hello! I’ve made a new/old blouse for myself… I’ve always enjoyed the challenge of using old textiles PLUS I’ve also always loved patchwork and mixed-prints in clothing so obviously this new blouse is certain to become a favourite! why? because the fabric is salvaged from three well-loved old shirts of my husband’s… I really liked each of these shirts when he was wearing them, so when he decided they were too worn to be worn any more (hehe) I packed them away to be refashioned one day.
I know it seems weird and silly to use three whole mens’ shirts to make just one woman’s shirt… like an exceptionally inefficient use of resources really! however there really were so many bits of each shirt that could not be used because of holes, stains, or threadbare patches that I had no choice. I was on a rescue mission!
The pattern is one of the newly release patterns from Fibremood, the Mimi blouse. Such a quick and simple thing to make! Especially coming hot on the heels of two jackets, ahem. It was nice to be an able to whip up something without having to think too much!
The pattern actually has the button and buttonhole bands cut on, so my use of the third contrasting fabric is an alteration really. I did have to do a bit of calculation to get this to work out well. I was seriously worried I wouldn’t have enough of the yellow fabric but thank goodness I did in the end. Another issue was cutting the lower front panels… I had to join some pieces together to get a piece big enough you might be able to see the joining seams on both of those sections of my new shirt. The sleeves also have joining seams that I did my best to make reasonably unobtrusive.
I’m wearing my new shirt in the above pictures with a pieced denim skirt I made last year using old jeans and our own Meelup skirt pattern, plus a number of superfluous pockets, making this outfit a wholly recycled-fabric ensemble. I really love this skirt too! it used to be quite a bit paler in colour and I overdyed it blue while I was dying something else one day. Oh, I remember it was this skirt...
Something else I’ve made recently was a “golden chain mail” tunic for my middle grandson T for his book week costume. Doesn’t he look amazing?! He wanted to be Tom of the Beast Quest series. I was only commissioned to make the tunic, and my clever daughter Cassie made the rest of his costume including that amazing helmet. Theo made his own shield!
I used the measurements from an oversized T-shirt he already had, and bought the golden sparkly remnant from Spotlight. It was very cheap but is actually quite nice stuff … I have a little bit left over and am wondering what I can use this for?!
hello! I’ve made a new outfit by refashioning some other previously worn old things… from a skirt and old jeans, I’ve made a new/old tunic top and some new/old shorts. I realise I probably I should be using some of the new fabric already in my stash instead of “already used” fabric – truthfully I am not very sensible a lot of the time – however if I really like a fabric but not the garment so much then I do feel like it just makes sense to reuse the latter if I can. Actually, I have been making a number of things lately, and from my stash! but just haven’t got around to taking photos or blogging them yet. For some reason, I’m finding taking photos to be the biggest challenge now.
Hello! I’ve finished making a few new things, both from deep deep stash. I can’t stress enough how happy it makes me feel to be methodically using up ye olde stash! I feel so virtuous. Particularly since such a lot of it was not even bought by me in the first place, but foisted upon me – and I must say here that I truly do appreciate everything that has been given to me, many many pieces have proved to be very lovely and beautiful quality, and very useful too when it comes to testing patterns and new designs! It is also true though that I am at a stage in my life when I want to whittle it down, for good. I have dreams of a more minimalist future, and I’m determined to see it through.
The fabric is a quite nice, soft-pumpkin silk crepe, very lightweight and floaty, almost translucent. I’m definitely going to be wearing this with a slip, I think.
Item 2! a little knitted jacket and beanie set for Cassie’s new baby… the last time I went down to stay with my parents I bought this little pattern pamphlet from a yarn and quilting shop in Bridgetown; Naturally Yarns K679. I wanted to get something for the baby, and also to support a local business, but honestly felt very conflicted about buying a finished something when I SHOULD be using up my own supplies…. anyway I did achieve kind of both.
Finally, item 3; and this is sadly not from my own stash, but from Cassie’s. I volunteered to make up one of the fabrics she had bought for her summer/autumn breast-feeding friendly wardrobe. What else to make but one of our own Yallingup designs?! We both believe in this design so thoroughly and it’s a little sad that it has not been as popular as we were hoping. I wonder if it’s not clear that the regular, and the breast-feeding friendly version are actually separate designs, even though they look the same from the outside?
The pattern is Ghost Horses by Boyland knit works… I bought it through 
I bought the yarn from Morris and Sons in Melbourne, during our Harry Potter excursion over there, last March. Actually, March 2022, hehe; so embarrassed to admit that. I actually started knitting it straight away and got it to final ribbing stage within a few months. Then took like forever to decide on the finishing bands. I didn’t really like the slightly tight look of the finishing bands on the pattern envelope sample and tried multiple variations ie various k/P ribbing combos, stocking stitch, double yarn etc before finally settling on … well, these ones. Mine is same needle size as body, single yarn, 2K 2P rib, very loosely finished.
I made a new underwear set… all from scraps and leftovers! this kind of project is super fun for me, mostly because it is so crazy and silly.
this is the Closet Core Ebony tee combined with the Burda 7023 maternity skirt pattern. This is such a great maternity combination; I’ve made it as a set for both Cassie and Kelly in the past and it’s worked so well. This set is made with navy blue merino and a navy blue/red striped cotton jersey; both have been in the stash for at least a year. I’d bought 2m of the merino from The Fabric Store and made one single tee; I’d been planning a cardi from the remainder but never got around to it… I’d bought the striped jersey to make baby things but again not got around to it yet… Right now I’m totally over saving things for that imagined planned project but am just of the mindset to use what I’ve got, when the mood for a project strikes … it’s a much healthier mindset in my opinion! After all, I can always buy more fabric if I don’t have something appropriate, right?
this is a Burda pattern; 2/2015;107… I’ve made it for her once previously and she absolutely loves that dress. Thus why she requested that I make this one, using fabric from her stash. I think she bought it from Tessuti? when we were in Melbourne, and yes I know I know; I’m trying to use my own stash, why on earth am I accepting commissions from other people’s stashes, hmmm?? Madness! But she’s my daughter so of course I acquiesced. She’s pretty busy, after all!
I used a raw silk hessian from Le Stash… this is leftover from when 
Extras: yes, I made those jeans, using old jeans and the Closet Core Jenny pattern, 
It’s a new season! and I wanted a new hat in a new and different colour from my current collection; something more “beachy” coloured. So I whipped one up. Ka-chhhhhh!
I made a green dress… this is a dress that I’ve been meaning to make for ages! and have been quietly gathering suitable green fabrics as I see or unearth them. It’s actually been a very long term work in progress! since I identified what I thought could be the first suitable fabric about four years ago. I know, right?!
