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Showing posts with label upcycle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label upcycle. Show all posts

Thursday, December 08, 2016

Upcycle - the way to go!

Assalammu'alaikum family, friends, readers and followers of this blog. I am attacked with an overdose of sewing mojo and have been sewing a lot lately.. And yesterday, the mojo didnt go away, but my energy level was running low...

I re-visited some blogs, and I found some inspiration at Seam Ripper Joe!

So, I decided to just upcycle just to rid the overdose of sewing mojo - or perhaps just so it didn't die on me suddenly (because we all know that when the mojo goes away, it takes a whole lot to get it back!).

I am totally sold for a shirtdress lately (thanks to that McCalls 7380 pattern!), so I took some of my existing work shirts out to see if there are any matching remnants that I can match with.. And I found just the match.. I was initially torn between these two and got friends to vote in which matches better..


And i got 3 votes to pick the left and just one vote picking the one of the right!

Perfect! So I set myself out to upcycle it the simplest way I could because my energy is really low to calculate or think too much. So I decided to just do a gathered skirt part, which means I just need two rectangular pieces and just gather them to fit the shirt bodice.

And as we all know, my dresses needs deep pockets, so i added them in with not much choice. :p

I was so happy as I sew them all together because it matches oh so perfectly!

LOOK!

Aint it perfect?

And them pockets! Oh so lovely!

I love how these pockets rarely shows bulk. And how I can make it soo deep and feels normal!

And more perfect when I wore it today!

Look at the room in the skirt! 

My hands in the pocket feels so perfect!

And that's my compilation. And I love the happy print, not too loud, but statement enough to be twirling in it! I love love love shirtdresses! And I will probably chop off my yellow shirt and match it up with the yellow chevron fabric that has been lying in my stash like a sore thumb soon!

And here's the yellow one!

I didnt add much flare on this one, and had cut the shirt a little too short (thus the higher bodice). Thankfully, I made the pockets deeper on this one, so my hands (when inside the pocket) still lands right, and not in an awkward position. So yeay to deep pockets! :)

  And the balance of the shirts and fabric was then made into a little shirt for a 2 going 3 yr old. so pretty! I couldnt decide if I should cut off the bodice and add a skirt to it like mine, or leave it as is.



Oh the existing shirt? it is a Giordano Shirt. It is comfy, but the womens' always ends a lil tad short on my bod, and I often had to layer it with a long body inner to feel more secure/modest. So this upcycle gave my shirt a new life! I am so proudly skipping my way to work in this!

To more upcycling!

A happy sewist wearing her own handmade!
Jun

Wassalam

Thursday, April 30, 2015

Upcycle my way here!

Assalammu'alaikum family, friends, readers and followers of this blog. I know... I have been "missing" again.. I am really sorry..

Well, while I was "missing", I found an old flame burning once again.. the flame of passion in sewing and creating something new, particularly, in upcycling old clothes that has been occupying the lowest drawers, or the highest shelf in the wardrobe.

Well I had the desire to sew, but whilst my mom was active, I couldn't as we would be fighting over the machine. PLUS, she is a perfectionist, everything has to be in a certain manner before anyone can touch her machine. So, now that she had retire from sewing for others because of her failing eyesight and sense of touch, I now have more control over the machine and can make a mess. However, I discovered that when you are into sewing, the mess really gets into you. So I ended up more and more like my mom, picking up nonsensical stash that was in the way (even it is not!) and put it into the stash trash. Then the scissors has to be in a certain way, at a certain position and if it is not, it spoils the whole momentum of sewing. This is TRUE!

I am far from a perfectionist, meticulous maybe, but never a perfectionist, so when it gets into me, I bet you it killed her when we mess her stuff while she was sewing back in the day, eh? Poor mom, sorry!!

Well, back in the day, my mom would usually watch me and breathe down my neck as I sew to point my mistakes - every SINGLE one of them! And most times, she get impatient and her OCD/Perfect self will push me aside and take over the whole project. So I learnt nothing but to complain and let her take over.

Now, it is different because of her failing sight and sense of touch, she HAVE to let me help her and she HAVE to let me learn. She let me do all the work, and if I am ever stubborn to not listen, she will still have the last laugh when I blurred myself out because it didnt go as planned. After she is all done with the cheeky smile and the evil laugh or the sarcastic remarks, she would come to me and tell me where I go wrong - AGAIN. So ya, NOW I appreciate and REALLY appreciate her correcting me. I learn a lot no matter how I deny.

So, what have I made so far? Well, apart from buying fabrics and more fabrics, I have done the following:

Pajama Pants
I have been holding on to this idea for many years! It was an almost fail - thank my mom for spotting my mistake early. hehehe.. I love this pants!!! LOVE it that I made a second pair, and probably will be making more!

Pin Cushion + Stash Trash
This is so practical! I love it and I use it every time I am using the machine. I feel that all seamstress should have this made for themselves!


Fabric Baskets
 Ah! These are my favorites! Easy (and addictive) to make and very very practical! It now holds all my sewing needs, my fabric stash, my scirssors, my rulers, chalks, pins, etc. And once I get my hands on great interfacing material, I will be making much more than just a pair!

A caddy
This I made though I doubt I'd use it (at least not yet). It is a little flimsy as I didnt have any interfacing, but a good try! This can be used on a stroller or the back of any chair!


Heat/Cold packs
My shoulder and back were aching, so I figured I neeeded these. I made two, one to keep in the office and one to keep at home. It was indeed very handy! I used uncooked rice and mixed it with essential oil (I used lavendar + lemon for home and lavendar + peppermint at office).

An instant hijab
That was a little proud moment, I shall say! Although it was not the right fabric (I bought poly cotton and it was stiff - needless to say! Not like my mom didnt warn me). I like it anyway, it proves me that I can actually sew my own instant hijab, and I will indeed make more once I get my hands on the CORRECT fabric - people are advising me to get Rosepeach, Bsline, Cotton Voile or Sildoll material. We shall see what I can get in the next fabric shopping day, okay?

And last night, I finally braved myself to get back to my upcycling habit and did this:

Old jeans = New Skirt
Yup, I upcycled an old jeans, and turn it into a new skirt, just by using 1 yard of fabric. It turns out pretty, I should say! This, my mom havent seen, she'd force me to her serger the next time I want to do this, which means I need to precut the add on fabric. That scares me! Haha.. I am always afraid of precutting my fabric and serge them in fear it became too small.. This one I cheated by placing a rectangular piece beneath the skirt, pin them all up and sew them in place and then proceed to cut the excess and sew in the hem in place. Oh wells, I guess we all have to learn when one is living in with a prefectionist eh?

So wish me luck in this new journey! I have thousands of idea in my head, but hardly any time. Led someone to say that I am way to hype!

I guess I am meant to create stuff... Just that I have not that much luck in selling anything. Most of my businesses has no sales, I couldnt even tell why.. because the next person who came to me, took my items and sell it off no problem at double the price. And yet I struggle. Even with ads, even with promotions, and engagement... I failed. I was probably just not made to sell, but just to create, and help. Maybe.. And of course, I am meant to write and share!

So.. The long weekend is here.. What's your weekend plan??

Me? I am just gonna dig up old shirts and make them into skirts, maybe? We'll see..

Have a great long weekend, and oh! Happy Labour Day!

Wassallam,
Jun