A Most Satisfying Refashion

As I mentioned a few posts back, I have a number of refashioning projects in my work line-up. I finished the housecoat-to-tailored coat project at the end of last week, and I'm excited to show you how it turned out.

If you remember, I received a house coat from a client. She had already taken it apart to make the lining, so I received the housecoat, the lining, sleeves, buttons, and a scarf. My job was to put it all together, while adding shape and details.

Here's what I did:

• Added darts to the front and back of the coat and lining and added shape to side seams
• Took out lining sleeves and sewed them back in (client had mistakenly sewn them inside out)
• Added tie interfacing to sleeve heads of main sleeves and attached
• Removed 4" from length 
• Used the scarf to make cuff bands and a waistband
• Drafted collar pattern with a timely tutorial from Rhonda Buss
• Used excess hem fabric to make collar
• Attached collar
• Re-attached neck facing and used interfaced hem binding to face the center front closure
• Added snaps and buttons to closure
• Hand stitched lining to coat 

3" mock up collar - too tall!

2" mock up collar - just right!

Pattern for collar

I think this is my biggest refashion transformation so far and I had a lot of fun solving the various problems that came up during the process. And the lovely Rhonda Buss came to my rescue once again - I woke up the morning I needed to draft the collar and found that she had published the EXACT tutorial I needed the night before! How's that for serendipity?

Four Befores and Two Afters

This month has become the month of refashioning projects. Maybe that's part of spring cleaning? Finding the things you can't get rid of but need some improvement to make them work? Not sure, but I've got a few fun things to work on this month.

My client Jen is one of the first people who contacted me about making a skirt for her. She has now lost weight (4 inches from her waistline - go, Jen!) and the skirt needed to be taken in at the waist and hips. This isn't a true refashioning project, but since it was fun to revisit a skirt I made early on in my sewing career, I wanted to include it. Boy, did I use tiny stitches at that point! They were a challenge to pick out! And this was before my serger, when I was still zig-zagging the seam allowances . . .

Skirt is a soft corduroy - I can't remember if I found it on Etsy or Fabric.com

The second refashion was for my client, Melissa. She's going to coach her daughter's softball team this summer, and since the league is used to only having male coaches, the coach shirts were huge!

Before

I took 5.5" off the length, 3" off the sleeve, and added elastic to the waist and back for a bit more definition.

I completely understand where she was coming from on this. I HATE wearing boxy t-shirts, and I usually do something similar if I'm forced to wear one for some cause or campaign. Otherwise I spend the whole time I'm in the shirt trying to adjust the damn thing, feeling awkward and out-of-my skin.

I'm really excited about this next one. One of my client, Carrie, is really into vintage 70's fashion. I refashioned a couple of dresses for her a while back, and next up is a housecoat. Yep, you heard me correctly, she bought a vintage, shapeless housecoat!

Housecoat sans sleeves

Carrie had already attempted to remake the housecoat but needed help. She took apart the garment and used the pieces to cut a lining, sewed the lining and put the housecoat back together. I'll be shortening the length and using the excess to make a collar, attaching the lining (including taking out the sleeves and putting them back on correctly), adding darts, adding a belt and decorative strips to the sleeve cuffs. It's going to look fantastic when it's all done. Carrie is fun to work with and we have a great time bouncing ideas off one another. I can't wait to see what she asks for next!

Fabric detail

This scarf will become the belt and sleeve detail

Lining that Carrie made on her own.

And last up is a wedding dress refashion. Jamie wanted to use her mom's wedding dress, but it needs an update.

First, I'll remove the lace sleeves and most of the yoke. Then I'll add boning and straps to the bodice . . .

and a corset back with modesty panel (it's a tad small), using Mrs Mole's method. Jamie wants "Cubby Blue" ribbons for the corset lacing - I think she's a fan!

I've also got some non-refashioning projects going on this month (copying a client's skirt, some baptismal gown alterations) and I just finished two more wrap dresses which I hope to show you next week. I'm also wrestling with the Style Arc Marni jacket - I plan to coax that one into submission this weekend.

What interesting refashions have you done or dreamed about doing? I have dreams of someday giving the wedding dress from my first wedding (long story) a dye bath and refashion.

Sneak Peek: Indygo Junction VintageModern Design Challenge Entry

**UPDATE**  Please excuse the typo.  It should be "Sneak Peek" - I blame the 1am sewing!!

My Monday "What's Up" post will be delayed this week because I am finishing up my entry into the Indygo Junction VintageModern Design Challenge.  I had to work until 1am the last two nights to get it finished and I think I'm pretty happy with it.  I've got a friend coming later today for a photography session so I'll post more photos tomorrow, but here's a sneak peek at what I've created:

More to come on this coat and my other completed projects for the week tomorrow!

What's Up: Upholstered Clutch Wallets, Funky Flower, Bag for Donation, Packages Shipped!

This past week was a little slow.  I worked hard, but I don't feel like I have as much to show for it as I spent more time than usual on the computer catching up on admin and placing orders.  The latter does mean I have the arrival of lots of packages of fabric and hardware to look forward to this week (soooo exciting!).  But the former means that I didn't spend as much time as I like actually sewing.

But sewing did happen!  I finished the first two items on Melissa's order from the skirt party, a zebra print clutch wallet and flower pin.  I love the way they turned out - the right mix of edgy and pretty:

 

I made a variation on the clutch wallet from an old chair cover that I found at The Economy Shop, using bias tape to finish the edges:

I want to redo the stitching on the bias tape (I figured a technical issue out halfway around) and then I'll put it up on Etsy.  I now think I know enough to write a tutorial for these and I hope to post that on Thursday or Friday of this week for those of you who want to make your own.

And since it seems to be the week of clutches, I made another Ali Foster clutch to donate to a local school auction:

Jennifer, the woman who contacted me about the bag, has her own blog called HealthAtMySize.  I dropped off the bag yesterday and she invited me in for a mimosa and a chat (nice treat!).  In order to find new and unusual donations for the auction, she searched for local artists on Etsy - such a great idea!  There are tons of artists and crafters who sell completely online without a store front and I bet they don't often get asked to do this sort of thing.  I love the opportunity to do something good (help raise money for the school) while getting my name out to potential clients.  She is showcasing the artists on her blog - go check out the work.

I did have a helpful realization this week.  I made a promise to myself to save weekend sewing time for my personal projects.  I haven't done a good job of this so far and I realized it's because the personal projects I want to work on are challenging.  They will stretch my skills and require multiple weekends to complete.  So I've been avoiding them by continuing to work on my client's projects on the weekends.  No more!  I made myself sit down to trace and cut out my first project, a spring/fall coat by Indygo Junction:

I'm going to make a variation on the version on the left and if I get it completed in time, I'll enter it in IJ's design challenge competition.

And this week I will do a lot of sewing.  I want to get Melissa's messenger bag bag and finish Diane's corsetted skirt (the fabric for this finally arrived).  I hope to get a draft version of Melissa's skirt finished, too.  And the upholstered clutch wallet tutorial . . . and the unpacking of many boxes of fabric.  We'll see how fast I can sew!