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Pattern Review: McCall's 4261 Sports Bra

2009-11-09T18:46:00.007-05:00

Originally, I bought this pattern in order to make the hooded jacket. However, after reading through the instructions, I realized that the jacket had a some raw turned outward. It is very trendy, I suppose, but not entirely what I was looking for. I wish that the picture was a little clearer. So, this pattern sat in the drawer by the side of my bed, for about 6 months or so. (Um, yes. I sometimes read sewing instructions in bed. For the relaxation factor, you know)

Lately, I have been in need of more gym wear. I was going to buy some sports bra when I remembered this pattern. I decided to give this pattern a shot.

Oh yes, the great thing about making this bra, is that I could recycle fabric from these t-shirts:

Who doesn't have a few of these lying around? Boring, oversized corporate t-shirts.

Cool, eh?

Anyway, the instructions were pretty straight-forward. It's a little silly of me to be complaining of this, but I wish the Spanish and English instructions were not interlaced. That's my only gripe.

This is a pretty simple pattern and I think it would be a pretty good knit pattern for a beginner to work with. It does help to have worked with elastic and elastic thread before.

Elastic thread was used to gather at the front:

I had to do was to sew an extra line of top-stiching at the neckline and the armholes. This had to be done so that the elastic does not flip over and expose the raw and unfinished edges:

Anyway, here's how it turned out:

Sorry, I'm too shy to model my bra for you.

However, here's the back view. I really like the shaping of the back:

I really like this sports bra and plan on making a few more.

However, keep in mind that I don't require a lot of support. I'm just not sure how much support this bra will provide from someone who a little more blessed in the bustline.. haha :)

Refashion: Mum, I have no "Winter" T-shirts

2009-11-09T08:49:00.005-05:00

I haven't been sewing a whole lot, because I've been busy preparing for the fair that I attended last Saturday. I cannot wait to make something from scratch. Isn't that something?

I was just about to sit down to cut my fabric, when I remembered that my older daughter had asked me for more long sleeved t-shirts.

Sigh. I guess I should go shopping now. Gah, I can't stand it....
Wait a minute! What am I thinking? I have a pile of clothes that can be refashioned!

Actually, it was more like 3 or 4 piles of refashion candidates.

I sorted through my piles and laid out a few jersey pieces that seemed to go well together.
Laying it out like that seems to help me visualize how I want the shirts to turn out.
In the end, my daughter helped me to pick out the colors she wanted. I used an existing shirt, and just kind of winged it. It's a really liberating way of sewing!
Now, my daughter has a few new shirts to wear. Notice.... no pink!
What she wore to school this morning:

This is out of left field, but I had a dinner conversation with my family yesterday, about the kind of music my parents listened to when I was a child.
Well, there was Elvis, Dolly, Kenny, The Pretenders, Everly Brothers, Dean Martin....
and there was Slim Whitman.
Slim Whitman brings back the memories.

Happy Monday.

Refashion: Adding some Coverage

2009-11-05T14:42:00.005-05:00

My 3-year-old just announce, "I've got some very special news for you today, mum. Look out the window. It's snowing!"
"Yay!", I said, but you know I really wanted to say, "Not yet, please!"

Anyway, I digressed! I wanted to share a refashion with you. I did this refashion a last week, but only recently got around to taking pictures of it.

Here's the original dress. (Generously given to me, thanks!!)

It was a lovely dress, with distracting white lines, and lined on the inside. The hemline hit me at an odd length, and the neckline dipped a little too low for my taste.

Some of the length had to go, and the excess fabric was used to add a pleat on the neckline. It still looked a little "off", so more pleats (using the lining) were added on top:

I think that all that is missing is perhaps a nice thick belt to cinch it in, and a light shawl or short cropped jacket, for even more coverage :)

Twister Mat, Anyone?

2009-11-03T10:35:00.005-05:00

If you look closely at the 'mat', you'll notice how sloppily I sewed on the circles. Heh, I did not even bother to iron out the circles.
I had an hour max to sew up this twister mat - time in between an appointment, and a play date.
I just wanted it done, and the kids did not care how bad of a sewing job it was!

I took an old blanket that no one liked because it was scratchy.
That blanket was cut to 40" x 60".
Using scraps, old blankies.... etc, I cut circles using a 9" diameter plate as a template.
Then I proceeded to top sew each circle onto the blanket - eyeballing to make sure the circles lined up. I sewed like a woman possessed.
Who knew I had such superhuman sewing powers? Able to sew 24 circles in 30 minutes!

The best thing about this blanket, besides an awesome Twister game (it is fun to tell mum and dad where to put their limbs), is how the blanket can be used for different games.

Indoor hopscotch, anyone?
How about a game of magical buttons?
Ooooh, maybe each circle is a special home for our furry pet toys?

Ah.... the powers of imagination.

Rescuing a Lamp

2009-11-02T08:28:00.008-05:00

How saving a lamp from the dump, gave me the courage to fix up another two lamps.

It was one of those days. My little girl was still sick from her flu, and we've been stuck at home for the 5th day in a row.
"Let's just go for a drive. I'll get Tim Horton's coffee at the drive-through, and you can listen to Me First and the Gimme Gimmes", I said.
"Yes!!", said the little one, sniffling into her tissue paper.

We were barely out of our neighborhood, when my daughter exclaimed. "Look mum! They throwing out stuff that is good!". (The day before, I have been explaining to my daughter that it is better to drop stuff off at Salvation Army for others to use, rather than to throw things out.)

I glanced over, and saw the lamp standing at the side of the road, surrounded by bags of garbage and boxes of recyclables. At the other end of the street, the garbage truck was making it's way over.
That's how I ended up with this lamp:

It was actually worked perfectly. There was just a slight tear on the lamp shade.

We discovered that the torn fabric on the lampshade peeled off easily:
Using my current favorite fabric, I traced out the lampshade, cut out the shape, and using a light layer of mod podge, I glued on the fabric:

I cut off the excess fabric, and used hot glue to attach some trim on the top and bottom edges of the lampshade:

Turns out I had to paint over the white metal with some spray paint, because the white just did not fit in my house. I must say, for something that was going to be trashed the day before, the lamp looks rather spiffy in my living room.

I was so pleased with how easy that makeover was, that I finally tackled the lamp that my friend, Steph, gave to me. "Your next project", she said.
I knew the history of her lamp, and I was to nervous to tackle any recovery projects with that lamp. What if I messed it up? So, it sat in my basement for over a month.
Before:
After:
It now sits proudly on top of my piano.

Finally, I fixed the busted lampshade in my dining room. It had been broken for 2 years now. I just turned it around so that no one could tell. I know, terrible :)

Before:
After:
Oh, I was tempted to use the same fabric, I tell ya! However, sanity won over, and I used something complementary instead. I'm not so sure about the trim I used at the bottom of this one. I may rip it out and attach some hanging pompom trim instead. That may give the fabric more coverage. Maybe this time it won't take me two years to fix it.

All in all, I'm glad that first lamp caught my daughter's attention.

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T13:59:00.004-04:00

Hopping Bunny can't stay still in her swanky vest.
Black Cat is sneaky in her shiny cape. "I'm not any black cat, I'm Super Cat"

Bunny, Cat and I wish you a safe and happy Halloween!

Black Cat Shirt

2009-10-29T09:01:00.005-04:00

The Man: Uh oh, you know that orange and white shirt I got that was on sale?

Me: Yeah? (Very distracted doing something else)

The Man: Well, I got it just the right size, and it shrunk in the wash. The sleeves are too short. I should have bought a size bigger. Good thing it only worked out to be $4 after all those sales.

Me: (Stops everything) Gimme! I can use to make clothes for the kids.

That's how it is nowadays. I'm always please when I have a refashion candidate!
I was particularly pleased about it having orange on it, because it turns out that my other daughter has to wear orange and black to school as well.
(Costumes are no longer the only thing you have to worry about during Halloween, it seems. Sometimes, you have to have orange and black clothing as well. Just so you know)

The collar is quite small, I did not need to make any adjustments.
Using a shirt that fits well as a template:Black cat stencil (using freezer paper stencil and black glitter fabric paint)

I was quite please with it, but you know what my daughter said when she saw it?
"But I wanted a pirate on it"

Hehe... so much for gratitude :)

Another Yoga Top

2009-10-28T09:55:00.004-04:00

The yoga top I made was so successful that I decided to make another one out of a shirt that had been sitting in my dresser for a while now.
My husband go this for me when he went to the Kennedy Space Station. I liked that he got me a shirt, but wearing the shirt made me feel a little bit like a young boy. So, I never wore it much.

Stuff I added to the back:

Hope you all have a great week!

Su

Refashion: T - Shirt into a Yoga Top

2009-10-26T15:47:00.006-04:00

I did not think I'd have the time to blog today, because my little girl is so sick and wanted me to sit on the couch with her the whole day. Cuddles vs blogging..... sorry, cuddles won, you know how it is :)

Anyway, she fell asleep in my arms after some time, and she's in bed now, warm and comfortable. Hopefully, her fever will ease a little.

Meanwhile, I wanted to share another refashion with you. I'm on a refashion kick right now.

Unfortunately, I failed to take a good 'before' picture. Boo.
Nevertheless, it's the same blue and orange shirt from the last refashion.

I had already used part of the orange sleeves for the black shirt transformation, but was left with a blue/orange shirt that had potential.

How the shirt was refashioned.
(I took some pictures, but something was wrong with my camera, so they did not turn out - sorry)

1)Using a seam ripper, I detached the orange sleeves from the blue bodice piece, leaving it still connected to the collar.

2)Next, I used a sharp scissors and cut off the sleeves from the collar.

3)Next, I finished the armhole seams to make it look nicer. I think leaving it unfinished works too.

4)Try on the top, and if it gapes at the armhole, pin and sew the sides.
Actually, if the top is too loose, make sure you pin and sew the sides so that the top is quite fitted. You don't want to be conscious of slipping shirts when you are doing forward bends

You're pretty much done.

I had excess orange fabric leftover, so I added some decorations. It's freehand sewing. A little more risky than freehand drawing.
Oh, I pretty much use the same method of rose embellishment that Jessica of Happy Together used in her tutorial. Except, I skipped the pinning part.

It's a pretty fun yoga top to wear.

Here's the before photo:

Sometimes, I get asked how I feel about wearing home made stuff to teach yoga classes where most of my students are Lululemon clad.
I say, "If they are willing to invest that much on good yoga wear, they are committed to their yoga practice. I am always, always, thankful for all my yoga students. "
If I am not able to make my own yoga wear, I'd be wearing Lululemon too, because I hear they make some very good quality stuff.

Oops, I've got to stop right here, my sick girl is stirring.
I hope you like that quick refashion!

Refashion: Another way to Extend Kid's T-Shirt Life

2009-10-23T10:44:00.004-04:00

My little girl's school has decided that this Halloween, instead of a costume, the kids will wear Orange and Black. Great! Except, my girl does not own anything orange and black.
I did keep this small black shirt from when she was 2 years old. It says "Mum's Ruin".... hahaha!
In my refashion pile, was this awesome long-sleeved shirt that fit awkwardly around the shoulders. It has orange sleeves! Woohoo!

You've seen it sold at stores, and you've seen it done online. I think there are a few tutorials out there that shows you how to add long sleeves and add length to a t-shirt. However, I just can't seem to find them right now. I'll add onto this post when I do.

Here's how it looks:

Yes, OK, I rolled the hem at the bottom instead of making a real hem. I was a little lazy.... just a little.

Thanks for reading!

Su

P.S. - Did you realize that I had a punny title? Extend sleeves... extend life... ;D

Deviating from my regular posts: A Serious Message to my Friends

2009-10-23T09:55:00.007-04:00

Dear Friends,

I'm so glad it is Friday. I hope you have had a good week. It has been an emotional week for me. I don't usually talk about private things on this blog. After all, I did name it such a way that it reflects my personality, and I want my blog to stay light and lively. However, I do feel compelled to share something with you.

My little 6 year old girl, has been having to deal with play yard politics at school, and there were signs of bullying. A 6 year old child is not emotionally equipped to deal with these issues. I sat on my feelings about a few days but have since been scrambling about trying to find some solutions. I have been in contact with other parents (we're a bunch of emotional headcases, lots of tears), and we have some things in the works to try to address the things that have been going on in school.

One of the best book I've read about bullying is Barbara Coloroso's The Bully, the Bullied and the Bystander. The thing that resonated most with me in this book is that for every child that has been bullied, there was an adult who knew about it and did not do anything. I guess I'm just pleading for you not to be that adult.

There are so many online resources available, from how to tell what is bullying and what is not, to being able to educate your child on the difference between tattling and telling, to how to detect warning signs of bullying behavior. Just do a quick search, you'll see what I mean!

Anyway, don't worry, I'll still keep my blog light. I just needed to get this out :)

Su

Refashion: Girl's Clothing Mash Up

2009-10-21T09:50:00.004-04:00

A top that's too short.
A dress that does not fit anymore, because the top part is too snug.

I attached the top to the bottom. Actually, it fit perfectly, so I had no issues attaching the top to the bottom.
However, my sewing machine kept seizing up! Arrghhh... a ten minute job took me much, much longer. Isn't that always the way, though? :)

I enlarged the armholes and added long sleeves using some scrappy fabric. I had to add long sleeves because I knew that my daughter would want to wear the dress in this cool weather.
It was a good call, the sleeves does seem to tie the dress together.

"New" party dress:

I wish I could do this with my clothes. Somehow, I doubt they would fit me as well. Clothes always looks good on kids, don't they?

Su

Refashion: Love my Scarf

2009-10-19T23:00:00.001-04:00

I love Wardrobe Refashion.
Sometimes, a post on there gets me so excited, like this post by Sadie Fox.

I knew which sweater would be the donor, because I've had it around for many years.
This sweater is about 10 years old, and it's been through many washes, and has shrunk. I do have a sentimental attachment to it though, which is why it sat around waiting for me to do something with it.

Following the instructions from the original tutorial, I've made the it scarf that I'm going to wear all winter. It is made up of strips of the sweater, finished around the edges and gathered using a ribbon. I used a pretty, soft pink ribbon, but I think I may replace that with a black or gray satin ribbon instead.

Thanks to my daughter for taking these pictures of me:

But I confess, that semi-glamorous vibe is not my usual winter look.
This is:

Shivering, shoulders hunched all the way up by my ears, still a big smile, very, very cold and decidely uncool.
BRRRRR.............

Bench Makeover

2009-10-18T11:00:00.002-04:00

Remember my bench?

Uggh... it just didn't work, right?
Here's another photo. It's not bad, but it could be so much better!

So, I announced that I was going to do something about this eyesore.
Seriously folks, if I tell people that I'm going to do something, it kind of makes me a little panicky, because being the responsible person that I am, I do try to keep true to my word!

Here it is after I've sanded it down and put on two coats of primer:
This is when I start having second thoughts. It looked rough!

Uh oh, Su! What have you done?!?

It was a little better after I applied Cappuccino:
Having never used Mod Podge before, I practiced applying it to fabric on the inside of the bench.
Oh, I used fabric because I liked the fabric I chose, but also because I'm suspicious of paper. I know that it's what mod podge is made for, but I'm the kind of person who can never apply sticky stuff on straight without bubbles. I was afraid of tearing the paper on such a huge project. I'm glad I went with fabric, because I had to reposition the fabric many times!

Anyway, the decoupage went quite well. I still had some bubbles, but I suspect that if I had a proper roller to squeeze out all the air bubbles, this would not have been a problem!

As it was, half the application was done by smearing globs of mod podge off my hands.
I was concentrating so hard on getting the fabric on straight that I failed to notice that I had knocked over the open bottle. My older child came along, and said, "Hey mum, why is there a white plate on the floor?"
Gasp!! That was my mod podge tipped over and spreading a slow circle around the container. So there I was, scooping the podge back into the bottle, and then, with bare hands, I started smearing the stuff on the fabric that was already in place.

Highly inelegant, and I had to practice my yoga breathing, so as to not hyperventilate.... hahahaha!

Sigh...Martha Stewart, I am NOT :)

I also painted the wooden part of the hooks that sits above the bench.

I loved the bench's transformation so much, that I used a tray I found (it had a destroyed picture of Winnie the Pooh on it), and made a matching tray for little shoes:
I had protected it with layers of clear coat paint, so it is reflecting a lot of light in that picture above. However, in real life, it is not cloudy at all.

I'm thinking of moving the frame that is hung on the wall and replacing it with something else.
That though, is another project.

Overall, I'm rather pleased with the transformation!

Head over to Inspired Room's Procrastinator Party to see what others have done!
Thanks for reading,
Su

Results of a Sewing Marathon

2009-10-16T08:45:00.005-04:00

My friend Claudia came over last Saturday for some sewing fun, and let me show you what we made:

This lovely mess, is made after we have cleaned up the first time for dinner. Also, this did not include the piles of stuff that was on the floor :)
We sewed from about 5pm to 11pm. There was a lot of stopping and chatting, distractions from my boisterous kids, and dinner (that my dear husband made) had to be had. However, I must say that it is quite fun to just sit and sew. I'm usually multitasking, and no way can I dedicate that much amount of time to my sewing. So, indeed, it was lovely!

Halfway through the night, I stopped to photograph what I made:
Before the night was through, I actually managed to make 4 more of those little lined pouches.
I've made many of these before, and use them to hold my cellphone, tissues, coins, mp3 player.... it's quite useful!

So, I finally updated my etsy store with some of these after many, many, mumble, mumble, mumble...

And the winner of the Leather Brooch is....

2009-10-15T22:25:00.004-04:00

Aunt LoLo!!!

Here's what Aunt LoLo had to say:

Aunt LoLo said...: Oh, gorgeous, mama!! Did you have to use a special needle to get through the layers of leather??

Mmm...those would make ROCKIN' barrettes for little girls, too...just pin them to a felt-covered barrette...ooh, I hope I win!; October 7, 2009 2:28 PM

Congratulations, Aunt LoLo!

Halloween Window Decorations

2009-10-14T17:51:00.005-04:00

This morning, my little girl and I decided to make window silhouettes for Halloween.

This means that I spent the bulk of the time plotting and cutting, while my daughter danced around me, singing "Uptown Girl". Yes, apparently that's her favorite song of the moment.
Although, out of the mouth of 3-year-old, it sounds more like, "Uptown Girl, she's be dibing dida, Uptown woool...."

I digressed...

It's quite a thick fabric I pulled out of the remnant bin - marked "Flawed", and was going for 50cents. It wasn't flawed, as far as I was concerned, it was perfect for the job.

I took this picture just before we walked to the bus stop to pick up my older girl.
As we were walking, it started to snow! NOOOO! (My daughter went, "YES!")
This is supposed to be Fall!

Anyway, it only snowed for less than a minute, so everything still looks green. Phew! Close call.

Dressing up Boring Canisters

2009-10-13T08:35:00.005-04:00

Did you have a good weekend?

Our family had a Great Weekend. It was Thanksgiving weekend in Canada, and we celebrated it by having two days of friends and family coming over to our little home for food and drinks.

I spent a lot of time cleaning, since the spouse was the one doing most of the cooking. Poor abused hands of mine. Hahaha...
However, it was worth it. Great friends, excellent food.... lots of laughter.

I only managed to do some sewing on Saturday, when my friend Claudia, came over for some sewing fun. It was a productive evening, and I will show you what I made, the next time I post.

However, I did sneak this one in.

Here were my boring and very old counter-top canisters:

And according to my 5-year-old, I decided to keep them warm:

They are much prettier on my counter-top.
You may recognize the fabric from this post, about ugly fabric.
So, I think, taken separately, the fabric is not really ugly.
Some day, just some day, I may be able to buy some beautiful Anna Maria Horner, or Heather Bailey. For now, I'll just drool and maybe hope.
Meanwhile, my canister will stay warm.

I'll Stop Procrastinating Later

2009-10-07T17:47:00.002-04:00

I've been thinking of fixing up the entrance a little. Thinking and thinking and thinking.
Thinking of painting the little ikea bench, mayyyy... be.
And not doing!

So..... I'm joining The Inspired Room's Procrastinator Party.
Woohoo!
Here's my before picture, just to set my intention.
Party On!

A small Giveaway, and the Bag that Couldn't be Saved.

2009-10-07T09:01:00.007-04:00

Unfortunately, this is not what I'm giving away. What I'm giving away is at the end of this post.

Last week, I was scanning throught my local freecycle emails, when I noticed this handbag. It had two broken straps and a little rip on the bottom. However, it was leather and looked to be in good shape otherwise.
The owner had reposted her offer 3 times and was threatening to throw it out. I felt really bad for this handbag. Can you feel bad for an inanimate object? I felt compelled to rescue it somehow.

I tried. I had no problem fixing the straps, but the fixing the rip was beyond me.
I thought about making the bag into a purse, but the construction was such that the many leather pieces were sewn onto foam backing.

Finally, I just decided to harvest the handles and zippers.
The rest of the handbag now has a second life as accessories :)

Very feminine and the leather makes it look very expensive :)

Do you like this brooch I made from upcycled leather and a vintage button?

Well, you have a chance to win it!

The draw is for the brooch pictured just above.
Just leave me a comment on this post.
Make sure I have some way of reaching you through email.
Anyone can enter (international very welcome!)
The winner will be picked using the random.org number generator.
Giveaway will end Wednesday October 14th ,2009 at midnight (e.s.t.).

Thank you for looking, and good luck!

Fall Pillows

2009-10-06T13:44:00.005-04:00

If you have a monochromatic room like mine.... mushroom walls, tan sofa, maple floors, it is the simplest thing to change the look of your room by switching out pillowcases.

Do you like the ones I made?
I love it. Too bad it doesn't look as good in the photo as it does in real life

I'm sure you have your own tricks, but do you want to know how I make a square pillowcase in less than 15 minutes? With 3 straight stitches, or 2, if you are very, very lazy. It will kill you, how easy it is.

Click the thumbnail to view the whole picture.

Kid's Craft: "Stained Glass" Fall Leaves

2009-10-05T00:14:00.006-04:00

The kids and I have not been sharing any kids crafts with you in the recent months. However, this craft turned out so beautifully that I thought it was worth "putting it out there".

1)This step can be skipped. Instead of painting coffee filters in fall colors, just use crepe paper with fall colors.
However, this step took about 45 minutes of intense concentration on the painting. 45 minutes of sitting still is a miracle. 45 minutes on step one, is cause for me to do the happy shimmy. There was also conversation about fall colors, color mixing, opacity..... etc.
Look at the beautiful coffee filters colored:

2) Scissors - cut up the filters or crepe into tiny pieces.
Again, you can probably tear it by hand, but cutting with scissors develops those fine motor skills. And kids just love scissors:
3) While they are busy cutting, draw your leaves on some wax paper. I did not trust my free-hand maple leaves, so I traced it from something I had printed off the internet beforehand.

4)Glue the pieces onto the wax paper:
5) Cut out the shape of the leaves. I had to help with the cutting at this point. Maybe I should have chose an easier shape:
6)Tape the leaves on a window:
I think it is so pretty....

Long Sleeve Shirt to Little Girl's Dress

2009-10-02T11:43:00.009-04:00

Here's a refashion that is born out of guilt and shame.

I realized on Wednesday night that my little girl has Photo Day on Thursday morning, and that I had Nothing to put her in.
By Nothing, I mean, nothing that is not handed down from her big sister, or nothing that is not Summer. She has lots of cute summery dresses that I've made for her, but nothing that she can wear now that the fall chill has hit us. Her little friends are going to look a cute and spiffy, and she's going to show up in her sister's old dress. Poor little girl...

Guilt has a way of eating away at me.

My poor thing.... I should really make her something. I should run out and buy her something. I should... oh, the stores are close, unless I go to.... *gasp*..... Walmart.

So, this is how at 9pm on Wednesday night, I decided that I should at least try to make her something.

First, I went into my refashion pile of clothing. I found a favorite long sleeved t-shirt of mine. It is still in great condition, but it had shrunk a little too much after I put it into the dryer. It clung to me in ways I was not comfortable with. However, I just love the rich purple color.

I took a dress that fit my daughter well, and using my favorite method (guestimation and eye-balling), I cut out the shape of the bodice of her dress.
It was a little short, so I decided to add a band to the dress, using some fabric that I have in hand:

Using the eyeballing method mentioned above, I cut out the sleeves (I measured the length of sleeves from a t-shirt that I knew fit her).

After I sewed it all together, I added some flowers to tie it all together:
It's not clear from the photo, but put an elastic around the neckline, so that it gathers a little, similar to a peasant-style top.

My little girl, happy with her new dress.
It looks a little short, but it's not. She's just lying down on her pillow mountain.

Seeing how excited she for Photo Day in her new duds, make all that work worthwhile.

Guilt, my friends, is a great motivator.

Yay or Nay - Gathered skirt with lining that shows?

2009-09-30T11:11:00.003-04:00

I made this skirt out of a pillowcase. Initially, I made it to sell at a fair. However, because I was experimenting with different ways of installing the elastics, I think that the band is way too messed up. What was I doing? Well, I wanted the waistband to be flat in front and gathered at the back. It's not bad, but definitely imperfect.

No way I'd be selling this skirt. So, I guess I'll have to keep it for spring and wear it myself :). I don't care if it's not perfect. I still think it's beautiful.
My friend asked me why wouldn't I give it away. I had thought about this too, but no way! I guess, if I'm giving away something, it has to be good enough that I'd be able to sell it too.

Anyway, I had cut the pieces for this skirt about two weeks ago. The awesome Claudia, whom I met through wardrobe refashion was at my place for a sewing session at that time. She gave me the idea for having the lining show on the gathered skirt:

What do you think of the lining peeking through like that? Yay or nay?

Oh.... and are you like me? Things you make for others must be perfect, but you are able to live with less than perfect pieces for yourself, because you made it?

Men PJ Shorts and a Question.

2009-09-29T14:03:00.006-04:00

About a couple of weeks ago, my husband asked me if I could repair one of the pockets on his favourite pants.

Him : It's been like that for months, and I think I keep losing change.
Me : No problem, it'll take me less than a minute. *muttering to self about lost coins*

A minute later, I returned his pants.
Him : That is so cool!!! Thanks!
Me : Uh.... Okayyyyy. You're welcome. You know that I sew, right? Like, clothes and all. It stands to reason that I can fix a hole or a button quite easily
Him : Yeah, but you don't sew for me. This is so cool!!!" He's still checking out his repaired pocket.
Me : Do you want me to sew for you?
Him : Well, only if you want to.
Me : You're right, clothing for men can be so boring.
Him : *grunt*
Me : *grunt*
(After over 10 years of marriage, grunting is a viable means of communication.)

A few days later, we agreed that I can make him flannel pj shorts, because he couldn't find any similar to the ones he already has.

You know, I only need one pattern piece for his shorts. I traced it off the existing pj shorts:
For any newbies out there, here's the cheat sheet I used long time ago when I started making shorts and pants for my kids. Works the same for men's shorts :)

Here are the shorts:

whoosh! Bright flash, I had to take the picture at night.

The question I have is, does anyone know what this is?
It says "Trimtex" on the top. I know that Trimtex makes buttons and well, trims. However, I'm clueless as to what these are used for. They came in this pile of buttons that I bought at a flea market on the weekend:
Thanks! Su