'MakeOver Monday'
... sharing how I cut up & REmake items from my wardrobe
in the hope you'll pick up scissors & start cutting up yours!
I collect cardys
they're top of my list of favourite things to wear
I've been known to design a frock around how best it will suit a cardigan
and likewise if a frock needs a cardy then I'll REfashion one.
Knitwear features heavily as one of my favourite things to cut up
I love it so much I wrote
explaining how I do it
which has turned out to be my most most popular post
[read over 15000x!]
so I figure I'm not the only one who likes the idea
I've a few pink cardys in the collection however not all are in my wardrobe
most are filed waiting for their opportunity to shine
as was the case with this
vintage buttery soft lambswool/angora cardy
I knew when I spied her across a crowded oppy that she'd be too small for me
and that I'd never wear her with that ribbing
the missing button wasn't an issue
and to be honest I think the nibbled bits happened after I brought her home
all attributes which combined to make her the perfect REfashioning volunteer.
Before I could take the scissors to anything
I needed to find another knit to be part of the experience
because in order to make this work I needed to make her bigger
which meant more fabric was needed.
I came up with two options in the end
a pretty-girly-lacey-floraly concoction
which I'd have never worn
or a contrasting-chunky-throw-on-&-wear-anywhere version
which won
the red knit was from a REinvent I did a while back
using a friends cast-off knitwear
which I adored
not just because it fitted & looked good
but because the red knit is so soft & luxurious...
like wearing a marshmallow.
***
The first to go was the ribbing
which immediately released & relaxed the rest of the garment
then the back was separated from the fronts & sleeves
and used as a template to cut into the 'marshmallow' knit
allowing for a generous amount of extra width
which in turn meant the sleeves needed to be wider
after much disappointment [again!] with the new fabric marking pencil
I opted for the tried, true & trusty salvaged soap shard
and cutting lines for the sleeve inserts were marked on the pink cardy back
it was about now that the Walking Foot came out of its box
because once you've sewn knits with one
you'll never go back
just like having an Overlocker with Differential Feed
makes all the difference
having said that
you don't have to have either in order to sew knitwear
I never did for many years and was very happy with the outcomes
only now I'm happier
here's an example of what the overlocked sleeve insert looked like after I overlocked without dialing in the Differential Feed settings
even with the utmost care & attention to not stretching as it feeds through
it ended up stretched & wiggley
and that's when a good steamy iron comes into its own
by hovering the steaming iron over the stretched seams
[without touching]
you can pat the seams flat, holding until cool
and back in shape
then if you like, press the seam flat
to set the stitches.
It wouldn't be a REinvent or REfashion if there wasn't the need to unpick something
however it is rare that you'll need to unpick something more than once
unless you're like me & take three attempts to finally wrap your head around
mirroring the bias binding used as facings on the front bands
…aahhhh!
it then took for ages to come up with the best way to attach the bands to the front
have I ever mentioned how much I love bias binding
picking out buttons
and hand stitching
however when it came to darting the front
so that it sat flat and didn't stick out
hand stitched darts weren't going to work
nearly as well as machined ones
but back to bias binding
and never throwing anything away
bias finished off the 3/4 length sleeve hems beautifully
and the ribbing made for a perfect collar around the back neck
which in the end meant the back blended perfectly
with the sides
and the front
I'd also like to think she suits the new hairdo
which brings me to next weeks MM offering...
I've an idea ticking away in my head that involves the Pebbles
which I'd like to get out of my head
and around my neck
so unless you can read my mind
I've nothing to show you at the moment for next week.
My apologies for this weeks MakeOver Monday turning up on a Tuesday
I'm going to blame the delay
on another Public Holiday appearing from nowhere and my need to spend time with the teen,
a dog requiring a Vet visit
and who'd have thought organising a vintage fabric sale on Instagram would be so time consuming
- there's another one is happening tomorrow!
