Frankendress

Three garments that I couldn't wear became one that would:  That's a burgundy skirt for the main section (I knew it was too small when I thrifted it, but I loved the color, the beads and embroidery and fringe at the hem); part of a sheer sleeveless blouse for the yoke (I liked that for a while after I found it at a flea market, but one of the pockets got torn); soft printed cotton inserts below the armhole (can't see those too well here, but they're pink and floral).  Plus crocheted sleeves using whatever cotton was handy. 

The Bookshop Bag with PDF pattern download

I know I haven't posted anything in a while and that's becuase I haven't really made anything in a while!

I decided to make a bag out of some fabric salvaged from an old men's suit jacket that I bought at an estate auction. Actually I got an entire closet of handmade vintage wool suits for $2.50. lol I used some scrap for the liner, two free buttons and some trim that a friend gave me. I'd say maybe the whole thing ended up costing about 60 cents.

I liked it so much that I made a free downloadable PDF pattern. You can get it on my blog!

Blackwatch Baby & Delft Darling Dresses

Neither one of thee are spectacular or overwhelmingly complicated so I'm grouping them into one post.

This dress is actually a much darker, richer green, but for some reason it came outalmost like a teal in the photos. It's about an 18/24 month size and made of good old-fashioned velvet. I bought the dress at a thrift store about a year ago. It had a horrible crispy lace ruffle around the bottom and a HUGE ugly, stained white bib around the neck. I first removed both of those and the cut a new hem ruffle and a small stand up neck ruffle out of some plaid taffeta I had that is similar to the Blackwatch plaid. I hand sewed both ruffles onto the dress myself in a hotel room in Pensacola. LOL. I also hand hemmed the bottom ruffle. I had the plaid as a remnant for under $1 and the dress was thrifted for $1. Total cost of the re-do was about $1.30.

I call this dress the Delft Darling because it is white and blue like a piece of Delft pottery I used a 1970's pattern for the basic shape of the dress but made a few changes. Instead of one skirt, I made two skirts; I felt it added to the dutch look of the dress. I also gave it a stand up ruffle collar instead of a bib and I made contrasting cuffs on the sleeves instead of elastic on a single color. The dress is a small toddle dress, I'll have to dig up the pattern to find out exactly what the size is. One sleeve is NOT bigger than the other, it's just the way it looks in the photo because the wind was blowing it around. I hand sewed this entire piece at the hotel in Memphis. It's made from a pillow case (28 cents at a Salvos in NY) and about1/2 a yard of old $1-a-yard fabric I had laying around. The zipper is new and was about $1.30. The approx cost of the whole thing is $2.80. I plan to add an embroidered scene onto the over skirt eventually, either a design that mimics the fabric pattern or a small dutch pottery scene. It depends on how elaborate I want to get with it.

Jenny at Kerrfect!

Spring Fling Pillowcase Dress

I completely hand stitched this dress in a Residence Inn we stayed at in Memphis. I was bored and had brought some sewing supplies with me so I figured why not!? It's made from a 50 cent pillow case, about 10 cents worth of vintage lace from a thrift store and some green remnant fabric that I think cost me $1.20, but I only used about 3/4ths of it. The buttons were on sale at Jo Ann's about a year ago and were 20 cents. Grand total of approx $1.70. It's made from a 1960's pattern I had with me. I really liked the exterior fabric, The crisp white and bright flowers really got me. I simply cut the pieces and made it as the instructions said to. The only things I did differently was to add the lace trim on the dress and to substitute drawstrings in the bloomers for elastic. to do this all I had to do was to make the "string" out of the floral fabric by folding it over twice and sewing it down.




Jenny at Kerrfect!

Rosebud Pillowcase Dress

I made this dress from a pillow case I bought at a thrift store for 50 cents I think. The pillow case had a yellow cuff at one end and the main body was this white muslin with yellow rose buds. I used a vintage 70's patterns for the main dress shape, but I added the front ruffles, sleeve ruffles and other trim on my own. The lace trim was more thrifted vintage lace from a bag of various type that cost me $2, so I used probably 10 cents worth of that. The zipper is new and was $1.30. This makes the total cost of the dress about $1.90. I sort of had a mini-Marie Antoinette vision when I picked up the pillow case and examined it and so that's what I was going for here. I wish I had a little one to put in the dress so you could see it better but I don't It's a size 2 if I remember right. I made the front ruffles by folding strips of yellow over on themselves and sewing them down with a piece of lace over the seam, then while I was making the top half of the dress I just pined them on in a ruffled way and sewed up the seams, then I came back and hand tacked the ruffles down. I added the neck line lace and hem lace after the dress was completed. The arm ruffles were also added after the fact. They are the edge of the yellow pillow edge, folded just as they were on the pillow. I simple cut them larger then the arm holes, sewed up the under arm edge and ruffled as I sewed. The lace trim went on last to give the arm ruffles a more finished look.




Jenny at Kerrfect!

Election Shoulder Bag

This bag took me about an hour and 1/2 to make. I used all but two tiny carrot shaped strips of the state fabric. I bought it at Jo Ann as a remnant for 70 cents I think. It was cut crooked so I had to level it up. It was so bright and interesting I knew I wanted to make a bag out of it but I wasn't sure what to do for the lining. I wanted it to be sort of stiff but not terribly rigid so I used a super thick white glossed canvas drapery sample I bought at Lowe's for $1 about a year ago (still have about 1/3 left). They were cleaning out all of the discontinued stuff. I knew I'd be able to use it for something ONE day. It cost me $1. The top trim and strap are made from vintage woven cotton strips that spell out VOTE. I found a whole roll of it at a thrift store for $3. I used a little less that half the roll so I'll value that at about $1.40. The closure is a BIG red button I already had and a loop made from the scrap left of the state fabric. So the total cost of the bag was approx $3+/-. I started by leveling and determining how big the state fabric piece I had was. Then I cut an equal size piece out of the drape sample making it a little bit taller than the state fabric. The drapes had a very pretty side seam I wanted to use as the top-inside of the bag. I folded each in half and sewed the open sides of each together. I worked with the pieces inside out, the state fabric will later be turned right side out but the drapes will stay inside out. Next I made a small fold in the center of the side that didn't need to be sewn up and I sewed it inward, making a pin tuck of crease. Then I did the same thing 1/2 an inch to either side of both side seams; on the state fabric I made them outward facing. Then I did the same thing to the bottom of the bag pieces, creating sort of a squared off shape. I folded and sewed the corners completing the structure of the bag. I turned the state fabric right-side-out, put the drapes inside it, evened thoe tops up so that the state fabric was just below the hemmed edge of the drapes and tacked it down with the machine. The state fabric was slightly larger (fractions of an inch) so I made a tiny fold in the center of both the front and backs of the bag. I cut my trim, lined it up on the top of the bag so that when I sewed it on I could stay in the white line (so you wouldn't see the stitches) and attached it all the way around. I then went around a second time on the lower white line so the trim wouldn't fold up over time. I took the rest of the trim I had cut folded the ends under and attached it to the sides of the bag by sewing a square over it, then I repeated the same on the other side. I finished it up by attaching a big red button on the top-center inside the bag and a folded and sewn strip of the state fabric made into a loop opposite it to work as a closure. I know it's about in the middle of a term so I'm both too late and too early for elections, but I thought it was cute and I would use it anytime!



I'm sorry to post so much in such quick succession, but I have a lot of things stored up like I said. As I am posting things on my own blog I'm posting them over here. Maybe I can make up for 2 months of not posting anything. lol

Jenny at Kerrfect!

Yellow Rose Childs' dress

Here is another new dress I just put the finishing touches on this afternoon. This one too is made out of a vintage twin bed sheet I found in Memphis; it was $1.98. The vintage lace trim is also from a Memphis thrift store and cost about 30 cents. The buttons, chiffon for the sash, elastic, biastape and tulle for the petticoat are all new, but were things I already had (except for the tulle, it was on sale 50% off at Jo Ann's. The total cost of the dress & petticoat is about $4. I used a vintage 1959 Simplicity pattern (3413) in a little girl's size 8. I've found a pretty good way to make the petticoats I think, This one is slightly different than the one on the blue dress I posted earlier, but was much more simply made and seems to give me more poof. I've really lucked out with having just the right amount of trim for the dresses I've made so far! LOL. Hope to have some more stuff to post tomorrow as well.

Jenny at Kerrfect!

Lavender & Roses Dress

This is my latest completed project. The muslin I used for the body of the dress was a vintage twin sheet that I bought at a thrift store in Memphis for $2.50. The lavender lace trim on the neckline, hem and covering the belt buckle was also bought at a Memphis thrift store and cost me about 10 cents. The zipper and belt buckle are vintage, salvaged from old items. The only things that are new are the grommets and interfacing I used on the belt and the netting on the petticoat. I used about 2 yards which I just got on sale 50% off at Jo Ann Fabrics. The elastic and the ribbon I used for the petticoat were things I've had for a while, lol but they were used when I got them too. I'd estimate the total cost of making the dress to be about $5. To cover the buckle I simply wrapped the lace trim around it until it was completely covered and then I secured it with a few stitches. The dress is a child's size 8 and made with vintage McCall's pattern 5428 from 1960. The petticoat is of my own devising!

I am sorry I haven't been posting very much. I've been neglecting my own blog as well. I am trying to get into the local monthly downtown market as a vendor and I've been trying to build up and put the finishing touches on some of my items so that I can (hopefully) sell some of them and get more people interested in Upcycling items!

Jenny at Kerrfect!

Favorite Jeans Reborn

Old jeans ripped at the knee:

A little refashioning imagination:

New skirt:


The tutorial can be found here on my blog. Come join in the fun; another blogger and I are having a denim skirt challenge - show us your creative side!

My Reversible SunHat

I was so proud making this. I'm working on a Custom Order from my shop.  I don't have a tutorial for this yet, but people are interested I could make one.  I've been MIA for a while because my youngest had the start of pneumonia, but she's getting better.  Thank, God!

My lastest creation:

Have a GREAT Wednesday!

~*Nomie*~