Monday, July 23, 2012
Punk lolita inspired skirt
A while ago (and by that I mean like, two years), I made a square overskirt inspired by some from Putumayo, and finally got some quick photos today. Typically I wear it with a different underskirt that I don't have any photos of, but this one is also a skirt I made, using some awesome border embroidery fabric. I LOVE border prints/embroidery.
This is unfortunately the best photo I have of the front, in the middle of fluffing the petticoat. There are three straps around the skirt that I can use to pull it up into these poofs.
Walking in these shoes is actually pretty fun, though I did get a blister on my pinky toe - Can't win everything.
Quick tie dye update
If you remember from my last post, I didn't expect this tie dyeing to go very well since I was pretty lazy about it. It's all sort of... meh. Not terrible by any means, but nothing special either. Ah well.
These shorts in the first two photos (front and back respectively) are also something I made. I pretty much wing it on pants like this, copying only the crotch curve from a random pattern. They have two front pockets, two back pockets, and an elastic waist/hems.
A couple more of the better shirts:
These shorts in the first two photos (front and back respectively) are also something I made. I pretty much wing it on pants like this, copying only the crotch curve from a random pattern. They have two front pockets, two back pockets, and an elastic waist/hems.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
And now for something completely different
By that I mean not sewing, but dyeing is sort of related...
I've been doing tie dye for 5 + years now, but had taken quite a long break recently. Here's my try getting back into it (mostly because I'd gathered way too much white clothing with stains). Granted I didn't try very hard... I had a lot of dye left over after doing the things I wanted to get done, so I just started tying things up randomly.
I can't wait to see if there's any accidental gems in the bunch (that I'll never be able to repeat since I did this so haphazardly - one of the best yet worst parts of tie dyeing).
Speaking of bad things about tie dyeing - this was more of an adventure than I expected. First, I got black dye powder airborne in my bathroom trying to tap it into a squeeze bottle. You do not want to breathe this stuff in! I'm still not sure if I got it all cleaned up.
Later, I was doing the actual dyeing in the utility sink in my basement. Well, this sink drains into a container with a pump that then goes out to a drainage pipe. The pump malfunctioned and the container overflowed into the basement. Bah.
...and now, my wrist/hand is hurting in a spectacular way. I'm quite thankful for washing machines because after wringing out just 16 pieces of whatever, I am in pain.
Anyways, here's a preview:
I've been doing tie dye for 5 + years now, but had taken quite a long break recently. Here's my try getting back into it (mostly because I'd gathered way too much white clothing with stains). Granted I didn't try very hard... I had a lot of dye left over after doing the things I wanted to get done, so I just started tying things up randomly.
I can't wait to see if there's any accidental gems in the bunch (that I'll never be able to repeat since I did this so haphazardly - one of the best yet worst parts of tie dyeing).
Speaking of bad things about tie dyeing - this was more of an adventure than I expected. First, I got black dye powder airborne in my bathroom trying to tap it into a squeeze bottle. You do not want to breathe this stuff in! I'm still not sure if I got it all cleaned up.
Later, I was doing the actual dyeing in the utility sink in my basement. Well, this sink drains into a container with a pump that then goes out to a drainage pipe. The pump malfunctioned and the container overflowed into the basement. Bah.
...and now, my wrist/hand is hurting in a spectacular way. I'm quite thankful for washing machines because after wringing out just 16 pieces of whatever, I am in pain.
Anyways, here's a preview:
Monday, July 9, 2012
When I don't know what to wear, I make something new
Picture this:
It's Friday night, I still have work-from-home projects to finish, and another job to go to at 7:30 am Saturday*. I'm going out after work on Saturday, but won't have much time in between to find an outfit, so I decide to plan it now. I have A LOT of clothes - it takes a while to find something that works. Well, I can't really find anything I want to wear, so of course, like any crazy seamstress, I make something instead!
The pink fabric is a blacklight reactive organza, and the black is just regular tulle. At first, I only wanted the skirt to be pink, but it was looking pretty bland, so I added the black. Better, but now the pink layer looked too long and not fluffy enough (it started as 12" long). To fix that, I added a shorter lining made out of the waistband fabric (some sort of stretchy remnant) and attached the bottom of the pink layer to it to give the skirt a bubble hem. Much Better!
I wore it with my "go-to" top, as you can see below (and of course with some shorts underneath; from the waistband to the bottom the skirt is only 7 or 8 inches long).
* I've been working a lot lately, which has left little time for new projects or even blog posts. I haven't give up on posting! I just have to find the time... it should be better in 2 months when one of my 3, sometimes 4, jobs ends.
It's Friday night, I still have work-from-home projects to finish, and another job to go to at 7:30 am Saturday*. I'm going out after work on Saturday, but won't have much time in between to find an outfit, so I decide to plan it now. I have A LOT of clothes - it takes a while to find something that works. Well, I can't really find anything I want to wear, so of course, like any crazy seamstress, I make something instead!
The pink fabric is a blacklight reactive organza, and the black is just regular tulle. At first, I only wanted the skirt to be pink, but it was looking pretty bland, so I added the black. Better, but now the pink layer looked too long and not fluffy enough (it started as 12" long). To fix that, I added a shorter lining made out of the waistband fabric (some sort of stretchy remnant) and attached the bottom of the pink layer to it to give the skirt a bubble hem. Much Better!
I wore it with my "go-to" top, as you can see below (and of course with some shorts underneath; from the waistband to the bottom the skirt is only 7 or 8 inches long).
* I've been working a lot lately, which has left little time for new projects or even blog posts. I haven't give up on posting! I just have to find the time... it should be better in 2 months when one of my 3, sometimes 4, jobs ends.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Picked up a "new" sewing machine today
That is, new to me. This baby is now sitting in my basement (please excuse general basement mess), waiting patiently until I find some time to clean it up. It's a Singer 9610 if I recall correctly.
When I was a little girl, we had a treadle machine in our hallway. I
still remember playing with it constantly, though I don't know what
brand it was or even what it looked like anymore. The second half of my childhood was spent in an apartment at a triple decker where I eventually found the machine above. It was in the corner of the attic, untouched for many, many years, gathering dust and other grime. I think the layers of wood that make up the table (below) have split apart from the wildly fluctuating temperature and humidity in the attic, but the machine looks to be in good shape and feels smooth when I turn the hand wheel.
A couple months ago I asked the owner of the triple decker if I could have the machine. That's when I learned it would probably go into a dumpster when they cleaned out the attic in the near future. How could I let this go into a dumpster!? I decided that I had to at least try to save the machine... I know I could get one in great shape and with a nicer design for even just $100, but there's something special about knowing I can keep this one out of the trash, have something from a house I grew up in, and have something to remember my landlords by (they became sort of like grandparents to me over the years).
Today I finally got around to heading over there and, with the help of my father, bringing machine and table down the three flights of stairs. This thing is HEAVY. He said he never would have come with me had I told him I needed help with the machine in the attic. Hah! He thought the landlord was giving me one from her apartment.
Next step: find time to clean all the dirt off.
 |
| "Bold. Power." technically refers to Kohler and not my machine, but I think, in a way, it's an appropriate description. |
A couple months ago I asked the owner of the triple decker if I could have the machine. That's when I learned it would probably go into a dumpster when they cleaned out the attic in the near future. How could I let this go into a dumpster!? I decided that I had to at least try to save the machine... I know I could get one in great shape and with a nicer design for even just $100, but there's something special about knowing I can keep this one out of the trash, have something from a house I grew up in, and have something to remember my landlords by (they became sort of like grandparents to me over the years).
Today I finally got around to heading over there and, with the help of my father, bringing machine and table down the three flights of stairs. This thing is HEAVY. He said he never would have come with me had I told him I needed help with the machine in the attic. Hah! He thought the landlord was giving me one from her apartment.
Next step: find time to clean all the dirt off.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Turns out frosted pink vinyl and dry erase markers don't mix. Who knew?
When I bought all that fabric a couple weeks ago, I also picked up some translucent pink vinyl. Today, some of that vinyl became a skirt. I've seen these skirts online before and liked them, though never really considered making one until I found the colored vinyl.
It was a pretty quick project overall. I drew two doughnut shapes with a center hole the size of my hips, one a little narrower than the other (on paper then traced onto the vinyl), cut them out, edged with bias binding, and added a jersey waistband so it's stretchy without needing elastic. The hardest part was sewing the waistband on since the vinyl didn't really want to move though my machine smoothly and kept getting in the way (it doesn't exactly smoosh and fold out of the way like fabric would).
I could really use a wish right now ~
Airplanes by B.o.B. has been stuck in my head since I started working on this skirt. For those who don't know what I'm talking about, here's a remix I kind of like of the song in question (on youtube).
I really like how the skirt looks paired with this top. I've had it for years but never wore it until now. Glad I didn't get rid of it!
As you may have noticed, I love quirky prints in clothing, so when I saw this fabric at the store I knew right away it was meant to be a skirt. One of the best parts: the repeat of the print was the right size to use without cutting any planes in half.
The skirt has side-seam pockets, two rows of elastic in the waistband, thread belt loops, and a hand-done invisible hem. As far as I remember, this is the first project I used my serger on. I like how much faster than zig-zagging it is, but for some reason the stitching is not very pretty. I need to fiddle with the tension settings on it, and learn how to keep the stitching from coming apart where I start/stop.
One of the more popular questions about my skirts when I'm out in public is "do you have something under it to make it so big/poofy/etc.?" I usually answer by flashing a couple inches of petticoat. To answer the question in picture form, here's what it looks like if you were to peek under my skirt! Of course I'd normally have legs, not a metal pole like my dress form : P
I really like how the skirt looks paired with this top. I've had it for years but never wore it until now. Glad I didn't get rid of it!
As you may have noticed, I love quirky prints in clothing, so when I saw this fabric at the store I knew right away it was meant to be a skirt. One of the best parts: the repeat of the print was the right size to use without cutting any planes in half.
The skirt has side-seam pockets, two rows of elastic in the waistband, thread belt loops, and a hand-done invisible hem. As far as I remember, this is the first project I used my serger on. I like how much faster than zig-zagging it is, but for some reason the stitching is not very pretty. I need to fiddle with the tension settings on it, and learn how to keep the stitching from coming apart where I start/stop.
One of the more popular questions about my skirts when I'm out in public is "do you have something under it to make it so big/poofy/etc.?" I usually answer by flashing a couple inches of petticoat. To answer the question in picture form, here's what it looks like if you were to peek under my skirt! Of course I'd normally have legs, not a metal pole like my dress form : P
Friday, May 25, 2012
Candy-colored heart-covered skirt and Victorian project news
A couple weeks ago I started this circle skirt and stopped working on it when I got to the hem, but last night I took a break from work for a few minutes and got it finished! The hem, waistband, and lapped zipper are all top stitched in pink to make it easier for myself (much less hand sewing) and add some detail at the same time. I wore it out today to run errands and got some photos while I was at it. I had made the top a while ago as well; it's sort of a fancy t-shirt.
 |
| I stopped by work dressed like this and my supervisor did a double take. It looks a whole lot different than a black shirt and jeans! Oh and the hair... that too. |
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Victorian project - update 3
I'm sorry I haven't been updating as much as I promised myself I would. There's so many (sometimes odd) things going on lately that sometimes I feel like I'm in an Asian drama, though that may be because I was watching one a couple weeks ago.
I have made some progress on the Victorian costume, but it still has a long way to go. I don't know if I mentioned this before, but the deadline has moved to May 26th, so at least I don't have to get this done by the end of the week!
Tonight, I made a bustle pad of sorts (following these instructions) to help fill out the back of the costume. This is pushing it to a different year, but I'm okay with that since it makes the bodice sit better.
Last week (or the week before maybe), I got the back pleats of the bodice taken in, overskirt figured out, and added a waist tape to the inside of the bodice. The bodice is much lighter with the smaller pleats and feels much nicer when on, though the lining still peeks out.
I have made some progress on the Victorian costume, but it still has a long way to go. I don't know if I mentioned this before, but the deadline has moved to May 26th, so at least I don't have to get this done by the end of the week!
Tonight, I made a bustle pad of sorts (following these instructions) to help fill out the back of the costume. This is pushing it to a different year, but I'm okay with that since it makes the bodice sit better.
Last week (or the week before maybe), I got the back pleats of the bodice taken in, overskirt figured out, and added a waist tape to the inside of the bodice. The bodice is much lighter with the smaller pleats and feels much nicer when on, though the lining still peeks out.
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