Afternoon all! I've now
finished my lovely second Minoru. Nearly two weeks ago in fact but
I've been up to my ears in DIY and decorating and stuff so no time
for photos. I've also written loads of tutorials for various steps
on the Minoru, such as the lined bellows pocket, the flap etc.
You're going to be sick of hearing about the Minoru as there are
likely to be a few posts. I'll probably start with a “ta da” type
of post and follow with separate tutorials.
Anyway something I've been
really good at lately is mending. Seriously don't under estimate how
fulfilling this is. It's really quick once you get going and you get
a real sense of satisfaction. If you need a quick and easy project
there's no need to make another Sorbetto or Scout tee, just get going
with some mending or giving a facelift to an existing garment!
My mending spree started
earlier this year when I fixed the covers on my mother's sofa. I
then shortened two further wrap tops that I had, identical to this one I shortened in December 2011. On a roll I took in the metal
closures on my two tulip skirts here and here as they were too loose.
Today I've mended my Cambie
dress made last year. Here's a reminder of the original. (Yes I changed the straps).
My first fix was to mend a
hole that appeared where the waistband joins the skirt.
The fabric on this dress is terrible and frays like anything. When I
made this dress I was still of the view there was no need to finish
seams on a lined garment. Not any more. I finish all my seams
whether the garment is lined or not. Anyway I fixed the fraying and
hole by adding some interfacing to the area and re-stitching the
seam.
When I tried it on I
realised I wasn't happy with the buttoned straps. They were too
thick and didn't sit right, particularly now that I've lost some
weight since last year. I therefore removed the straps and the
buttons. I then made some new, narrower straps and sewed them in
place. This is what I have now.
This has really improved
the dress. I'm looking forward to wearing it now. The skirt and bodice are a bit big now. It doesn't notice that much so I don't
think I'll bother taking the sides in.
Here's some other projects
in my mending queue.
First up my Angela Kane shift dress. This is a bit too short for my liking now. I want to add a hem
band, maybe in a light blue.
Next up the Pendrell blouse. I've worn it exactly zero times since I made it. This is
purely down to the sleeves and ruffles. A perfectly good blouse is
going to waste. Time to bite the bullet and remove the sleeves and
ruffles and have a plain layering top.
Finally I need to fix the
zip on my black Miss Chalmer's skirt. I love this skirt but the wretched invisible zipper broke soon
after making it. This has put me off invisible zippers. They're not suitable for sturdier garments and I try to avoid them
altogether. I'm really not looking forward to unpicking
the zipper but I can do it!
Oh yes. I have to shorten my chap's new trousers. You can tell I'm thrilled about that one!
In other news I've bought
the new Colette Hawthorn pattern! How cute is that sundress. I really
love buttoned garments since making my Darling Ranges dresses and
Wiksten skirts. I can't wait to make this one.
Happy sewing.
