can be a pain to sew the thick seams, but I enjoy the results more. And the fact that my old favourite jeans can still be used. That's some great upcycling for ya!

In the mean time...

I promise I'm alive still. I have just started back at school and I am learning a balance between school, rest and sewing. As much as I love my craft times, I don't find starting new projects a relaxing activity. I enjoy the process, but I've learned that it's better to start something new with a fresh set of eyes and a brain free of gobbledygook so I can properly understand the instructions.
That all said, I do have a few projects on the go, and two new remnant bin finds for future Sorbettos, or variations there of.
In the mean time I will share a past project with you which I have been meaning to publish anyways.

The Baby Quilt

 Well, one of them. I have made a few, but sadly, forgotten to take photos before giving them away. This one I made using lots of scraps from my quilting fabrics, remnant bin finds and some really fun prints that were a birthday present. I did buy the bright blue and the orange striped cotton to bring the whole blanket together.
 

Instead of traditional quilting, intricate hand-sewn (or machine) patterns, or even my usual machine sewn rows, I decided to hand quilt the outlines of the small animals across the blanket. It worked out very nicely, and was a great lap project for a few long car rides in the passenger seat. Hopefully the young gift-recipient will enjoy the blanket just as much as I enjoyed making it.

Using up old scraps.

I have boxes of scraps. Yes it's true. Some are even just big enough to SQEEEEZE a top or skirt out of too!

I was able to make this Sorbetto from a blue plaid shirting cotton (I think). It's very thin, so I doubled the bias tape (bright!) on the bottom. My muslin was too short, so I added a strip on the bottom with the plaid on the bias. That's my favourite part actually. I also lowered the bust darts, which were too high to start. I followed a tutorial on BurdaStyle for this, but only lowered them on the final version...oops...too low now. I cut out a size 4 on top and tappered down to a 0 on the bottom (!). I find it very hard to believe that that is a true size 0.

I'm going to attempt making one for my mom from an old blouse of her's.

Next scrappy project is the free paperbag skirt tutorial from Suzannah Adventures in Dressmaking. I used some smoky-green, stretchy woven 'stuff'. (I don't know a lot about materials yet...)

I had to cut down the amount of fabric at the waist because I didn't have enough. My pleats are just smaller. Though I've played with invisible zippers lots, this was my fisrt 'real' zipper. Easy-peasy. (But I've learned backwards, right?). Any ideas on how to get the pleasts to fall more naturally?

Like the socks? ;) Oh, and the skirt is not hemmed yet, but I was too excited. Mmm, tea.