Adventures in Vintage Resales... fka adventures in baby-sewing

I was rereading an older post by Gertie (you all know who she is) about refashioning. This has been an item I debate back and forth, refashioning. My opinion is refashions should look as good as an originally sewn item from new cloth, not just to do it for refashion's sake. A few ideas for men or women's shirts, say out of broadcloth or cottons, could be: 1. a muslin 2. baby clothes 3. an older child's shirt 4. A man's to a woman's shirt if there is enough yardage to make it work 5. My new fave - make bias tape out of the back of a shirt. Imagine how cool that would be out of a plaid for a quilt or facings. 6. A woman's camisole - think pintucked or lacy out of a white shirt Post some of yours, I am curious to see what transpires. Edited to add: I just got an email about McCall's Summer line. What a rehashing of previous styles! Nothing really inspiring to me, so I guess that's a good thing, nothing out there to buy. Infact everything seems really...

Another item finished. A reverse appliqued HM shirt for the oldest. I bought her a HM shirt sometime back on clearance but it was way too big. Now being trendy, the fad may outgrow itself before she reaches that size, so I used the print and reverse appliqued it onto a standard Walmart tshirt. Needs a bit more trimming around the shape, but basically ready. Also got the patterns reorganized and pulled out what may be suitable for fall.

Some the baby refashions, the striped shirt was once long sleeved, now short lettuce edged. The flowers are to cover the shadowy stained area. The came from the pants and from the white/purple set, which was also cut from long sleeved and long legged to make sleeper short set. This is the Fuji fabric that is for: This I started last night. The skirt is put together and the facings are together. The back is darted. Now I need the front and to try it all on, finish. I sewed like a possessed woman last night, no one to bother me, since DH was watching NCAA and kids were in bed. I cut out and got that far in about 2 hours, which is good for me. This cotton is good for me, it is drapey and silkier than regular quilting cotton.

Went to the big Walmart today, a find of 3.375 yds of Fuji Afternoon (?). At $2.00 yd. That was cool. It has small scattered dogwood-like flowers on a mocha background. Have just the vintage pattern in mind, too. Maybe that's next up, since my inspiration needs to be restarted. I have done a little refashioning for the baby, put together kid's shorts, and worked to the dresden plate quilt. I am about 3/4 done, too. It has only taken 7 months, good thing B is not in a hurry and hasn't had the time to quilt it anyways.

Another shirt for the oldest using the Lizzie McGuire Simplicity top pattern named previously & I should be able to tag on this post. This was made from a thrift store girls dress, size 14, out of diamond pique knit in blue with navy and white flowers in that puffy stuff that is on the surface of the fabric. This one, the sleeves are lettuced lightly and I have to cut the back on the CB seam since the dress had one. I also reutilized the store bought dress hem as the shirt hem. It has been sitting on my cutting table for a month waiting to have the facings tacked down. I also hemmed one pair of jeans I bought at the thrift store for her. Cute jeans for a $1.25 that were Arizona brand with sequins, etc. She is wearing both today for school.

Well, Youngest Son insisted he was not sick, but he was. He was better by morning (see, no germ wants to live in him!) and went back to preschool today as the others were already sick, so they already have it. Oldest Son stayed home to rest, but is ready to go back tomorrow. Of course the Oldest Daughter is ok and the baby is seeming ok so far. Let the germ move on... On the sewing front, I assembled a knit shirt for the oldest daughter from a shirt I hated. It is together and I am basting the binding on the collar, using a tutorial mentioned by Christina of Assorted Notions, a twisted look. If you are interested, it is in her archives, last May or April, can't remember which. BTW, if you want to recycle a shirt for a daughter, that is usually easy enough with a basic tshirt or empire waisted tshirt, like S4568. I cut off the side seams on my shirt, cut the bodice f/b starting under the neckline, then the lower bodice pieces, preserving the RTW hem. For the short little s...

Today Baby H turns 1! It was a freezing cold night last year when I went to the hospital at 3am after breaking my water. The deck was icing from the drizzle. On the 45 minute drive through the country, we saw every deer in the county by the sides of the road. Now my baby turns a year old. And we are not pregnant, which was bittersweet as we were kinda gearing ourselves up for another, but really do have a full house with 4 and one with CP. But we would have managed and been fine. But it was not meant to be, which is also ok. Today was spent cleaning carpets and sewing a pair of pajama pants recycled from receiving blankets for the baby. I used B4433, which may be OOP. I was lucky enough to have 2 matching blankets as one would not have been enough. These have been around since the oldest child and were still in great shape, just washed soft. I finished them rather quickly despite many interruptions from the kids. I had to challenge myself for what should have been 1-2-3 and...

Had to take the oldest to the doctor today, which ended up being strep throat. We made it to Hancocks for a piece of black velveteen so mom can lengthen a jumper for her from last winter, just an extra church dress. Real cute from Bealls, with scotty dogs on red and black. We also bought royal blue crepe and lining for the butterick featured above. I may use this for Christmas, the cap sleeve version, rather than the Advance I had bought, for time sake. I have a couple of ideas to dress up the midriff. Maybe... Also found more baby cord on clearance, dotted swiss in blue and white and several usable remnants for tops. Plus Maxi-lock serger thread! So plan on finishing Thanksgiving dresses tomorrow or Wednesday. Also have a cake to make/decorate for hire for a 50th anniversary. Will be an interesting week!

All that got done was some laundry, mending on kids clothes & errands. It got cold and we realized Philly only had 1-2 pairs of long warm pants, so off to Target we went. Got one pair for $1.74 on clearance, another on clearance and 3 pairs of sweat pants for preschool, playing in. Andrew has plenty being he gets new and hand-me-downs from Philly. I also am finishing shortening the hems on a pair of jeans for CeeCee. She is so rough I only get clearance or resale shop ones. I also got at Target 3 tops for me on clearance. One is tight-cut but in a larger size, so sleeves may be shortened. The other two are shorter sleeved, elbow area. May need some embellishment. I may go through my maternity ones to see what can be altered for me now that I am losing some of the weight. I mostly wear them around here, anyways. I have lost about 2 inches at the waist and 2 in the rib cage area, hips maybe 1 inch, mostly using slimfast and cutting out a lot of high fructose corn syrup wh...

Finished this last night for my daughter. She loved it and she usually does not wear dresses. Post will be short, my parents are on their way over. I also have a photo of a refashioning for Spidey costume, put together in a few minutes. Took a thrift store warmup set, used the pants to make a patch to cover the existing motif, added another thrift store pant that fit, cut a spidey applique and human spider applique from a baby jacket and sewed it on. One happy 4 year old!

The denim capris I refashioned that my daughter wore today: And a close up of the feather stitch on the hem:

Aren't these beautiful knits? No sewing, but went fund-raising (looking for auction donations for our upcoming church festival) and thrift-store shopping. Found a couple of pillowcases to try my hand at the dresses for listing for sale, a couple of plaques/pictures, some antique crochet booklets and a pair of curtains plus a quilt rack to donate from us to the auction. There was a couple of other items, but that's the bulk of it. I came home to my husband cleaning up an overflowing toilet, so I helped him pick that up (it was clear, thank God!), fixed dinner and now it's time for baths. I got in several items from Fabric.com and FabricMart, mostly for fall sewing, so now my attention is focused toward knit tops and dresses using some of Fabric.com's beautiful knit crepe they had on sale the other day. I am going to try to finish the two pieces I have put together from the mini-wardrobe and probably hang it up on making the other two it as not interesting anymore. ...

Today, we woke up to a baby covered in spots, so off to the doctor's. She could not say for sure, other than it's viral. It could be 5th disease, roseola, or measles, but did not show the fever or mouth spots of measles. Who knows? Anyway, we are to be somewhat home for the next few days and I would have accomplished more if I felt better. I feel slightly under the weather but it could be allergies again from the hot dampness with the rain. I did finish the refashioned capris for my daughter and can post something later. Threads are still hanging. I also cut out a retro jumper pattern for her in an appliqued denim. I hope it works out since the skirt has 6 gores and seams will have to cross some of the appliques. That will be a fall/winter dress item to use with a long sleeved top. Other than that, I have had little motivation today. Maybe tomorrow will be better...

I am 'fessin' up to buying some school clothes for the kiddos, but Wal Mart had items on clearance for $1. Come on, you can't make boy's shorts for that! Also some fresh T-shirts (my disabled 4 yr old goes through shirts since his coordination to feed himself isn't wonderful and some things do not come out well). Same with the baby, onesies. Besides, Texas has the tax-free weekend for school clothes, so we couldn't pass it up. I still made my oldest daughter a couple of shirts and about 4 pairs of shorts/capris for school, mostly from remnants and one from my old jeans, so all is not lost. When I finish the recycled jeans capris, I will photograph.

Messed up cutting a blouse from a skirt for my daughter, had to leave to p/up son, so we will see later/tomorrow what I can salvage. Maybe a vest for her?

Today, decided to get busy and work on a few quick-finish items: 1. Finish daughter's camoflage shorts (hem & elastic needed) - I was waiting until we were closer to school starting to count as school clothes 2. Convert a baby romper into bloomers, cutting off the stained top area, bottom was still good. She is wearing them now with a onesie. 3. Finish a baby romper. 4. Anything else... I still have 2 hours left until the 3 yr old comes home from day school... Will also be posted on WR.

Not much sewing, kids too crazy with all of the rain, bible school, etc. going on. I did cut out a pair of shorts for each and a diaper cover all out of a 2 yd remnant of dalmation print. I think I paid $3.98 for the piece at Hancock last summer. Each garment should cost about a dollar, which is pretty cheap, I would say and I am using up stash this way. I started sewing the oldest's ones, but have had a terrible headache since yesterday, so not much was done. I am also ripping up a maternity dress out of rayon to recut into a blouse for me. Baby woke up, kids are too loud.

I guess I need to post this on my blog with the cute little button: The Pledge I,Myra, pledge that I shall abstain from the purchase of "new" manufactured items of clothing, for the period of 2 months. I pledge that I shall refashion, renovate, recycle preloved items for myself with my own hands in fabric, yarn or other medium for the term of my contract. I pledge that I will share the love and post a photo of my refashioned, renovoted, recycled, crafted or created item of clothing on the Wardrobe Refashion blog, so that others may share the joy that thy thriftiness brings! Signed Myra. Let's see how well we do... Worked on a 2nd romper for the baby, was almost done with the snap tape (decided to try it the way the instructions asked for since I bought some Monday in Victoria) and ran out of thread in the bobbin and had no more white prewound. I would have wound some, but the baby was asleep next to me and would have woken up, so that was all for today. Tonight, after kid...