Swap-o-rama-rama Report #2

Took my daughter and her friend to another Swap-o-Rama-Rama yesterday, this time just for kids' clothes, at the Re-Discover Center in West LA/Culver City. The idea was the same as the last time: bring a sack of clean decent clothes to donate, then pick through the sorted donations for some garments to take as-is, or alter at the various DIY stations in the swap space. Because this one was kids' clothes, the garments were sorted by size. The girls had a grand time putting together outfits and modeling for each other, giggling and posing. But they also took advantage of the alteration stations and the kind wise women who were available to share a skill or a tool.

Me, I did some handstitching, to reverse-applique a t-shirt, and to make myself a yo-yo headband from scraps of a tie-dyed shirt:

Kasia skirt number two…

I should really make use of the iron more before I take photos! And I know we all say this, but it honestly looks much better on. I’m just camera shy.

This is the Burdastyle Kasia skirt I started an age ago, made from some of the fabric from these curtains I found in a charity shop for £6. I made Burdastyle’s Coffee Date Dress from the same fabric ages ago and decided to try and use it all up. That £6 is stretching far and I’ve got loads of the fabric left. Matching hat? Scarf? Coat? :) Maybe not, the look might be not so much Scarlett as the Von Trapp family.

  

This is my second Kasia, but I don’t think I’ll make any more. I just about managed the waistband first time round (but I was so involved in getting it right, it didn’t actually fit and was too big), but this time I lost my mojo and botched it together (but it fits). It’s an arse. Consider that a warning chaps! It’s probably easier to just do it the way you think it ought to go together. You’ll probably be right, it’s just the instructions that are confusing.

More info and chattiness on my blog, Wipster.

Beccy

Sewing For Baby

I finally got around to taking some pictures of some of my baby sewing.

I made onesies, using McCall's 6103, out of some old t-shirts and a baby blanket.


This was an old long sleeved T that Rick gave me a while ago. The patch on the arm is actually the tag from the inside of the shirt. I used leftover bits from another t-shirt for the binding.


I highly recommend buying elastics online. You can find a great selection of styles and colors, and it's much cheaper than buying it in a brick and mortar store.

This, and the next two tops, are just peasant style tops that I made using my own pattern. This blue and white fabric was a vintage thrift store find. The pants are made out of old T-shirt sleeves.



I tie-dyed this fabric myself.


This adorable zebra fabric was in a huge box that I got from a friend of a friend. Gotta love free fabric.


I used this tutorial for the kimono top. The pants are made from old sweater sleeves.


I used this tutorial for the little dress. The orange fabric came from an old maternity top, and the flower from a vintage sheet.


I made these leg warmers out of some clearance bin knee socks from Target.



I a car seat canopy using this tutorial. I bought this Alexander Henry fabric about 2 years ago. I bought a bunch because I loved it and it was on sale. I still have a ton left. The yellow fabric was in the same box of free fabric that the zebra fabric came from.


The diaper bag was made using Ikea fabric for the exterior, and an old sheet for the interior. The zipper is a vintage thrift store find. I used this tutorial.

Hope you like,

NinjaEema

Elizabeth Bennet, Zombie Hunter

For Halloween this year I decided to be Elizabeth Bennet, as a Zombie Hunter form the book Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.  I made the dress out of an old bed sheet, and I really like the way it turned out!  I have more information on how the dress was made, and more pictures on my blog Farah Makes Stuff.

Thanks for looking!

Thrifty man’s shirt refashion with a mini tutorial

I made this cute shirt-for-that-meeting-with-HR-I-have-next-week…

…from this big old man’s shirt.

If you’d like to see how I did it pop by my blog, Wipster and say hello!

Beccy

Mummy Me!

We kicked off Halloween this past weekend with Zoo Boo. Our local wildlife zoo decorates the zoo for Halloween for 1 day and all ticket proceeds go to feed the animals through out the winter. I made my costume out of a tea stained sheet, a cream colored table cloth, 2 t-shirts from the husband, and a pair of Ralph Lauren white corduroy pants found at the thrift store!

Because I utilized my stash, total cost was under $5!  That's nothing to moan about =:} It took 2-3 days for strip ripping and finally sewing.  I wasted some time figuring out strip placement so they looked more like bandages and not ruffles.  I do believe I'll add a few to tie the top tighter round my middle but other wise I'm happy.  It comes off in 3 pieces, hat, top and pants.

Quite comfortable really, with room for a warmer layer of clothing underneath, just like this Mummy likes it.

Daughter's Halloween costume--done!

We went to Scotland over the summer, and saw a parade with a lot of pipe bands, and this seemed like a doable costume to plan for this Halloween. The kilt and blouse she already had; the vest and hat are mine; we bought the socks and shoes. I made the bagpipes, the sporran (little pouch in front of the kilt), and the tabs on the socks. The pipes are made to be fitted around an alto recorder, so she can still "play" the recorder in its disguised form. Pipes and sporran are made from an old scrap of herringbone wool, a cut-up black t-shirt, wooden dowels, a crocheted belt, an old pin, and some craft felt. Still need to make a strap so she doesn't actually have to hold the thing constantly while partying in costume. ;)