From Sun Dress to Skirt!

I have two identical sundresses - different colors. They used to have straps, which i removed to make cute strapless sundresses. Alas, i've gained some weight and they're now a bit tight in the bosom area! I'm keeping one whole, it may be tight but it's still cute and Summery. But the other i'm chopping into a comfy, fluffy skirt!
Bonus - the top bit now acts as a cute strapless bra/ sunning top. It will help solve many "i don't have a strapless bra so i can't wear this pretty dress/shirt" dilemmas in the future, i'm sure!

I am SO in love with this skirt! It is the most comfortable and downhomecountrycute thing i have ever worn. I wore it the rest of the day: it's comfy for gardening, drawing, walking, sitting on the couch, snuggling, EVERYTHING! My husband loves it as much as i do, so i had better make at least 6 more so that i can wear one every day. I think i'll be scouring the thrift stores for flouncy sun dresses to dismantle from now on!

Method in brief:

• Decide how long you want it to be: i cut 11 inches above the edge of the fluff at the bottom
• This skirt has a liner, so i pinned it first, then cut
• Straight stitch along the top to keep the liner and skirt together
• Fold over 1/4 inch, iron
• Fold over 1/2 inch, iron
• Cut a length of elastic to just tighter than where you want it to set and sew together
• Pin the beginning of the elastic within your little hem and start sewing!
• I used a straight left stitch - this way the pressure foot (and my guiding fingers) held the elastic towards what would be the top of the skirt and sewed the hem to the edge of the fold. You'll have to stretch the elastic at the end
• The result is a very comfortable, slightly bunched top

Before:

 Sweet golfing action shot! Circa 1 year ago: smaller me, more dress.

After:

Lounging, playing, swimming, driving, biking: this skirt is comfy and swell in oh so many ways. 

I'm very tempted to hack the other dress too.

Long Sleeves Gone Short!

Marigold's skirt challenge has really got me going on my sewing machine! I'm a force to be reckonned with, and no unworn article of clothes is safe from my meddling.

I have a lovely, lightweight, long sleeved, yellow ruffly shirt handed over from my Gramma Vivian. No idea how old it is, but the tag definitely does not look new or modern. I love this shirt, but i'm not so keen on the long sleeves that just don't feet very well. Plus i live in Austin. It's hot here. I'd rather wear short sleeves. My desire for a lighter shirt, and my increased age/size causes me to look for shirts with longer short sleeves to flatter my buff arms and 1940s figure in the best way.

Cut cut, hem hem, ruffle ruffle, TA DA. A success! The sleeves are even the same length, i'm amazed.

Method in brief:

• Measured 8.5 inches from shoulder / 4.5 inches from arm pit and cut a straight line
• Cut strips from remaining extra sleeve, sewed short ends together to form a double lengthed section, folded over longways, ironed and  straight stitched together with tension set to 9 and stitch length to 6
• Gathered the material by pulling on the thread and bunching up the cloth to make cute ruffles
• This part is too hard to explain (for me at least) but the jist: hemmed very tiny fold of sleeve, sewed ruffled to sleeve, turn over, turn over again to capture the furry end of the ruffle and stitched close to make a very nice, clean, even hem.

This shirt will be great tucked formally, over skirts or pants for breezy cool comfort, dressy or casual. Yay!

Homemade Clothes: a skirt sewing challenge has begun!

My friend, Marigold over at Hideous, Dreadful, Stinky! is holding a fun selfish sewing challenge for the next few weeks. I'm up to it!  This skirt is kind of cheating, as i sewed it prior to a party a few months ago. Yes, i was invited to a party and had nothing to wear: so i made something! My friends think i'm a little crazy. They're probably right.
Here is the pattern that i sort of used.
And here is how it turned out:
Materials: Sheet bought for about 50 cents at Thrifttown, buttons from a bag of buttons i've had since high school, and thread.
**PS: The pattern calls for a long piece for the waistband that has a tie closure. I hate skirts with tie closures so i used my machine's super fancy and fascinating automatic button hole maker thingy and used buttons. This leaves a bit of a gap at the hip that i should really add more buttons to, but i don't mind showing a little skin!

I love my new sewing machine's fancy stitches. Makes ME feel fancy too! I plan on making another version of this skirt with shorter length. I like the tight/high waistband. It reminds me of 50s housewife era fashion, or maybe poodle skirts? It goes just great with the little off shoulder tank/tee of my gramma's.
Check out Marigold's blog, and get in on the challenge!