I picked up some pairs of jeans back in the summer at a yard sale for $1 each. Plus recently I was at the Goodwill and happened upon another 3 pairs of jeans in my size and got them for roughly $2.50 each. Of the yard sale jeans, I hemmed 2 of them almost right away so I could wear them while the third pair languished in my pile. I finally got around to hemming the last pair this weekend. 5" off the length - 4.5" cut leaving 1/2" for the hem. Of course they came out about a half inch shorter than I would have liked. Even though I cuffed them while wearing them to confirm where they'd hit. Figures.
Of the Goodwill jeans, two pairs didn't need hemming! Miracle of miracles. One of those did need a small patch on one of the legs. The denim was wearing through. Since I didn't want to draw more attention to the spot, I patched it on the inside using hem tape to seal down a patch over the whole area. Feels a little weird when I first put them on, but I don't notice it while I'm wearing them. Victory! The one pair that did need to be hemmed still needs hemming unfortunately. Haven't gotten around to it yet. Probably have to cut off the excess since they need around 3" taken off. Will measure twice to avoid the same fate as the yard sale jeans.
Hemming jeans is my least favorite alteration. My sewing machine isn't powerful enough to sew through denim at all, let along multiple layers. That means I have to do the top stitching by hand. So tedious. I could just use hem tape, but I like the look of the top stitching around the bottom. It camouflages that I had to hem them in the first place. I was only willing to go through that effort since I picked the jeans up for cheap secondhand. If I was willing to pay new jean prices - they better fit me without my having to alter them. This way I'm reusing jeans, which is environmentally friendly, and saving my money, which is frugal. Win-win
Showing posts with label philosophy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label philosophy. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Monday, August 13, 2012
Repairs using what you have
Also known as macguyvering around these parts, I grew up with the idea that if something broke you tried to fix it. And if you didn't have the appropriate part, well, you finagled it with what you had before you gave up and threw the item out.
Things have been busy around the CrazynCrafty household these past weeks. So much stuff to do between work, side business, and personal obligations has left me no time to do any crafting for myself. I did manage to fix a few things here and there that needed it because not having the items in question was really cramping my style. And since macguyvering requires a certain mix of creativity, perserverance, and a stubborn will to not throw something out unless you absolutely have to - it seems like a kind of crafting all its own.
First up was an umbrella I picked up at Goodwill for $1.99 a little over a month ago. A good deal already to start with, one of the arms snapped. Not entirely sure how it happened, but my umbrella was out of commission. Ignoring the fact that I'd gotten it for cheap and could certainly afford another one, the first question was how could I fix it? The solution involved a bamboo skewer, some strapping tape, and upholstery thread. Strapping tape is one of the strongest tapes known to mankind I think, ranking right up there with duct tape. I used it to tape the skwer along the arm, covering the break, so the arm was straight again and braced by the skewer and strengthened by the tape. The upholstery thread connected the small metal brace piece to the arm so the arm would be held up when the umbrella was opened. For a couple of things I had laying around I retained the use of a very useful item given the recent rain we've been having.
Second up was a clothing drying rack. It is a cheap wood (maybe?) one I got somewhere. Not even sure where now, but it didn't cost me much. Cheap construction meant it was only a matter of time before it fell apart. Not willing to accept that, and not willing to pay $20+ for a new metal one, I set about finding a way to fix it. There were two problems here. First issue was one of the horizontal rods where you actually hang your clothes. They're attached to the side braces by means of an end cap that goes through the brace and screws into the rods. One of these end caps was missing, so the rod kept coming out. A piece of cardboard folded over and wrapped with strapping tape made a neat new endcap and a spare screw from something pulled it together:
The second issue was the horizontal rod that the top piece hooks into to keep the rack standing. Hard to describe unless you have a clothing drying rack, but the rack folds flat for storage. The side braces accordion flat or stretch out to form the rack and the top swings over to hook onto one of the rods to hold the whole thing up. This rod is attached differently (read: worse) than the others. The rod has a plastic sleeve on each end that slides over a plastic peg in the side braces. That's it. So when the plastic collar breaks, there is nothing connecting the rod to the side braces, and the rack can't stand up because the top piece has nothing to hook onto. Brilliant. So I took some strapping tape, awesome stuff, and wrapped it as tightly as I could around the plastic collar to hold it closed again and strengthen it. Won't hold forever, but it'll limp along for a while yet. I used a decent sized piece of tape so I got a couple layers of tape on there. Below is a picture of the repair up close and the rack itself in case my description was terrible (it probably was) so you can see the flat top and where it hooks on the right side.
So yeah, saved myself $20 on the rack and maybe $6 on the umbrella, assuming a sale and I'm purchasing replacements new out of necessity. Not bad for maybe 20 minutes of work total and some stuff I had around the apartment anyway.
Things have been busy around the CrazynCrafty household these past weeks. So much stuff to do between work, side business, and personal obligations has left me no time to do any crafting for myself. I did manage to fix a few things here and there that needed it because not having the items in question was really cramping my style. And since macguyvering requires a certain mix of creativity, perserverance, and a stubborn will to not throw something out unless you absolutely have to - it seems like a kind of crafting all its own.
First up was an umbrella I picked up at Goodwill for $1.99 a little over a month ago. A good deal already to start with, one of the arms snapped. Not entirely sure how it happened, but my umbrella was out of commission. Ignoring the fact that I'd gotten it for cheap and could certainly afford another one, the first question was how could I fix it? The solution involved a bamboo skewer, some strapping tape, and upholstery thread. Strapping tape is one of the strongest tapes known to mankind I think, ranking right up there with duct tape. I used it to tape the skwer along the arm, covering the break, so the arm was straight again and braced by the skewer and strengthened by the tape. The upholstery thread connected the small metal brace piece to the arm so the arm would be held up when the umbrella was opened. For a couple of things I had laying around I retained the use of a very useful item given the recent rain we've been having.
Second up was a clothing drying rack. It is a cheap wood (maybe?) one I got somewhere. Not even sure where now, but it didn't cost me much. Cheap construction meant it was only a matter of time before it fell apart. Not willing to accept that, and not willing to pay $20+ for a new metal one, I set about finding a way to fix it. There were two problems here. First issue was one of the horizontal rods where you actually hang your clothes. They're attached to the side braces by means of an end cap that goes through the brace and screws into the rods. One of these end caps was missing, so the rod kept coming out. A piece of cardboard folded over and wrapped with strapping tape made a neat new endcap and a spare screw from something pulled it together:
So yeah, saved myself $20 on the rack and maybe $6 on the umbrella, assuming a sale and I'm purchasing replacements new out of necessity. Not bad for maybe 20 minutes of work total and some stuff I had around the apartment anyway.
Friday, June 29, 2012
New Pledge
I hereby pledge to not buy any new craft supplies, excluding notions required to facilitate projects such as thread, zippers, etc., and to use what I have to do future projects.
I have a ton of fabric. Boxes stashed neatly under my bed galore. Plus boxes of assorted supplies for assorted crafts. I need to use this stuff up. I admit it, i am a hoarder, but I also love to craft. So everytime I go to a craft store i end up buying more. I figure free stuff from freecycle or craigslist free section don't count because I'm not spending any money. But I am hoping to get back into making clothing for myself and refashioning other clothing to refresh my wardrobe. To this end I want to focus on fabric and un-used clothing I already have first. Use up my stash.
I definitely don't want to buy anymore new fabric for now. I've been trying to be more environmentally friendly, and I think using what you have and re-using clothes has to be more eco-friendly than buying new fabric for every project. I'll make it work somehow.
It is exciting because what projects I work on will, to a certain extent, be influenced by the fabric I have. This could get interesting. Once I get going I'll keep y'all up to date on the adventure.
I have a ton of fabric. Boxes stashed neatly under my bed galore. Plus boxes of assorted supplies for assorted crafts. I need to use this stuff up. I admit it, i am a hoarder, but I also love to craft. So everytime I go to a craft store i end up buying more. I figure free stuff from freecycle or craigslist free section don't count because I'm not spending any money. But I am hoping to get back into making clothing for myself and refashioning other clothing to refresh my wardrobe. To this end I want to focus on fabric and un-used clothing I already have first. Use up my stash.
I definitely don't want to buy anymore new fabric for now. I've been trying to be more environmentally friendly, and I think using what you have and re-using clothes has to be more eco-friendly than buying new fabric for every project. I'll make it work somehow.
It is exciting because what projects I work on will, to a certain extent, be influenced by the fabric I have. This could get interesting. Once I get going I'll keep y'all up to date on the adventure.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
No Time!
So I've worked 162 hours in the last 14 days. Which has unfortunately left me with no energy at all to do any sort of crafting. I had some projects lined up, but when I had time I felt like a zombie. Nobody likes to see what a zombie would do to a crafting project. Better all around to wait.
I did get a bit of mending done today though, none of it mine! Apparently sewing is one of those skills like troubleshooting computers. Once people know you can do it they bring stuff to you whenever they need fixing. I've never considered sewing to be a difficult thing to do, I was just lazy when I was younger.
For one coworker I hemmed a pair of dress pants. By hand, thanks mom for teaching me to catch-stitch, because I am too lazy to figure out how to use the blind hem stitch on my machine. That's right, too lazy to learn a time saving skill. That's irony.
For the other I reattached half of the zipper fly of a pair of dress pants. No idea how it came loose, but it needed to be sewn down. Luckily it wasn't sewn directly to the front of the pants. It was attached to a small flap of fabric that was in turn attached to the pants. Sewing down the zipper with a back stich was a cinch. Sewing back down the flap of fabric was another thing. Without matching thread I couldn't topstitch it back down (it had originally been topstitched down), so I decided to catch-stitch it around the edge instead. I made the stitches closer together than I normally do to increase the stability. Hopefully it will hold. The slight puckering you sometimes get on the front of a catch-stich was minor so I'm hoping the owner will be happy. If not I'll have to go buy matching thread and I'd just rather not.
It's nice to help people out and save some clothes from getting tossed by making them usable again. Now if only I could get my own mending projects done I'd be in good shape.
I did get a bit of mending done today though, none of it mine! Apparently sewing is one of those skills like troubleshooting computers. Once people know you can do it they bring stuff to you whenever they need fixing. I've never considered sewing to be a difficult thing to do, I was just lazy when I was younger.
For one coworker I hemmed a pair of dress pants. By hand, thanks mom for teaching me to catch-stitch, because I am too lazy to figure out how to use the blind hem stitch on my machine. That's right, too lazy to learn a time saving skill. That's irony.
For the other I reattached half of the zipper fly of a pair of dress pants. No idea how it came loose, but it needed to be sewn down. Luckily it wasn't sewn directly to the front of the pants. It was attached to a small flap of fabric that was in turn attached to the pants. Sewing down the zipper with a back stich was a cinch. Sewing back down the flap of fabric was another thing. Without matching thread I couldn't topstitch it back down (it had originally been topstitched down), so I decided to catch-stitch it around the edge instead. I made the stitches closer together than I normally do to increase the stability. Hopefully it will hold. The slight puckering you sometimes get on the front of a catch-stich was minor so I'm hoping the owner will be happy. If not I'll have to go buy matching thread and I'd just rather not.
It's nice to help people out and save some clothes from getting tossed by making them usable again. Now if only I could get my own mending projects done I'd be in good shape.
Friday, March 9, 2012
Altering everything
So I get home from work tonight and think, I should get some sewing project done tonight. I haven't been too productive the last few days. So suddenly it is several hours later and I've altered three pairs of dress pants by taking them in at the waist and made more "no progress" on a pair of grey dress pants that might wind up going back to their original state if this keeps up. Three more pairs of pants wearable without worrying about how tight my belt is. Thus I can keep avoiding buying new clothes. Why buy new when you already own something that can fit with a little tweaking?
No pics yet, but I was trying to alter them from the inseam instead of the outer seams like I usually do since I wanted to take in the leg width as well. It is turning into a disaster, and I may give up altogether if I can't figure out what is going wrong. If I can remember to I will try to take more pictures along the way. The fact I haven't torched them in frustration should be a win all on its own.
No pics yet, but I was trying to alter them from the inseam instead of the outer seams like I usually do since I wanted to take in the leg width as well. It is turning into a disaster, and I may give up altogether if I can't figure out what is going wrong. If I can remember to I will try to take more pictures along the way. The fact I haven't torched them in frustration should be a win all on its own.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Matching bib? Of course!
SO my coworker was so in love with the baby bonnet, that I offered to make something to coordinate with it. I still had a decent amount of butterfly fabric left to make something small. A skirt was out, even for a 6-mo old. I was able to whip up a bib in a night start to finish, however, using the same kind of construction. Coworker donated a white knit shirt for backing since I had finished off my stash on the bonnet. With more white cotton curtaining inside and white bias tape binding, the bib came together pretty easily. I used the same kindof inside-out construction as the bonnet to attach the ties, also made of white knit. The ties came out not quite straight from the main part of the bib, but oh well, it still looks adorable.
And I still have butterfly fabric left over. Not sure what I'm going to do with it. Probably save it for another baby project.
And I still have butterfly fabric left over. Not sure what I'm going to do with it. Probably save it for another baby project.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Baby Bonnet Finished!
I really wanted to finish this baby bonnet, not only because it is promised to someone else and I hate to drag my feet on things like that, but because it is such an easy project that it is reliable gratification. To recap, I offered to make a baby bonnet for a coworker who is expecting a new niece any day now. I used a tutorial from Sew Mama Sew that I have used before with adorable results.
Since I've been on a re-use kick lately, I decided to reuse some fabric I had around. A pair of sleep shorts with a cute butterfly and flower pattern was the lucky donor. I'm glad I left the center serged seams in place because I would have needed to piece the fabric anyway. I don't have a serger so I would have been duplicating work. After carefully deconstructing the garment to save as much as I could, I got to work. The bonnet has three layers. The outer layer is the butterfly fabric. There is a hidden inner layer of a thicker cotton weave to give the bonnet a bit of stability since the outer layer is a worn thinner cotton and the innermost layer is a white cotton t-shirt knit. Also recycled, but with no body of its own. I wanted something soft for against the baby's head. The ties are also t-shirt fabric for this reason.
So without further ado, here are the last few stages in pictures.
This is with the pieces assembled and sewn on 3 sides. Sorry, I forgot to take pictures of the pieces and intervening steps. This stage caused me enough headache as I had accidentally piled the pieces out of order. So when I flipped it to the right sides the interfacing fabric was showing instead of the butterflies. I had to pick all the stitches out and reorder them to sew again. Unfortunately I had already trimmed the seam allowances so I had to sew very carefully.
Once that was done (correctly) the next stage was trimming them front edge. Last time I made this bonnet I was able to just use some wide lavender ribbon from my stash and call it a day. Unfortunately that ribbon doesn't match this fabric. The client wanted white trim anyway, but luckily I had some white bias tape in my stash as well. Bring much narrower than the ribbon, I had to sew it on carefully in two steps. I sewed it on one side to the inside of the bonnet, then folded it over the raw edge and sewed down through all the layers.
Here it is with the bias tape on. I also folded over and sewed the bottom edge where the tie will go at the back of the baby's head. Threading that was a pain. Lacking also any spaghetti bias tape, which is what the tutorial calls for, I improvised by using more of my white bias tape folded over and sewn through to create a narrower width. The channel had come out a bit narrower than intended, so there was some trouble getting the length through, but I managed. I only had to unpick a small section at the end and re-sew it to make the channel a little wider. Tied up, the bonnet is done done done!
Here it is with the brim forward:
And back:
I hope she likes it.
Since I've been on a re-use kick lately, I decided to reuse some fabric I had around. A pair of sleep shorts with a cute butterfly and flower pattern was the lucky donor. I'm glad I left the center serged seams in place because I would have needed to piece the fabric anyway. I don't have a serger so I would have been duplicating work. After carefully deconstructing the garment to save as much as I could, I got to work. The bonnet has three layers. The outer layer is the butterfly fabric. There is a hidden inner layer of a thicker cotton weave to give the bonnet a bit of stability since the outer layer is a worn thinner cotton and the innermost layer is a white cotton t-shirt knit. Also recycled, but with no body of its own. I wanted something soft for against the baby's head. The ties are also t-shirt fabric for this reason.
So without further ado, here are the last few stages in pictures.
Once that was done (correctly) the next stage was trimming them front edge. Last time I made this bonnet I was able to just use some wide lavender ribbon from my stash and call it a day. Unfortunately that ribbon doesn't match this fabric. The client wanted white trim anyway, but luckily I had some white bias tape in my stash as well. Bring much narrower than the ribbon, I had to sew it on carefully in two steps. I sewed it on one side to the inside of the bonnet, then folded it over the raw edge and sewed down through all the layers.
Here it is with the brim forward:
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Baby Bonnet Update with Pictures
So an update on the baby bonnet from sleep shorts project. Let me tell you, it would have been way easier to just cut, but noooooo. I wanted to make sure I had enough fabric so all those seams had to be taken out by hand. Serged seams are doubly a pain. Plus these babies had a covered elastic waist and trim on the bottom of each leg.
Finally, though, all the seams are out except two. I'm waiting on those until I measure to see if there is enough fabric to cut out the pattern sections without piecing fabric. If I need to do piecing, I might as well keep the original serged seam in place and save some aggravation. On the upside the fabric is cute, and is growing on me the more I work with it. I'm hoping to re-use the trim for the ties. With any luck I'll find another project to use the rest of the fabric. Zero waste, or as close as I can get, is the goal.
So before decontruction:
And after:
Unfortunately I'm stymied until I find a way to iron the pieces out. The bottom edge where the trim was attached and the top edge where the waistband were are not going to cooperate for pattern cutting until I can get the fabric to lay flat. Of course I have an iron, but no ironing board. Anyone know of a solution to this dilemma? I'll have to google it at some point and see if I can find an easy way to MacGuyver an ironing board.
At least this is one more step down. Onward!
Step 3: Iron
Step 4: Cut Pieces from fashion fabric, interfacing fabric, and lining fabric
Step 5: Pin
Step 6: Sew
Finally, though, all the seams are out except two. I'm waiting on those until I measure to see if there is enough fabric to cut out the pattern sections without piecing fabric. If I need to do piecing, I might as well keep the original serged seam in place and save some aggravation. On the upside the fabric is cute, and is growing on me the more I work with it. I'm hoping to re-use the trim for the ties. With any luck I'll find another project to use the rest of the fabric. Zero waste, or as close as I can get, is the goal.
So before decontruction:
And after:
Unfortunately I'm stymied until I find a way to iron the pieces out. The bottom edge where the trim was attached and the top edge where the waistband were are not going to cooperate for pattern cutting until I can get the fabric to lay flat. Of course I have an iron, but no ironing board. Anyone know of a solution to this dilemma? I'll have to google it at some point and see if I can find an easy way to MacGuyver an ironing board.
At least this is one more step down. Onward!
Step 3: Iron
Step 4: Cut Pieces from fashion fabric, interfacing fabric, and lining fabric
Step 5: Pin
Step 6: Sew
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Baby Bonnet from sleep shorts
After seeing pictures and hearing about a coworker's new niece on the way, I spontaneously volunteered to make a baby bonnet for her. This offer enthusiastically accepted, I was faced with the prospect of fulfilling this obligation.
Step 1: pattern
There is a great baby bonnet pattern from Sew Mama Sew that I've made before and I love and I totally intend to deploy it for this project as well. I'll post the link in my followup post.
Step 2: fabric
Little girls need little girl fabric. I have around 4-5 boxes of fabric under my bed right now and none of it was appropriate. Then I'm walking past some bagged clothes intended for donation, and there on top is a pair of sleep shorts in a pretty lavender shade with butterflies and flowers all over it. Perfect! I'm currently unpicking all the seams to get a sense of how much fabric I have. I will have to do some piecing to get the right size sections, but I think it'll work out. I have plenty of white t-shirt fabric for lining and stiffer cotton woven fabric to use as a stiff inner layer. Yay for recycled fabric. And my coworker is excited about the eco-friendly use of fabric too, so win!
So I'm currently in Step 2, and since many of the seams were serged, it'll take a while to unpick them. But I think it will be worth it to have every speck of fabric, even if it just allows for seam allowance. Plus it allows me to save pieces I don't use for future projects. Zero waste is the goal. Re-using fabric is good for the environment and the wallet.
Pictures will follow.
Step 1: pattern
There is a great baby bonnet pattern from Sew Mama Sew that I've made before and I love and I totally intend to deploy it for this project as well. I'll post the link in my followup post.
Step 2: fabric
Little girls need little girl fabric. I have around 4-5 boxes of fabric under my bed right now and none of it was appropriate. Then I'm walking past some bagged clothes intended for donation, and there on top is a pair of sleep shorts in a pretty lavender shade with butterflies and flowers all over it. Perfect! I'm currently unpicking all the seams to get a sense of how much fabric I have. I will have to do some piecing to get the right size sections, but I think it'll work out. I have plenty of white t-shirt fabric for lining and stiffer cotton woven fabric to use as a stiff inner layer. Yay for recycled fabric. And my coworker is excited about the eco-friendly use of fabric too, so win!
So I'm currently in Step 2, and since many of the seams were serged, it'll take a while to unpick them. But I think it will be worth it to have every speck of fabric, even if it just allows for seam allowance. Plus it allows me to save pieces I don't use for future projects. Zero waste is the goal. Re-using fabric is good for the environment and the wallet.
Pictures will follow.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
It's Spreading!
I am slowly corrupting my friends. I was hanging out with some friends when one, S for this discussion, started talking about a pair of dress pants she had bought a year ago that didn't quite fit anymore. I immediately jumped in with the tale of altering my own dress pants with not too much fuss.
Success! She pulled them out, tried them on, and it turns out that all they need really is some taking in at the sides and hemming the legs. No problemo! So I'm now taking in the sides (by hand since my machine is still in box) and luckily they didn't need to come in too much. With how heavy the fabric is, I don't think I am going to split the fabric to press the seam open. It can probably be pressed to the side, not that there is much extra fabric in any case. The top edge of the dart only came in 1/4" folded. Her call really.
But I am totally excited that I am slowing spreading the idea of altering clothes to fit instead of buying new. Quick fixes that I can do with a needle and thread save money and the eco-downside of more new clothes. She has a sewing machine of her own, but she pretty much sews from scratch - not altering and mending existing clothing. Hopefully if these pants come out well she'll be hooked.
Success! She pulled them out, tried them on, and it turns out that all they need really is some taking in at the sides and hemming the legs. No problemo! So I'm now taking in the sides (by hand since my machine is still in box) and luckily they didn't need to come in too much. With how heavy the fabric is, I don't think I am going to split the fabric to press the seam open. It can probably be pressed to the side, not that there is much extra fabric in any case. The top edge of the dart only came in 1/4" folded. Her call really.
But I am totally excited that I am slowing spreading the idea of altering clothes to fit instead of buying new. Quick fixes that I can do with a needle and thread save money and the eco-downside of more new clothes. She has a sewing machine of her own, but she pretty much sews from scratch - not altering and mending existing clothing. Hopefully if these pants come out well she'll be hooked.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Project Roundup
Alright. So my resolution to actually finish some projects would probably benefit from knowing what projects I have to do in each category. I'll have to add things as I actually sort through my stuff.
Mending:
- jeans with a hole by back pocket
- sew up torn side of reusable shopping bag
- hem a pair of my dress pants
- add buttons back to my black wool pea coat
- zipper on my down coat (below-the-knee length coat so a long zipper - replacing it would be a pain)
Refashion:
- tuck neckline on cowl neck top to avoid exposure
- tuck neckline on two shortsleeve shirts for same reason as above (why would I want to flash random people?? More importantly why didn't I notice this when I was purchasing the shirts? Oh well.)
- embroider black cardigan? (not sure on this one since without embroidery it doesn't call attention if I wear it more than once in a short period of time)
- embroider grey cardigan? (same concern as above)
- figure out if I can alter dress pants since I lost weight (not sure how feasible this is given I've never even made pants before. we'll see.)
* one down - herringbone
New:
- ankle-length skirt for my mother
- fall color medley loom knitted shawl (no recipient in mind, I think my longest running project in progress ever)
- skirt for work from some moleskin my mother gave me
How do you guys keep track of what projects you have to do plus the ones you'd like to start if you had the time? I always seem to forget until I stumble on it or need the item in question for some reason.
Mending:
- jeans with a hole by back pocket
- sew up torn side of reusable shopping bag
- hem a pair of my dress pants
- add buttons back to my black wool pea coat
- zipper on my down coat (below-the-knee length coat so a long zipper - replacing it would be a pain)
Refashion:
- tuck neckline on cowl neck top to avoid exposure
- tuck neckline on two shortsleeve shirts for same reason as above (why would I want to flash random people?? More importantly why didn't I notice this when I was purchasing the shirts? Oh well.)
- embroider black cardigan? (not sure on this one since without embroidery it doesn't call attention if I wear it more than once in a short period of time)
- embroider grey cardigan? (same concern as above)
- figure out if I can alter dress pants since I lost weight (not sure how feasible this is given I've never even made pants before. we'll see.)
* one down - herringbone
New:
- ankle-length skirt for my mother
- fall color medley loom knitted shawl (no recipient in mind, I think my longest running project in progress ever)
- skirt for work from some moleskin my mother gave me
How do you guys keep track of what projects you have to do plus the ones you'd like to start if you had the time? I always seem to forget until I stumble on it or need the item in question for some reason.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Self-Stitched September 2011
I have watched these challenges go down in the past and have been envious of the creativity of the participants. I haven't been doing much sewing lately, but why let reality get in the way of a good challenge? Some people go all the way with all self-made clothing, others endeavor one item per day. I will be in the latter group. And I am including refashioned items as eligible. We'll see how I do, have to get sewing!
'I, Erin of crazyncrafty.blogspot.com, sign up as a participant of Self-Stitched-Sept '11. I endeavour to wear one item that has passed through my hands, refashion or new, each day for the duration of September 2011'
If you are interested in learning more about this challenge you can click on the button to the right to link back to Zoe's blog. She is the lovely lady who organizes these fantastic challenges. A chance to really put my willingness to wear my own work to the test. I'm looking forward to it. I'm just glad I have some time to work on some items.
'I, Erin of crazyncrafty.blogspot.com, sign up as a participant of Self-Stitched-Sept '11. I endeavour to wear one item that has passed through my hands, refashion or new, each day for the duration of September 2011'
If you are interested in learning more about this challenge you can click on the button to the right to link back to Zoe's blog. She is the lovely lady who organizes these fantastic challenges. A chance to really put my willingness to wear my own work to the test. I'm looking forward to it. I'm just glad I have some time to work on some items.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Christmas in July
Why do we make things for ourselves? I do it because I like to think that getting off the hamster wheel of consuming industrial-made goods is a statement of my convictions. This planet matters, one person's behavior can matter. Yeah, I buy yarn and fabric so I'm not completely eco-friendly, but animal fibers are an allergy issue for me, and I'm looking into trying to reclaim yarn and fabric in the future.
I'm one of those people who buy gifts all year round. I don't wait until october-november to think about christmas. I'm buying things in february on sale, or june on sale, if I think someone might like it for a gift. I have my gift box where I collect these bits of stuff and then when gift season comes I "shop" these bargains I already have, for myself and my mother when she can't think of what to give someone. Since I live a couple hours from my family I often go in on gifts with my parents, so I contribute from the box.
I was thinking though, I've been looking to make things for myself, either from scratch or remaking something I have into something I'll wear, but I still think about buying gifts brand new from stores. I buy at thrift stores for myself because of my ethic, but I blithely spend money at the mall for other people. Is this some sort of grave conflict in thinking? I know many people don't like second-hand or used, or even new if it came from a thrift store. But I often feel like I should apply my ethic to all my purchases, not just the ones I make for myself and my household.
So I've taken steps to do just that. I've been keeping an eye out at the local Goodwill for stuff I can give as gifts. I found a whisk ornament for $0.99 and cast iron shaped muffin (?) tray for $7.99 for my baker cousin. Well, the baking tray will be hers after I scrub it clean, if it comes clean. Obviously if it doesn't clean I'll find something else. My mother is making scarves for many of the women in our family as well as dish clothes and potholders from cotton yarn (my mom is way better at crochet than I am) for the adults. We'll have to buy the gifts that are food items like special spices some of the guys like and hot sauces. Other than that, stuff will be made.
For boyfriend's family, I made a scarf for his sister-in-law and am in progress on a scarf for his sister. I found a ton of boucle yarn on clearance for $0.97 per 255 yard skein. My mother graciously made a scarf for his older niece that I made a matching hat for so she can match. Younger niece is also getting a hat that matches her older sister. If I have time I wanted to make skirts for them so they can match (older sister likes pink and her baby sister so I thought matching pink skirts would be cute), if not I will add diapers to younger sister gift. Not sure yet what I will do yet for brother and parents. I'm thinking something in sports colors for brother and maybe some cotton washcloths for mother since she mentioned she had one she liked. Father I am clueless, kindof like with my own dad. Funny how that works out, must be a dad thing.
I still look at thrift stores for stuff I can use, re-use, or clean up and give as is. My standards are a bit higher for gifts than they would be for myself, but you can still find things that, if you didn't tell them, people would not guess you bought from a thrift store. And I feel better knowing I am being consistent with my principles and still giving great gifts.
How do you feel about gift-giving? Are you a shop on the 24th kind of person? Do you try to make gifts or thrift gifts? There is a button on the right side of the screen for the Crafty Christmas Club that I will be signing up for in the fall when they take pledges for the coming holiday season. You should check it out too.
I'm one of those people who buy gifts all year round. I don't wait until october-november to think about christmas. I'm buying things in february on sale, or june on sale, if I think someone might like it for a gift. I have my gift box where I collect these bits of stuff and then when gift season comes I "shop" these bargains I already have, for myself and my mother when she can't think of what to give someone. Since I live a couple hours from my family I often go in on gifts with my parents, so I contribute from the box.
I was thinking though, I've been looking to make things for myself, either from scratch or remaking something I have into something I'll wear, but I still think about buying gifts brand new from stores. I buy at thrift stores for myself because of my ethic, but I blithely spend money at the mall for other people. Is this some sort of grave conflict in thinking? I know many people don't like second-hand or used, or even new if it came from a thrift store. But I often feel like I should apply my ethic to all my purchases, not just the ones I make for myself and my household.
So I've taken steps to do just that. I've been keeping an eye out at the local Goodwill for stuff I can give as gifts. I found a whisk ornament for $0.99 and cast iron shaped muffin (?) tray for $7.99 for my baker cousin. Well, the baking tray will be hers after I scrub it clean, if it comes clean. Obviously if it doesn't clean I'll find something else. My mother is making scarves for many of the women in our family as well as dish clothes and potholders from cotton yarn (my mom is way better at crochet than I am) for the adults. We'll have to buy the gifts that are food items like special spices some of the guys like and hot sauces. Other than that, stuff will be made.
For boyfriend's family, I made a scarf for his sister-in-law and am in progress on a scarf for his sister. I found a ton of boucle yarn on clearance for $0.97 per 255 yard skein. My mother graciously made a scarf for his older niece that I made a matching hat for so she can match. Younger niece is also getting a hat that matches her older sister. If I have time I wanted to make skirts for them so they can match (older sister likes pink and her baby sister so I thought matching pink skirts would be cute), if not I will add diapers to younger sister gift. Not sure yet what I will do yet for brother and parents. I'm thinking something in sports colors for brother and maybe some cotton washcloths for mother since she mentioned she had one she liked. Father I am clueless, kindof like with my own dad. Funny how that works out, must be a dad thing.
I still look at thrift stores for stuff I can use, re-use, or clean up and give as is. My standards are a bit higher for gifts than they would be for myself, but you can still find things that, if you didn't tell them, people would not guess you bought from a thrift store. And I feel better knowing I am being consistent with my principles and still giving great gifts.
How do you feel about gift-giving? Are you a shop on the 24th kind of person? Do you try to make gifts or thrift gifts? There is a button on the right side of the screen for the Crafty Christmas Club that I will be signing up for in the fall when they take pledges for the coming holiday season. You should check it out too.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Buttons
So if you look right I have two new buttons hanging out. One is for Mend and Make Do, which is a philosophy I have been a believer in for ages. Back in college I used to make shelves to hold my stuff out of the cardboard boxes other people brought their junk in. I hate throwing things away if I can envision any amount of use from them, though this means sometimes I keep things I should probably donate since they have use but simply don't suit me. So codifying this intent, and dragging my boyfriend's wardrobe along however unenthusiastic he may be, is a new button I got from The Sewing Dork.
Also is a new button from C&C for the Refashion Nation. At first I was a bit worried because you're agreeing to 3 projects, however small, a month. This month is going to be killer work-wise so I thought I'd fall behind the first month I signed up! Then I looked back over my projects and realized I had finished turning a valance into a skirt on June 3 and finally did that refashion on my blah and mysteriously stained lavender shirt on June 4 so I am already 2 of 3 for the month. *Cue sigh of relief* Maybe I can make it after all.
Summer will hopefully see me in an internship in addition to my full time job though so this type of challenge will give me incentive to not just hoard stuff, but to actually turn it into something useful either for myself or someone else.
Also is a new button from C&C for the Refashion Nation. At first I was a bit worried because you're agreeing to 3 projects, however small, a month. This month is going to be killer work-wise so I thought I'd fall behind the first month I signed up! Then I looked back over my projects and realized I had finished turning a valance into a skirt on June 3 and finally did that refashion on my blah and mysteriously stained lavender shirt on June 4 so I am already 2 of 3 for the month. *Cue sigh of relief* Maybe I can make it after all.
Summer will hopefully see me in an internship in addition to my full time job though so this type of challenge will give me incentive to not just hoard stuff, but to actually turn it into something useful either for myself or someone else.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Response to "Are Sewing Bloggers Cultural Leaders?"
An interesting question posted by Tilly on her blog here relating to a paper she is writing. The questions were as follows:
2) I don't know if I could choose only a few examples of projects, not because there aren't amazing works being created out there in the world, but because I've been reading so many posts from so many blogs I can't remember them all or keep them straight at the moment. So to substitute, I can link to some blogs that I enjoy reading and I am sure have some of these very creative works on them:
Ali at wardrobe reimagined
Tasia at sewaholic
Zoe at So Zo
3) I don't know about leaders. I think the leaders change because those who know a particular skill are so open about sharing their knowledge that they serve as leaders until other skills are explained by others and so on. Leadership is a fluid thing as knowledge and teaching are shared freely among the participants. Ideas and inspiration come from all corners so no one person is directing the style. Each person builds off what others have done.
4) This online community has inspired me to try and start a small crafting circle among my friends because in-person interaction is something there is really no substitute for. Sewing blogs are unique in that they can pull in comment and interaction from so many people you could never get together in one place at the same time. Off-line crafting groups provide the intimacy of physical closeness that can make the activity more fun. Both have distinct value that together can make crafting of any kind an even more rewarding experience than either alone as an outlet.
Well, I hope my musings have some value to you Tilly. In case you couldn't tell from my answer to #1 I am a political philosophy and theory junkie so the nature of a society and how that instinctive drive intersects all avenues of our life (especially the political world in how we form political opinions and interactions) is of interest to me. Good luck on your paper.
- What does the online sewing community mean to you? Why do you participate?
- What are your favourite examples of projects initiated by sewing bloggers that capture this spirit of collaboration, creativity and innovation?
- Who are the “leaders” in the sewing blogosphere? Is everyone / can anyone be a leader?
- Are you involved in any other network of makers, whether online or offline? What makes sewing blogs unique?
2) I don't know if I could choose only a few examples of projects, not because there aren't amazing works being created out there in the world, but because I've been reading so many posts from so many blogs I can't remember them all or keep them straight at the moment. So to substitute, I can link to some blogs that I enjoy reading and I am sure have some of these very creative works on them:
Ali at wardrobe reimagined
Tasia at sewaholic
Zoe at So Zo
3) I don't know about leaders. I think the leaders change because those who know a particular skill are so open about sharing their knowledge that they serve as leaders until other skills are explained by others and so on. Leadership is a fluid thing as knowledge and teaching are shared freely among the participants. Ideas and inspiration come from all corners so no one person is directing the style. Each person builds off what others have done.
4) This online community has inspired me to try and start a small crafting circle among my friends because in-person interaction is something there is really no substitute for. Sewing blogs are unique in that they can pull in comment and interaction from so many people you could never get together in one place at the same time. Off-line crafting groups provide the intimacy of physical closeness that can make the activity more fun. Both have distinct value that together can make crafting of any kind an even more rewarding experience than either alone as an outlet.
Well, I hope my musings have some value to you Tilly. In case you couldn't tell from my answer to #1 I am a political philosophy and theory junkie so the nature of a society and how that instinctive drive intersects all avenues of our life (especially the political world in how we form political opinions and interactions) is of interest to me. Good luck on your paper.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Why do we Buy?
I've seen a lot of posts trying to examine why we buy and why we buy so much. Reason or emotion, it used to be a badge of honor that you could make what you needed and were self-sufficient. That pioneer spirit is supposed to be the underpinning of our culture in the U.S., but what happened to it? It seems like now we are supposed to buy buy buy.
Now, buying is the symbolism for the ability to buy. Having bought things proves we could do it, that we are successful enough to buy what we want. The whole "keeping up with the Jones" mentality. If you make things that must mean you aren't successful. The whole point of our working lives seems to be to buy things so that others will know we can buy things. Making things is an activity for people who have to, because who would want to go through the trouble when you can just go to the store and pick something up on sale for a low low price.
It seems like we're not supposed to take pride in what our possessions say about our personality. It is only what they say about how much we have and how successful we are that matters. Labels and who wore it matter more than what the item actually looks like. How many pictures do you see of celebrities and fashion models wearing things we think "no normal person would want to wear" and yet there we go, following the next trend no matter how strange or unflattering.
I was introduced to this really interesting website The Story of Stuff from Ali's blog. It was a real eye-opener in that it articulated perfectly the feeling I'd had for a while but couldn't quite put my finger on. Why should our stuff define us, not as interesting people with values but simply as people who own stuff? Our clothes should be evidence of our style, not the driver of our style. People should define style, not clothes. We should be proud of clothes we make because they look good and are what we wanted. How many people who only shop RTW get to wear exactly what they want? Your style doesn't have to be bound by what the shops have for you to buy.
Reading all the wonderful blogs out there written by so many talented people making their own clothes from scratch or refashioned so they have what they want, not what company executives decided they should want, is so inspiring. These are the blogs I read most frequently, but there is so much creativity out there I couldn't begin to catalogue it all.
* http://www.blogforbettersewing.com/
Now, buying is the symbolism for the ability to buy. Having bought things proves we could do it, that we are successful enough to buy what we want. The whole "keeping up with the Jones" mentality. If you make things that must mean you aren't successful. The whole point of our working lives seems to be to buy things so that others will know we can buy things. Making things is an activity for people who have to, because who would want to go through the trouble when you can just go to the store and pick something up on sale for a low low price.
It seems like we're not supposed to take pride in what our possessions say about our personality. It is only what they say about how much we have and how successful we are that matters. Labels and who wore it matter more than what the item actually looks like. How many pictures do you see of celebrities and fashion models wearing things we think "no normal person would want to wear" and yet there we go, following the next trend no matter how strange or unflattering.
I was introduced to this really interesting website The Story of Stuff from Ali's blog. It was a real eye-opener in that it articulated perfectly the feeling I'd had for a while but couldn't quite put my finger on. Why should our stuff define us, not as interesting people with values but simply as people who own stuff? Our clothes should be evidence of our style, not the driver of our style. People should define style, not clothes. We should be proud of clothes we make because they look good and are what we wanted. How many people who only shop RTW get to wear exactly what they want? Your style doesn't have to be bound by what the shops have for you to buy.
Reading all the wonderful blogs out there written by so many talented people making their own clothes from scratch or refashioned so they have what they want, not what company executives decided they should want, is so inspiring. These are the blogs I read most frequently, but there is so much creativity out there I couldn't begin to catalogue it all.
* http://www.blogforbettersewing.com/
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