Wednesday, 29 May 2013

A quick fix!

Do you ever feel like you really just need a quick fix?... of sewing that is!  I was feeling that way on Sunday, up early but a bit too tired to start a new sewing project.  So instead I decided to tick a few quick re-fashion jobs off my list. 

Me Made May 2013 - Day 28, new jersey pencil skirt
MMMay - Day 28, new pencil skirt
First up was changing a t-shirt dress into a pencil skirt.  As a dress this was just too short for me and knew that converting it to a pencil skirt would make it much more of a wardrobe staple.  All I had to do was cut across under the arms (I’ve kept this top bit as I thought it might be useful for jersey bands for other makes in the future), fold over and stitch a casing for the elastic, then thread the elastic in with a safety pin and sew it closed – easy!  I’d been meaning to do it for months but seeing Miss P’s post on converting a dress intoa maxi-skirt reminded me just how quick this would be to do. As you can see I’ve already worn it – this was Day 28 of Me Made May 2013.

My second quick fix is a new one for me.  I picked up this pure cashmere cardigan for £15 in a vintage shop.  I loved the colour of it and it looked in really good condition, except a patch on one elbow which had been stitched up with various shades of blue thread.  Remembering I had a lovely scrap of brown leather at home (bought in a leather shop in Copenhagen) I bought it anyway and took it home thinking that realistically it would take me ages to get round to making said leather elbow patches.  However I completely surprised myself by making a template, cutting and hand-stitching on the leather patches on Sunday evening. 

Re-fashioned cashmere cardigan with leather elbow patches
new cashmere cardigan with leather elbow patches

I’m so pleased with how it looks, even if the patches don’t sit quite on my elbows – I think the previous owner must have had shorter arms as the repair job I had to cover up is ever so slightly above my elbow.  No matter, I still love how it looks.  In fact I have it on today, for Day 29 of Me Made May 2013.   

Sometimes these quick repair/refashion jobs can be so satisfying!  Did you see Gillian’s recent post on getting back to making some jewellery? This is another quick fix I really enjoy! Does any else have any favourite ‘quick fixes’ or re-fashions they’d like to share?
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14 comments:

  1. Jacq C29 May 2013 at 11:56

    Both great ideas - I really need to get to grips with refashioning. Was it tricky to sew the leather patches by hand?

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    1. Kathryn29 May 2013 at 13:28

      Yes, it was trickier than I thought it would be! I hadn't considered how I could keep the patches in place whilst stitching them but I was lucky the leather was quite soft so I managed to get a few pins through it without leaving holes. Sewing the leather on was also pretty hard on the hands, especially as I couldn't find my thimble!

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  2. Kirsty29 May 2013 at 12:18

    Yay to some quick sewing fixes. Both look great. Are you going to make some jewellery next?

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    1. Kathryn29 May 2013 at 13:30

      I'd like to have a go at making some more jewellery as I've got a lovely turquoise and lapis necklace I bought in Ladakh that I've just taken apart. So far I've made one pair of earrings but still got loads of beads left! Like Gillian says though, the supplies are surprisingly costly, I'll need to buy more necklace closures as well as a beading needle as the holes in the beads are tiny. A project for next month I think!

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  3. Anonymous29 May 2013 at 12:31

    I know what you mean, I finished a whole stack of unfinished or "needed fixing" items and afterwards I felt like a great load had been lifted off me.

    I love both of these and I think I read somewhere that elbow patches are very "in" at the moment so go you!

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    1. Kathryn29 May 2013 at 13:35

      I think MMMay has been good for that extra motivation to get things done and I agree with you, it does feel great when you get them finished!
      I've always liekd the elbow patch look, and just realised I was probably inspired by one of Kathryn's (Yes I Like That) MMMay photos!

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  4. Becca29 May 2013 at 14:13

    Great job on both the skirt and the cardigan! It's nice to just get a quick fix in once in a while.

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    1. Kathryn29 May 2013 at 19:02

      Thanks Becca! Yes, I'm about to attempt to draft a jersey maxi dress from a woven tank pattern (the Grainline) so it was nice to have an easy wee project before starting that.

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  5. Helen29 May 2013 at 20:58

    Both of these look great! I love a quick fix like that.

    Question - do you find a jersey pencil skirt works ok with tights? I imagine it would ride up. Is that the case?

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    1. Kathryn29 May 2013 at 21:47

      Hi Helen! No I haven't found that the skirt rides up at all. Maybe it would depend on the type of jersey though? this is quite a thick jersey but maybe a finer jersey would cling to tights more.

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  6. Jen30 May 2013 at 05:21

    Yes, I love quick fixes. I made a tailors ham recently, it was quick, used up some scraps and I felt so accomplished having finished it in an hour or two (including the stuffing of sawdust!). Plus, it's super useful :) Yay for fast projects :)

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    1. Kathryn30 May 2013 at 08:15

      Hi Jen! A tailor's ham is something I've been meaning to make for ages, thanks for the reminder!

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  7. Merche Martinez1 June 2013 at 17:57

    Hello! Merche reporting for duty! ;D
    Just to let you know you have a new follower...no way I´m going to let go of you after MMM!
    Oh, btw, I have a question regarding London. I´ll see if I can find your contact e-mail

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    1. Kathryn2 June 2013 at 11:48

      Hi Merche! I don't think I have my contact email available on my blog but I'll send you a message via Flickr with my email address. Thanks for following along!

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