Refashion Friday Inspiration: Shawl Collar T-shirt

This is a momentous day. It is the beginning of a new weekly feature on this little blog of mine: Refashion Friday!!! Each and every Friday I will endeavour to share an idea/inspiration point/tip/trick/tutorial to arm refashionistas with ammunition to turn unwanted garments into wonderful and wearable creations.

For today's inaugural Refashion Friday post, here's an idea for how to rev up a boring old plain T-shirt. By adding the contrast shawl collar, you've still got the comfort and ease of wear you get with a T-shirt, but the whole garment is more dressy and cute.

There's one of two ways you could create a garment like this from an existing T-shirt. You could either take a T-shirt that already fits you (or the indented recipient) well then recut the neckline, make the new collar and then attach the collar to the T-shirt. Or you could do what I did here: take a large loose fit T-shirt originally intended for a guy, and cut it up and remake it using a T-shirt sewing pattern to fit you before getting involved in the collar section.

I took the collar pattern from New Look 6808 (pictured above) to make the collar. I also used that sewing pattern's front and back pieces as a guide to recut the new T-shirt neckline. Although the sewing pattern is intended for woven and fabric and the T-shirt is of course jersey, it works fine as long as you're careful not to stretch the raw neckline before you get round to attaching the new woven collar.  

I hope some of you lovely readers found this idea useful or inspiring. If you have any questions, please leave a comment and I'll be happy to elaborate in the comments sections. Happy refashioning!

Birdy Sleep Tops

This is a cleaning-house type post in which I share with you a couple of creations I made ages ago but all the MMMay'12 documentation kind of got in the way of. These are two jersey tops I made to sleep in during MMMay'12 and beyond. I already have a fair few items of self-made sleep wear, enough to scrape through a me-made/self-stitched month, but I thought some new ones (particularly ones with birds on them) would feel like a treat during the challenge!

Please don't ever make me decide which print design I like more: birds or anchors. I think it's currently 50/50, but on any given day that ratio can fluctuate. Needless to say both these bird prints are so far up my street I sometimes receive their Amazon deliveries by accident.

I got both the crow and rose fabric and the swallow and feather fabric from work, they were in a delivery which included sample fabric donated by a jersey manufacturer. These sample lengths were probably created to test the print and aren't actually of garment making quality (which is why I could snaffle them because we wouldn't be able to use them at work). The fabric is very soft so nice to sleep in, but the jersey has no stretch recovery: if you yank it, it remains warped and doesn't ping back like you'd expect jersey/knit fabric to. I know that repeatedly laundering these tops will see them become increasingly strangely shaped! But I figured I'd get a few months, maybe a year, of use from them before they become too ridiculous to wear anymore, even during the night time. And for that decent hit of bird print action, the hour or so it took to make them will have been time well spent.

Guest Post: Part of the Process

(image from the Brighton Craftaganza flickr group)

Yesterday I went to the Brighton Bloggers' Bash, a meet-up arranged for local bloggers to get together at Super+Super HQ, make contacts and discuss their blogging hobby/job. I met some nice people including a lovely lady who doesn't currently have a blog, but is a prolific sewer and would love to start a sewing blog (having had a couple of false blogging starts in the past). However, she feels something was creating a barrier, and she with so many sewing bloggers out there she might struggle to find a unique voice and she is also in awe of many of the writers of the most popular blogs. 

This morning I chatted with Patty over coffee about this lady's dilemma. He had some (typically) insightful things to say on the subject, so I asked him to write a guest post for my blog to share them with y'all. Check it out peops, this is the good shit...

One of the most common reasons people give preventing them from doing something creative is that it has already been done. Lots of people are interested in doing something such as making garments, starting a new blog or any kind of creative activity. Many people feel daunted by the plethora of existing blogs and huge range of existing makers in any given field. It is as if there should only be a certain number of people in any creative field, as if it were a party in a small house and could get too crowded.

I believe this is a manifestation of a fundamental misunderstanding of what creative activity is. This misunderstanding is deeply rooted in our culture. We learn it at school and through the media. We are taught that creativity is the expression of a higher ideal in a finished object of great beauty and skilled execution. This is wrong in approximately fifteen different ways. It is complex but basically it comes down to perception of value.

In our society value resides in finished products. Art is one category of the production of products. Craft is another. We look with lust and desire at finished products and believe they are created by specialists using talents beyond our mortal capacity to understand. We are thereby separated from our own creative power which is what makes us depend on shopping to satisfy all our psycho-spiritual needs.  

From outside the house party of creative practice looking in we see only finished products. We mistake the product for the practice. We are excited by what is happening but like Peter Pan we find we cannot fly in through the window ultimately because of our own self limiting beliefs. It’s important to understand that EVERYBODY feels this. Even those who appear to be such ‘natural’ creators, those that have identified themselves as ‘creatives’ early in life have had some crucial intervention, some teacher or parent who told them they had talent (thanks Mrs Cheeseman) so in a way they are beholden to the same false idea as all the rest anyway.

Of course praise is not enough. It will get you through the door but you won’t stay if you don’t find the secret, and the secret is process.

The only difference between the maker and the aspiring maker is that the maker realises that the process is everything, the final product is merely an effect of the process.

Process is everything. Originality is a fetish that only makes sense in terms of intellectual property law. Forget about originality. Even if you took an idea verbatim from somebody else, your process of making it would be unique, the journey you took would be of value to you and by extension to those around you. This is especially evident in craft where similar patterns produce uniqueness and process is celebrated, where bloggers share the process of creating and pontificate on how it changes them and their lives. This is what ‘Art’ wishes it was.

The value is in the process and the finished product is a continuation of that process, affecting the lives of others, that scarf you made for your dad lives on in the process of his life. Value itself is a living process not to be confined to a number or a thing.

We are conditioned to understand the final product as the container of quality. In order to believe this we have to believe that each category of products is produced by specialisms we cannot comprehend. This is where ‘talent’ comes in. 

Reinforced by the talent shows that now dominate our TV screens the biggest of all lies is talent. The very idea that some tiny percentage of people ‘own’ creativity by some genetic twist of fate is laughable. There are no ‘creative people’. Creativity is our species defining characteristic. We all need to use it, it is a psychological prerequisite for a happy life.

Anything can be learned by anyone.

So don’t stand outside the party waiting for an invitation. Don’t be confused by the dazzling heights that other bloggers and makers have achieved, look at the processes they are engaged with. Each process is unique, each one fills a vital gap in that person’s life, without this deeper engagement they would not be able to continue the work for years and years.

Success, slick production values, money, attention, these are all byproducts of a process of self discovery that will last a lifetime. And they may never come. If the process is right for you it won’t even matter anymore. Any stage of that process is as essential as any other. That includes the first six months however awkward and frustrating they may be.

More than anything else consider this: we are in a big phase of change, we are renegotiating our cultural values and we need everybody to join in the debate. This includes you. We need your unique process, we need your unique contribution. Making stuff is cultural production. Nothing is trivial.

Now does the house party still look full to you? Ring the bell then go through the door.

It’s all part of the process.

Poetry & Clothing Project: March

Always fashionably late, it's time for the March 2012 instalment of the Poetry & Clothing project. March 2012 was Month 11 in the project that sees a Zo-made garment made for and sent to my friend Harriet, who in turn riffs a poem based on what she receives.

For those who follow the P&C project (who wouldn't?!), you may remember that February's package was a hefty one including a stripey knit top, cosy mittens AND an underwear set because February is Harriet's birth-month. Plus she always feels a bit down at that time of the year so I wanted to cheer her up with new garments. For March's creation, I needed to take things down again a notch, so created just one piece.

I know that Harriet loves to wear the batwing dress from the September instalment, plus she wants to get some grey pieces into her wardrobe, so I decided to make a garment from the same pattern as my leopard collar batwing top which would incorporate both of those elements as well as a fresh pop of colour to welcome the Spring.

The grey jersey came from a big bag of sample fabric we received from work, and I picked up the contrast yellow print cotton at the first Brighton sewing meet-up and fabric swap back in June 2011. I love how the grey elements of the quilting cotton match the grey marl of the jersey.

So, that was the trailer for the next P&C post's poem. Now onto the main feature from February's clothing package. Stripey top, mittens and underwear, how did Harriet poetically respond to those?:


February


All the symbols in place
The tea, the toast, the stack of cards
The ruffles bed clothes
A smother of rain to say
This is more than a day
(a world on all fours)
Cut to: my face in the dark
blue bicycles on a pair of knickers
the puckered fur of a pair of mittens
Cut to: dear old time, tea stains
on the pillow
Grey light rising onto scrapped stamps
an odd inky street name
a number
the perfect place
that special
despairing grace


LOVE this poem! It encapsulates both the joy and depression that the month of February routinely brings into Harriet's life for the duration.  

 

Navy Cropped Trousers: Best Trousers Ever?

Of course they are not the best trousers ever, but I am loving them pretty hard at the moment. These cropped trousers have already received a fair bit of blog exposure during my documentation of the recent Me-Made-May '12 challenge, but now it the time to talk about this creation more thoroughly.

Pattern Description:

I started out with the Colette Patterns Clover pattern that I bought at Sew Over It last year. I then made a bunch of changes that I'll explain about below. 

Pattern Sizing:


As with every time I use a Colette Patterns sewing pattern, I erred on the side of caution, made the size 8 as per my measurements, and they came out WAY too big. One day I will learn and make the size smaller than my suggested. 

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing it?

More or less.

Were the instructions easy to follow?

I ignored the instructions and followed my own method of construction. I used to make a garment style similar to this at work so I felt comfortable going off-piste. I wanted to make them easy to re-fit if that turned out to be needed (which it massively did) so I chose an order of construction that would make refitting super-simple. 

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?

I've been looking for a decent capri-pants style pattern for an age. Such styles are notoriously difficult to fit to your exact shape, so I was prepared for a pile of adjustments, I just hoped this pattern would provide a decent starting point which I feel it did. 


Fabric Used:

This pattern requires a woven fabric that has a decent elastane/Lycra content. Seeing as I only use fabric that is secondhand or already in my stash, that left my options pretty slim. I have two pieces of fabric in my stash that match that description that I really love, but I didn't want to risk wasting them on this creation in case it turned out badly. I'd had this nasty navy bengaline in my stash for about six years and nearly gave it away countless times. I'm glad I didn't because it proved the perfect fabric for this (hopefully) wearable toile. It feels pretty nasty though and can be a bit sweaty if I've been running or rushing about as it is more synthetic than reality TV.

   Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:

Ah, here's the biggie. Well, I started out tracing my chosen size onto pattern cutting paper and making some alterations based on my prior knowledge of my body and how I like to wear my trousers. 


I added about 2cms to the back rise to accommodate my bootie, plus 1cm to the front rise for comfort. I reshaped the side seam around the waist because the original pattern seems to go in pretty violently at that point and I knew the final garment would cut in and feel uncomfortable if I left it like the original pattern. I've finally accepted my belly isn't going anywhere, and seeing as it's here to stay, we may as well make friends so I may as well accommodate it. Altering the waist as much as I did meant redrafting the waistband pieces too. I think I shaved a bit off the hips as well as that shape seemed pretty exaggerated. 


After I had half-made them, I tried them on and realised some hefty refitting and shortening was going to have to take place to make them wearable. The result was looser than I think the pattern intends, but I like the more casual look for daytime outfits. 

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?

I definitely plan to make these again, but I think I'll scrap the altered pattern and start again from scratch with the size smaller. I'll then go through same initial changes I made and be prepared for a bit more fitting if needs be. I predict that starting with a size smaller will bring make the proportions less casual. I'll also make the next pair a bit shorter, more capri pants than cropped trousers. 


Yes I would recommend it to others, as long as they were prepared to do some tweaking to get a good fit.


Conclusion:


Although not perfect, not quite the silhouette I intended when I started this project and made from nasty fabric, the fact that these trousers have seen serious wear since their completion shows that they are a WIN!

MMMay'12: Days 29, 30 & 31 THE END!!!

Well, the me-made/self-stitched challenge this year was totally amazing. More people signed up and participated than any of the previous challenges, and the flickr group and Facebook page were on fire!!! I've been so inspired by the amazing variety that comprises the online handmade community. It really is a world of wonderful individuals that have chose to be linked by the common challenge of wearing their self-made items and getting out and about. 

I've always said that creating and wearing your own garments means that more of your personality is on show than when you are wearing mass-manufactured, shop-bought clothing. You have to make all the decisions yourself, from what pattern to use, what fitting alterations you might make, what fabric to make it in, which buttons to use and so on. When you by something ready made, someone else made all those decisions for you, and often with price points in mind rather than aesthetics. And even if aesthetics are the priority behind those manufactured garment detail decisions, it's not necessarily your aesthetic that is being considered.  Unlike when you make something your own. 

So let's have a look at the final outfits I rustled up from my own handmade wardrobe for the Me-Made-May '12 challenge.

Day 29 me-mades:

Simplified Sencha blouse

Ruby shorts

Pants (knickers)

I dragged these shorts out of the depths of my deepest drawer and was amazed that they still fit (more or less!). I used to wear these soooo much when I lived in sunny, and occasionally sweaty, Spain and it is somewhat shocking that the UK has managed to be consistently warm enough for me to wear them without fear that the weather would change half way through the day leaving me freezing. I think this shorts and blouse combo could look quite 1930's if I wore more era-appropriate footwear and hairstyle.

Day 30 me-mades:

Frida Kahlo dress

Pants (knickers)

Second-hand cardigan

How much red can you cram into one photo? Lots!!! This dress makes me smile whenever I see it. 

Day 31 me-mades:

Reversible bolero shrug

Leopard stretch stop

Navy cropped trousers

Pants (knickers)

The final day of the challenge!!!! This is possibly the worst photo in terms of clarity, but maybe my favourite outfit of the whole month. It was comfy but you can also see some of my figure. It is vibrant and reflective of my personal style as it stands today, but I can also wear it during the day without getting stared at!!! I wonder if I would have come up with this outfit if I hadn't been 'forced' to create new garment combinations because of my challenge pledge.   

Thanks so much to everyone who participated in this challenge, your energy and creativity reminded me exactly why I love the online creative community and how truly fabulous it is to be part of it. Also thanks so much to everyone who commented on my challenge posts throughout the month. I really appreciate each and everyone of them and it was so often with the readers of my blog in mind that I tried to create different, and hopefully interesting and inspiring, outfits throughout the month. 

There are lots more things I want to talk about regarding challenges, community and groups, but I'll expand on those another day.

MMMay'12 Other People: Weeks 4 & 5

This is an epic final instalment to the 'Other People' section of the recently completed MMMay'12 challenge.

Day 22 (Tuesday)

Vic took her mum on holiday to Bath, had a lovely time, wore her new Zo-made Peter Pan collar shell top and found a traid donation bank! Good work on all fronts, Vic.

Day 23 (Wednesday)

My mum wore a beige wool skirt that I made her soooooo long ago. I had totally forgotten about until she emailed me this picture. I made it before I understood about linings and she had to line it herself! Sorry Mum! Apparently the weather was way too warm for this outfit, but I'm so glad she wore it because I may never have been reminded of that beige skirt.

Day 24 (Thursday)

One of my hopes for this part of the MMMay'12 challenge is that my peops who I make garms for become more comfortable in them than they may have felt before.  Pat has been wearing his Book Launch shirt quite a bit this month. I love it when he does because it really makes his blue eyes look ultra blue. I hope he feels more comfortable in it now he's been made to wear it so often!

Day 25 (Friday)

On Day 25, Harriet wore the curved waistband skirt that I made her for the October instalment of our Poetry & Clothing project. Apparently she wore it with a yellow and white checked blouse and looked quite the school marm!

Day 26 (Saturday)

Saturday was quite a busy day for Vic, not least in terms of wearing Zo-made clothing! She started the day wearing the floral chiffon top. Then when she came home she changed into her 'Ok' denim skirt and a vest because it was super hot. And finally she went to bed in Zo-made turquoise and red Summer jam jams. Phew, what a day! 

Day 27 (Sunday)

Not much to say other than Patty wore these pants! But of course you'll have to take our word for that. 

Day 28 (Monday)

This pic is so hilarious! Kirstin wore some denim high waisted shorts I made for her a couple of months ago. She also wore a blouse made by her talented friend Amy and a wooden 'hello' necklace by Rock Cakes. Don't forget you can win your very own 'hello' necklace AND a pinup Betty badge made by this very lady in my giveaway here. 

Day 29 (Tuesday)

Vic is pulling out all the stops for her final days contribution to MMMay'12. She wore a stripey wool skirt and gathered sleeve head T-shirt and looked generally lovely. She was such an awesome contributor to this part of my challenge, always handing her 'home-work' in on time and giving me text updates about what she was wearing. 

Day 30 (Wednesday)

She wears skirts well, does my mum! On Day 30 she wore a front flap skirt that she commissioned me to make. The pattern is from a Burda magazine and she bought the fabric herself for me to use. Mumma has been awesome this month, diligently photographing and emailing me her photos in a most punctual manner!

Day 31 (Thursday)

The final day of MMMay'12. Pat wore both his Brokeback Balcony shirt and what are fast becoming his favourite pants (I may have interpreted that last bit).

I really want to thank my beloveds for taking part in MMMay'12 this year. It has made it utterly special and I feel so elated and proud at the sight of them in the garments I've made. So thank you Kirstin, Vic, Mum, Harriet and Patty. You are all absolutely wonderful (and amazing models!).