Refashioned Beach Dress

  Do you ever go to the beach and end up buying stuff you'll never use? ..or is that just me? Well, if you haven't guessed, I bought this dress on a beach trip. I don't even remember which beach. Everything seems to look better at the beach. Maybe if you live on a beach you wouldn't think so, but I don't and in fact, it is snowing here, right now.

  I love the fabric, but I didn't really like the top part of this dress. I'm not so busty and can't pull it off, so I decided to turn it into a maxi skirt.

  First, I held the dress against me to the length I wanted it. I folded the top and cut at that point.  It came out to be 3 inches shy of what I would cut a maxi skirt for myself at, but I'm going to use part of the top as a waistband.

  After cutting, I had to make my lines a little straighter and cut one seam so I can make it smaller.

  I made it to be 4 inches smaller than my waist because the material is really stretchy. Then I sewed the band closed again to make a circle and folded in half lengthwise with right side out. I tried to hand baste a loose straight stitch, but ended up taking it out because it didn't allow the material to stretch enough to pin it to the skirt.

  I think this is the hardest part for me - putting these two pieces together. I placed the band on the outside of the skirt and evenly pinned the two together. Sewing was a pain because I had to stretch the band as I went to match up with the skirt. I guess I need more practice with that because I had a couple holes. I had to go back over to get it right.

   I think I got it right, and I'm diggin' my new skirt! I don't know what I'm gonna do with the top part. I'm past the days when I would wear it like that! Maybe I'll make some type of headpiece.

Skirt and Matching Swag

    Here I am messing with my sewing machine again. Isabel actually started making this bag right after I made mine- Funky Little Bag. I used the extra fabric to make a skirt, or attempt to. I don't know what happened, but my measurements were way off and I ended up with a skirt that would fit one thigh and a half... maybe. I was trying to figure out how to save it with the least amount of work. I know, sad but true. So I used some scrap fabric from the circle skirt I made recently. My original idea was to add a piece to each side, but after the first side was added it was just the right size. Remember, we're going for minimal work at this point, so I decided to leave it as is. It doesn't matter how you get to fabulous, just as long as you get there. Right.. Needless to say, I am happy with the outcome.

     Like I said earlier, Isabel started the bag and like most teens with short attention spans, she got bored with it. Whatever her reason, she was taking too long to get back to it and it was taking up space in my craft room, so I finished it for her. I can't force her to like sewing. I added an insert with an inside pocket using the same fabric that I used for the side of the skirt. This bag is the smaller version of the other one I made. If I make another I think longer straps would be better. I think I had an issue with the straps on the other one too. Oh well, you've got to live and learn.

Sewing project

   I think I might be getting the hang of this sewing thing. Of course I could definitely use some more practice. I got some cheap fabric from Joann's the other day. I'm too scared to mess up any good fabric, so I just stick with cheap and recycled for now. After watching multiple videos on different kinds of circle skirt sewing techniques, I made one that I wouldn't be embarrassed to wear in public! The material was a little difficult to work with. It's a 100% polyester bridal satin. I think a jersey knit or something with a little give would have been better. The biggest challenges for me were sewing the elastic and the hem. I didn't give up though, I pushed through. I actually stretched the project out over a few days, but that's ok because I still came back to it and finished.

   What do you think? I think Isabel likes it. Just watch her twirl! 

Nina's Skirt

   I completed another skirt. I used the same free pattern as the tan skirt in a previous post. For this skirt, instead of weaving the cord through the stitches on the top, I folded the top on the inside and sewed a casing with the yarn. It makes it a little sturdier when you are pulling the cord tight. This was actually requested by a customer and I think I like it better this way. Here is the completed skirt.

Crochet Skirt

   I got this pattern as a free download from Ravelry.com. It's called EmmaJean's Minty Green Skirt. It took a while for me to finally finish it, but it was worth the time. I used Hobby Lobby's "I Love this Cotton" in Taupe, so mine is not minty green, obviously. This cotton is nice and soft. I didn't make the frill as long as the pattern calls for. (I'm short and so is the person I was making it for) I was actually thinking of continuing and making it a maxi. Hmm. I'll think about it.