Elsa quilt block

Frozen Elsa Quilt Block

This is the completed doll carrying case I made with a zippered center page (pocket) for her wardrobe.
The outside is encased in a clear plastic.

Doll carrying case

Case opens like a book

Inside is a quilted bed (pocket), where the dolly sleeps and a soft pillow inside the pillowcase.  Attached in the center is another pocket with a zipper.  This pocket contains her wardrobe.

This is the little hand made cloth doll.  She has long wavy soft hair.

Dolly tucked in her bed

Attached center pocket with applique letters

Zippered pocket for dolly's wardrobe

Thank you for viewing.  I will be working on her wardrobe next and will update blog.

Refashion shirt into a swimsuit cover up

Swimsuit cover up

I purchased this beautiful white linen shirt sometime ago to wear with jeans.  I wore it twice and I wore it proudly.  On the second time I wore it, a photo was taken on the day we girls got together to pick out our bridesmaid's dresses for my niece's wedding.   I am the one on left with the white tunic.

They are all thin girls and I stood out like a hot air balloon ready to float away.  I realized from the photo how big the shirt made me look.  (Kind of like an  Indian tepee).
Never again would I wear this shirt.  It sat in my closet for a year, or perhaps two.   

Recently we planned a trip to South Beach with my sister and her spouse.  Knowing my sister, we were going to spend 80% of our time in the pool or at the beach. (She is part fish or she may have gills).

 I needed a swimsuit cover up.   I checked on line and found one I really liked.  It was a Ralph Lauren cover up which resembled my top.  I actually like my refashioned version better than the designers coverup.

Ralph Lauren swimsuit cover up

So....... Uh huh!  An idea popped into my head and a smile on my face.

No need to buy one.  I can make one!





Steps for refashioning a shirt:


I started by cutting off the sleeves and from the sleeves I cut out two strips for armhole facings. 

Original shirt

Remove the sleeves.

Cut two strips diagonally  about 1-1/2" wide from the sleeves to be used for armhole facings.

Sew on facing along the armhole, then turn in and top stitch

Open side seam, about waist area on both sides.

I had some lace fabric left over from another project and I was able to create a pleat and attached it to the sides.  This makes it loose fitting and easy to pull on and very easy to take off over your head while at pool while others watch you basically undress.

My new swimsuit cover up:

Oh, yes one more thing I forgot to mention.  I gathered the shoulders by sewing casings under the shoulder seams. Than I ran a drawstring through and tied it with a bow to create the gather shoulders.

My new shirt

Quick and easy shirt to make.  McCall's 6436

Unfortunately after pining all my larger pattern pieces down I realized I did not have enough fabric to cut out the collar.  I tried rearranging the pattern layout and still was short of fabric.

I had some left over pieces of fabric from my last project which was Refashioning Men Shirt.  I used the remaining scraps for the collar and for the shoulder straps.  I think it blended nicely.   Ha Ha, I didn't know my husband's shirt was going to go a long way.

Hubby's old shirt.

 I will be making a few of these shirts for the summer.

Thank you for viewing.

Refashion men's dress shirt

New shirt to me

This is another one of my hubby's dress shirt that he put out to disposed off.
(( Oh no way! ))  Not a Perry Ellis shirt.  Apparently he was able to wear it once to a fiesta, and he looked fantastic.  I washed it and it shrunk, (he claims).   I thought that was my line, but now he is using it too.  I simply believe he enjoyed some extra helpings on his plate (one too many times).

Here is a brief description on how I refashioned it for myself.

The original shirt was beautiful, but sleeves were too long and I wanted to add a feminine touch.

Sleeves had to go

  

Opened the back yokes and added pleats (one on each side)

Back pleat

Sew on bias trim to armholes then fold in, press and top stitch

 

 

Mark your waist and cut approx 2 inches below mark

Add darts to bottom of front shirt, both sides of front and hem

Fold sleeves in half and cut to ties. Turn inside out, top stitch and attach to shirt front.

Note:  Armholes are large so you would want to wear a camy under the shirt.     
           Add trim or lace around the armholes and to the top of pocket.
           If I were to make another one like this, I would cut the front a little bit longer.
           It is a little to short for my liking.

Thank you for viewing my blog.

  

New Look 6749

Summer Dress number 2

I liked this little casual summer dress for our long hot summers here in Florida.  It seemed very simple to whip it up, but it also needed a pop up color.   I had this bright green cloth left over from a ruffle skirt of the table cloth I made earlier, so I blended in with this dress fabric, and I think it works. (no one will know).

The necklace was made by my sister form polymer clay and looks nice with the fabric. (R.I.P. sis)

Close up of the ribbon trim.  I also made a 1/4 inch binding and stitched it onto the edge of the shoulder straps.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Silky twisted ribbon trim sewed on to the green trim

 

 

 I had enough fabric left over that I made a ruffle trim and stitched it on to the hem for interest and to hold the dress down. (for windy days). Don't want to get the old guys too excited.

Now I am working on the same dress, but a different fabric and adding a little bling bling.

Here is the pattern:  

Thanks for reading.

Butterick 5781

Summer Dress

What a pity.  Just right before the Christmas holiday I was forced to clean up my sewing room.  I needed to clean up really good and very quickly since I had guest coming from up north to spend a week with hubby and myself.  Wow, I was impressed, it looked marvelous, opened and spacey.  

I say "what a pity", because I knew it just couldn't last.  I wanted to sew very badly after the holidays, and I knew the room would go back to being a train wreck.

I can't explain how this happens, but when I sew I get hit by a touch of a hurricane.  Maybe it is more like a tornado. (No warning, it just hits).

This is my first sewing project of 2015:   A summer dress trimmed with a pink piping.

Front view

Back view

  

Tablecoth with a ruffle skirt

Tablecloth for utility table

I have been in the mood for sewing anything and I mean anything.  If you sew, you'll know exactly  what I mean.  It is like having an addiction and you live on the edge with the jitters that won't let you relax until you get your injection, or a fix.  Ahhhh, finally what a relief to cut that fabric out and put it back together again with a different shape and form.

I love the sound of my sewing machine.  It is like having my own personal sports car, and boy can it run.  I start my machine up, the headlights come on, the motor revs up, (vroom vroom).  I adjust my seat, (no seat belts).  The flag is lower, (oops I meant the foot is lower).  I step on the pedal and forward I go.  I shift and maneuver the cloth around the corners and curves being careful not to go over the edge.  If you are sewing with silks, slow down, (slippery road).  Weeee what a ride!

A few months ago I ordered online a new accessory for my sewing machine.  It is a pleating and ruffling foot. What a contraction! It intimated me so I stored it away, (out of site and out of mind).
But oops, that little foot kept popping up each time I opened the drawer in my sewing cabinet.  So I was feeling guilty about spending the money on this gadget, and I needed an excuse to use it.   So that is when the idea of the tablecloth for the ugly utility table came into play.

I have to say: It turned out cute.  The fabric has an owl theme, cheerful and whimsical. I found a matching green fabric for the ruffle skirt.  I trimmed it with a pink poke a dot ribbon which my niece had given me and whoa.... I finished in first place. Ha Ha
 
Now that it is winter here in Florida, (temperatures in the low 70's).  We can take advantage of the screen porch.  We can actually sit and eat outside without being scorched.

Completed tablecloth

Ugly utility table

Using the new ruffle foot

Nice pleats

Rounding the corners off

Trim off excessive corner

Attach the ribbon