My First Knit Refashion

I still haven’t set up my ideal sewing/crafting studio BUT I am not letting that stop me from getting some projects done. Even with my awkward sewing machine setup (machine sitting on top of my antique singer sewing table and machine foot resting on top of the treadle), I decided to tackle my first refashion for The Kid while we were trapped at home sick for a few days in a row.

I’d say it was semi successful in that it gave me a chance to learn some new techniques and the result doesn’t look half bad. I mean, my two-year-old says, “Good job, Mommy!” And he obviously has discerning taste.

I found this striped 100% cotton shirt in the men’s section at Goodwill for $3 on sale and thought the fabric would make a cute shirt for the Kid. Maybe one to go with the brown corduroy pants I’d found on a previous thrift outing. I’m always drawn to brown corduroy (weird?) but then I can’t figure out what “goes” with it. Navy and white, perhaps? When I got the shirt home, I noticed that the sleeves were very close in size to toddler pant legs. How about some lounge pants, Kid?

I figured if it doesn’t work out, it’s only a $3 shirt and the non-sleeve section will still be available to make something else. So I started by laying a pair of pajama pants on top of a sleeve and cutting a slightly bigger piece, since I wanted these to be not as fitted as pajamas. I used the next size up jammies that he is not quite ready for yet, in order to give growing room.

The best part was that the shirt already had a ribbed cuff so I could just use that for the bottom of the pants – one less thing to add from scratch! The top of the pants ran into the seem between the sleeve and the bodice of the shirt but I kind of liked the diagonal lines that were created by keeping that part so I decided to go with it, even though I could see they wouldn’t match up evenly at the center seam.

I read a bit about sewing knits and found lots of conflicting advice about the right stitch, needle, foot pressure, thread, etc. But after some tests on scraps, I determined that using a typical foot pressure, 100% cotton thread, and the “regular” needle I had on hand for sewing woven fabrics worked best. I also experimented with some different stitches on my Husqvarna machine and found that the flatlock stitch, which looks similar to serging, worked the best. Once I figured out the best (I hoped!) methods and tools, I sewed up the inseams then joined the two legs together. I’ve never sewn a pair of pants – unless you count doll pants? – but that part was pretty straightforward.

I had lots of “help” during this whole process from a supposedly sick but surprisingly fiesty toddler. There was about 3% playing quietly nearby and 97% pushing sewing machine buttons, grabbing scissors and pins, leaning on my leg while I was trying to sew, and other demonstrations of engagement with the process.

“Honey, please don’t lean on my leg. That’s what is making the needle go up and down, see?… Honey, please don’t lean on my leg…. PLEASE DON’T LEAN ON MY LEG!!” Poor kid.

I had a vision of a nice thick waistband out of a different knit fabric. I didn’t want to use (or buy) elastic but I thought I could just sew on a stretchy but narrower band to hold the pants up. I used the back of a hideous navy T-shirt from the thrift store, which was probably thinner than ideal but it did work, overall. I cut it too short – I really wanted a wide band – but it still works. Next time, I’ll cut bigger! Getting the narrower band to match up evenly and smoothly with the top of the pants was quite a challenge. I ended up with a wonky, wiggly seam right in front that looked terrible but seemed fine, construction-wise. I decided that instead of ripping it out, I’d just cover it up with something decorative. (Insert eye roll here.) That’s why there’s a little embroidered label right in the front of the waistband. I kind of like it, though!

I did have to make a few seam adjustments after a couple quick try-ons. The front seam and waistband both needed to be taken in (twice). Guess how much a rambunctious two-year-old enjoys fittings and adjustments. About as much as you’d expect! Getting a decent “pose” in the finished product was equally challenging but I guess this just shows that the pants are comfortable, though extra long, and allow for full range of toddler movement. Mission accomplished!

All things considered, I think they turned out pretty well. He has worn them without complaint and they’ve held up in the laundry (something I’m always a little paranoid about with anything homesewn!) so already it’s a win. But mostly, I’m just happy I got to play around with refashioning and working with knit fabrics. Now I know what I need to work on so I can get better during future projects.

Okay, what’s next?!

~Emily

Greening a Toddler Wardrobe

The more I hear and read about the fast fashion industry these days (in particular, I am so inspired by The Conscious Closet right now), the more I am determined to avoid it as much as possible. It is much easier to do this with my own wardrobe since I already have plenty to wear and I rarely have a true need to buy new clothing. (Which doesn’t mean I don’t want to sew myself all the things!) But apparently toddlers are prone to not only moving up in sizes every few months but also to regularly embellishing their clothes with stains and tears and other unsightly features. They also seem to prioritize comfort over style and will not hesitate to say, “I take it off” while yanking an item of clothing from their little bodies if they do not approve. Or maybe that’s just my little stinker.

I already find a lot of my kiddo’s clothes in second hand stores but that does limit my options – mostly to button down plaid shirts and not-my-taste T-shirts. T-shirts with characters and mascots and brand names emblazoned on them are just not my thing (and therefore, for the time being, they are not his thing either — ha!).

I have picked up several button downs and sweaters that he wears on weekends but they’re not really appropriate for “school” (a.k.a., daycare; a.k.a., The House of Mud, Paint and Orange Food Stains) – mostly because it panics the teachers to see him looking “so NICE today!”

I have grand visions of creating a cute, comfy, and sustainable wardrobe for this kid. I know it’ll never be perfectly “green” or perfectly adorable but I’m going to see what I can come up with. My goals are to use secondhand materials where possible and to find organic or other more sustainable options when I do buy new materials. This means I need practice with turning thrifted finds into new garments. And I definitely need to learn how to sew knit fabrics – something I had zero experience with until very recently – if I’m going to create those super comfortable, play-appropriate items that my kidlet needs.

Stay tuned for my first experiment!

~Emily

Back From Hiatus?

So I guess I took a bit of a break there, huh? I haven’t gained any blogging or web editing skills in the last four years but I did finish grad school, get a promotion, have a baby and buy a house. So… moderately busy!

Oh, and I did finish that bookshelf makeover. It has since gone from linen closet stand-in to nursery display/storage. The shelf has certainly seen better days but it’s holding up well enough to hold some toys and books in the corner of a toddler’s room and until I find a second hand item that I like better, we’ll probably keep using it.

So, what’s next on the agenda? Well, I bought a new (built in 1967) house in July (an actual house! with an actual small plot of land – dream come true!) and oh, boy, is there a lot to do in the house and garden!

This house is the ultimate cobbled together project. Nothing is to code or built or wired properly. Every professional who comes to fix or install something spends most of their time scratching their head and saying, “Hmm… uh… huh. Who installed this before? It’s not even… Well, I… huh!” I’m going to leave the heavy stuff (plumbing, wiring, HVAC, etc.) to the pros but even the rest of it could keep me busy for years.

But let’s get priorities straight. First stop: my craft/sewing room. Or, as I like to call it, my Studio. My grandma referred to her craft room where she did knitting, spinning, weaving and sewing as her studio and even though she said it with a slight tongue in cheek, I always liked the sound of it. “Studio” it is! So, now that I’ve gotten the majority of the stray moving boxes off the floor of the studio (but definitely do not look in the doorless ‘closet’), it’s time to get things organized so I can actually use the space. It is such a luxury to have a third bedroom that I can use as a studio. I do not want to take it for granted! Next up, finding a second hand desk or table to use for sewing and cutting and general crafting. Wish me luck!

Laminate, meet chalk paint

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Living in a tiny home with very little storage means I’ve gotten into the habit of cramming anything that fits into every nook and cranny, without regard for category, common sense or convenience of access.  Oh, you need a serving platter?  No problem!  Just squeeze behind the bed, lay flat on your stomach, turn your head to the side, and reeeeeeeach as far as you can under the bed and feel past the plastic bin with the extra flower vases, over the basket with the spare extension cords, and wiggle your fingers until you feel a bag containing something that feels like a ceramic dish.  Don’t be surprised if you run into any dust bunnies, spiders or sleeping cats.  This is to be expected and no cause for alarm.

Well, I’ve decided to take one small step toward sanity and create a linen closet in my oddly large bathroom.  It’s the only room in the place that could legitimately be described as spacious – at least in comparison to the rest of the place!  No storage to speak of in there but plenty of wide open floor space.  I’m guessing the architects couldn’t figure out any other way to design it while giving access from two doors – one of which I never use.  I considered turning the space into a bathroom-slash-rec-room, to take advantage of the space, but… even I have my limits when it comes to creative space-making.  Instead, I have decided to use my old bookshelf as a starting point and give myself a place to put all the usual bathroom items plus extra linens and anything else that makes sense to keep in a windowless, occasionally damp room.

I try to buy as little new stuff as possible and keep things as ‘green’ and sustainable as I can.  That’s one of the reasons why I love using what I already have or what I can find second-hand, to repurpose them into a second (or third) useful life.  Despite the fact that spell check does not recognize the word (how about re-purpose? Yep, that’s good), I’ve noticed that ‘repurposing’ seems to be all the rage on the internet these days.  Sometimes it gets a little wacky – repurposing something useful into something just plain nutty.  (“I chopped up this perfectly good table and turned it into a light saber-shaped planter for my succulents!”)  But, that’s okay.  I like people who make nutty things for no good reason.  You never know when they might strike gold, right?  Anyway, consider this my way of jumping into the rage, with a rather staid example of re-use.

“Before” pics after the jump…

Continue reading Laminate, meet chalk paint

Productivity, Here I Come

To Do ListI’m not the kind of person who likes to keep busy, really. You know, the kind of person who wakes up in the morning and cheerfully begins attacking a long list of projects only to collapse in a satisfied heap at the end of the day, glistening with the sweat of a job well done?  My favorite activities, if I can use that word loosely, would probably be… napping, daydreaming, wandering aimlessly around libraries, looking at pretty pictures, and, let’s see… well, the occasional art or craft project. Not much industriousness in that list, is there?

But the thing is, I really do want to get things done, to see some fruits of my labor and drag the ideas out of my head and into the physical world. I have a feeling I would find that pretty darn satisfying, based on the few times I’ve managed it so far. In particular, I would love to get some more projects done in my home and garden and craft room.  I’d love to create a home that is beautiful, organized and uncluttered, comfortable and conducive to being creative.  You know, without having to climb over bags of cat litter and piles of mending and not-quite-empty paint cans to reach the sewing machine or the watercolors.

So how can I put some pressure on myself to be a little more productive? I know! I’ll start a blog, where I can say, “See, here, look what I did! Look what I created or designed or grew or fixed or cooked up with my own bare hands! How cool is this?” And everyone (and by everyone I mean pretty much my sister, my cousin and the one eye-rolling friend who gets pressured into reading this) can say, “Oh, yes, how lovely! Keep at it!” Plus, you never know.  I might get some readers I don’t know offline, people to connect and share ideas with.  How wonderful and surprising would that be?  And I can use this as a repository of my projects, something to look through whenever I feel like a lazy lump who never accomplishes anything, and maybe it will inspire me to keep going.  (Or to take a nap, in order to recover from all that effort.  Either way!)

So that’s the plan. Get some things done. Put them online.  See if anyone notices. Have fun referring to myself as A Blogger.  Sneak as many naps as possible in between project phases. (Paint has to dry between coats, right?) Aaaaand repeat.

This is gonna be fun.  I can feel it!

~Emily