Update on my first refashion progress.

It is GREY here today, we have been enduring Strong wind over the last few days, at time's gale force. So these pictures aren't the best in this low light.

I have read through Handmade home and its no surprise that I really enjoy Amanda Soule's style of writing, the way she makes me feel connections with my past and home, and her love for her family shine through.
I enjoyed the book but only a handful of projects jump out at me in this time of my life as something I would want to make now, surprisingly (or not) most are bags.

I was a bit stunned to make the sudden realisation that we do not have a rag bag, it was one of those simple and obvious answers to a storage problem here ... LOL ... not only that but I have a Raggedy Ann and Andy Sheet that was handed down and became Miss 5's favourites before one tore in half. This being the obvious fabric to fashion a Rag bag from.

I was really happy with the way my $4.00 top refashion was shaping up as an A line tunic and so too was Miss 5. Then when I got her to try it on last night I realised that I hadn't adjusted the shoulder width and had reconnected the sleeves at the same place they were on the ladies top.


So I got her to stand still and pinned them in the correct place and decided to top stitch it down with a zig zag to match the detail I put at the hem. It looked AWFUL and was not straight so I started to unpick it. Carefully cutting the stitches with my embroidery scissors as the unpicker was too harsh.


Unfortunately, despite how extremely careful I was the thin light cotton knit continued to tear ... once one hole appeared it was already too late to go back, I couldn't leave it the way it was. There is significant damage to both the front and back ...



She is genuinely upset! She was impatient with it at first but as she saw it together and it fitted and she liked it, she took ownership and waited so patiently as I pinned. So now I am taking a step back for a day or so, not admitting defeat yet, and I'm thinking ... I still have the lower half of the original sleeves, can I repair and rectify it somehow with these??


So after my reading and thoughts of history. I decided it was time to tackle some of the bundles of kids clothes tucked under my bed, the ones I didn't want to keep for sentimental reasons, the ones I wasn't ready to give away, the ones I thought I could E bay and The ones that I loved ...

I do have just a few special pieces from each child tucked away in my cupboard. These were the others.

I found two of my absolute favourite size 00 dresses, ones I didn't want to keep for any sentimental reasons but couldn't give away, I looked at them together and they just suddenly, from no where shouted 'HAND BAG' so obviously!
It was one of those ideas you have where you just want to stop everything and create it right this minute! I held them together and twisted and turned and envisioned and ...Decided to sit on it a bit, will play and pin perhaps tonight but do want to avoid a difficult situation like the re fashion incident ... so a little more planning is in order ... I am SOO happy that it all fell together like this as I couldn't have chosen better more beautiful fabrics, that feel so special! I feel a bit like I have struck gold, a perfect solution for the items in question and the new handbag I had been dreaming about since I bought my sewing machine!


Comments

  1. It might be beyond this stage already but I find it helps to lay a similar piece of clothing as the one you are intending to make on top so you can work out where all the bits go. Good luck with it and the handbag. Can't wait to see.

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  2. Sorry sewing is not my forte so i cant help you. But all that work....
    I cant wait to see the handbag..
    Linda

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  3. How frustrating to have to:
    1. unpick
    2. to be so careful and the fabric to be so unforgiving

    Don't give up. Be inspired by your daughter's belief in you!

    And GREAT idea to refashion something you love and has memories into something else you will love and will remind you of those memories. Can't wait to see it.

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