My Auntie and Uncle's Cushions Are Finished!

Finally I have completed the construction of the cushions that I promised my Auntie and Uncle back in the summer...

Cushion 1:

Cushion 2:

Jazz-up Your Boring Shirts

Mum gave me an old shirt of hers that she didn't like, and it was really dull and I would never have worn it. So I decided to upcycle it into something that I was more likely to choose from my wardrobe. First of all, I took it up, literally by cutting along the bottom then doing a rolled hem. Easy peasy.

Then I added some leatherette on the collar to make it more defined and more interesting.

Then I cut a pocket off of an old pair of shorts, and, after unpicking the original pocket, I sewed it on. Then I added a line of studs from the shorts, just 'cos I felt like it.

That is all I did for this shirt, but I had a lot of ideas that I was thinking of doing, so there will be some more in the near future...

I Finally Got A Mannequin!

Look what arrived in the post today!

I FINALLY have a a mannequin. Which is a great relief. I am so used to having to hang my projects in my wardrobe, and on the back of my door!

This is the shirt that I made a while ago:
(Original blog post is here.)

1900s Sewing Machine

Today I went to visit my Nana, and Dad had mentioned a few days ago that she had an old sewing machine hanging around so I was dying to have a look.

After the usual cup of tea and a Kit-Kat, I asked her about it, then went to get it from the corner of her bedroom cupboard. It was remarkably heavy, and I could barely lift it, but I managed to haul it to the kitchen table. It still has its original wooden case.

She said that it had been her grandmother's, and that she thinks that it is from the 1900s. It hasn't been touched for years, as she certainly hasn't sewn in a while. However, the wheel still turns by using the handle and it has a fairly smooth motion.

It has a very attractive design, and while it is not as efficient as modern machines, it definitely looks nicer. The gold patterns make it look like a decorative item as well as a piece of machinery.

Silver by Mail Has Such Cute Jewellery!

I was looking at a Silver by Mail catalogue this morning and I found THE CUTEST earrings and necklace combination. They are the 'Belle Button' pieces, the Pendant and the Earrings, and I would really love to get them because they are so super cute.

The earrings:

The necklace:

Website: www.silver.uk.com

What's In My Sewing Box?

I have two sewing boxes, one that is big (38cm x 28cm) and one that is small (23cm x 16cm). The smaller one has two compartments; the 'belly' of the box and a transparent shelf above.

The Big One

This box has:
- threads (not including a large black because it is in the sewing machine)
- buttons
- beads
- large scissors
- buckles etc
- elastic and other components if I have them

The Small One

The top tray:

The tray has:
- poppers
- hook and eyes
- small scissors
- bows and other decorations
- ring pulls from cans
- safety pins
- threads plait
- seam ripper/quick unpick
- needles
- thimble

The bottom:

This section has:
- zips
- piping cord
- ribbon
- tailor's chalk
- tape measure
- pins (white box)

All of my machine things, like spare bobbins, needles, and machine feet, are kept either inside or next to the sewing machine, rather than in one of the boxes. I have very limited space and so have the bare minimum inside the boxes.

Really Cute Black Handbag

I used:
- leatherette fabric
- lining fabric; I used black cotton sheeting
- old zip cut off of some clothes
- thread and the usual stuff
- cardboard

Method:
This was actually surprisingly difficult to make. The leatherette was slippery and tricky to work with, and I did not have the right machine foot. Ideally I would use a synthetic foot to sew this kind of fabric, but I do not own one and they are fairly expensive. Therefore I had to make do, and although it is not perfect, for my first attempt at anything like this I am fairly happy.

The bag consists of two sides, two ends, and a base, with handles at the top. The lining is the same as the bag, without the handles, but is inside out so that the wrong side is sewn onto the wrong side of the leatherette. I attached the handles/straps by cutting small slits in the leatherette and threading the handle through, then sewing in place by machine. Then I sewed again 1cm up to secure it. This fabric is fairly old, having bought it 5 years ago for a project, so is beginning to age as it was not very expensive. Therefore in places where the leatherette has torn I superglued some red satin on the inside behind the holes so that if you can see through then it would look deliberate.

I also superglued some cardboard to the base of the bag, on the inside, to give it shape and make it more stable.

The zip was put in like a normal zip, then the lining was slip stitched to the zip. I had to be really careful that the lining was not sewn too close to the zip because then it would catch and would be a real pain every time I used it.

All in all, while the bag does not look particularly complicated it was harder than I thought it would be, and there are definitely things that I would change if I were to do it again.

Bling Up Your Gadget Case

Before:

After: 

This is one of the easiest and most satisfying projects that I have ever done, especially if you already have all of the resources that you need.

You will need:
- Clear or plain case to fit your phone/ipod/etc; mine is just a transparent silicone one from Amazon that I decided to change because it was getting discoloured
- Assorted beads/gems/rhinestones/sequins
- Some sort of super glue
- Tweezers
- Newspaper
(optional...) - Rubber Gloves

How:
1. Lay the newspaper onto a table, and if you wish to put the gloves on. I wore one on my right hand, and used the tweezers with my left.
2. Blob some glue in an area of the case, then use either your fingers or the tweezers to pick up a decoration and stick it down.
3. Basically, repeat until the case is filled. Simple as that! Leave to dry, I recommend overnight due to the glue fumes, then you're good to go.

TIP - If it looks a bit warped at the end (like mine), don't panic - if it is a silicone case then it will fit anyway.

Men's Work Shirt = Women's Strappy Top

Before: (with the sleeves cut off)

After:

I used:
- Blue swallow edging
- Shirt
- Thread
- Machine

How?:
1. I first of all cut off the sleeves, as shown in the first picture, because I had planned to make a short sleeved top instead.
2. Then I cut the collar off to see what it looked like.

3. At this point I changed my mind and decided to cut underneath where the sleeve holes end.

4. Then I put it on inside out and pinned straight down the side seams to make it fit. Then I took it off and sewed down that line using a straight stitch.

5. Then I cut off the excess fabric and zigzag stitched the raw edges.
6. I bound the top using the blue tape - I ironed it in half first, then went around the top pinning into place. I then sewed with a straight stitch, but as it began to come apart in places I went over it in a zigzag stitch. At this stage I made the two layers of fabric where the buttons are separate, but as this was difficult, I...
7. ... sewed down the front next to the buttons to permanently close the front together.

8. Then I made the straps (0.5cm wide). I did this by measuring a 2cm width bit of fabric (left over from the sleeves or from the top of the back) of the desired length, then ironing a crease in the centre (1/2 along) (1cm from the edge), and at 1/4 along (0.5cm from edge), and at 3/4 along (1.5cm from edge). I sewed the edges into the centre, folding on the 1/4 line and the 3/4 line. Then to finish I folded on the centre line and sewed straight down to make the strap. Then I repeated this whole process for the other strap.
9. I sewed them in by putting the garment on and pinning the straps on so that they looked right, basically! In the end they were 10.5cm from the centre at the front (either side of the buttons), and 4cm inside the darts at the back.

Birthday Bunting

I made the bunting itself about two years ago, but after neglecting it in a cupboard I decided to make it into something useful.

I made the letters roughly from scrap curtain fabric that we had. Then I simply zigzag stitched (firm edge appliqued) them onto each flag. I left two plain ones at the start, end, and between the words.

As you can see, the letters are very roughly cut out and are not all the same sizes. I did this deliberately to give it a slapdash, country feel, but it would work just as well using stencils.

The bunting was made using scrap fabric, some from an old duvet set of mine that ripped. It was made very quickly, and the flags all have raw edges, but on hindsight I would have used pinking shears to tidy the edges up a little.

I Made My PROM DRESS!

I decided to alter this dress - my mum originally wore it to my auntie's wedding as her bridesmaid.

To begin with, I changed the sleeves/straps from the large puffed ones to the 3cm straps. I unpicked them from the dress, then used the fabric to make straps and restitched them. 

Then I took it up by about 30cm by hand stitching the outer and machine stitching the lining. (Before hand stitching I zigzag stitched the raw edges).

I then took it in by pinning it when it was on me, and drawing chalk lines either side of the fold. Then I unpinned, took it off and tacked it so that the fold was on the inside. Then I machine stitched it.

All in all it took quite a while because I kept double checking everything because I was really anxious about making a mistake, but I don't regret the decision to make it at all. Prom was so much fun and everyone looked amazing!

I have lots of projects lined up for the summer, so now that this is done I can concentrate on those!

I Made a Skirt Out of a T-Shirt!

Before: 

After:

What I Used:

- Sewing Machine

- Thread

- Old T-shirt; mine is size medium from Cotton Traders

- Elastic about 1cm wide

- Scissors

How I made it:

(1) First, I turned the shirt inside out and cut off the sleeves and collar.

(2) Then I put it on, still inside out, and pinned to fit loosely.

(3) Then I stitched down the pin lines and cut away the excess fabric.

(4) Then, because I do not have an overlocker, I zigzag stitched the edges.

(5) I then made the waistband:

         - I roughly measured around my waist and cut the elastic to that length

         - Then I sewed at various intervals in a zigzag stitch to keep it in place

         - I then did each section at a time by pulling the elastic and fabric so that the fabric was flat and the elastic was stretched. I sewed in a zigzag stitch because it is less likely to break and it stretches better.

(6) Then I roll-hemmed the top of the skirt to cover the elastic.

Ten Tips When Upcycling

(1) Even if you are not constantly making things, for every item of clothing/bag/shoes that you have to throw away, make sure that you cut off any zips/buttons/poppers/buckles/anything that would be useful.
(2) Sketch all ideas first. Even if you know exactly what you are doing, just double check that it does what you want it to do.
(3) Experiment with new ideas. After all, the clothes you are using were previously unwanted, so it doesn't matter if you make a mistake, right?
(4) Unpick and sew again until you get it right. Never think 'Oh that will do' when making, because it will only mean that it will be more difficult later.
(5) Always tack (or at least pin) before sewing.
(6) Test the sewing machine on scrap fabric first - simple I know but the amount of times I don't bother and something goes wrong is a lot!
(7) Use the right colour thread, even if it means buying more. There is nothing worse than two pinks clashing.
(8) Use a well lit working area. Invest in a cheap spotlight or two to shine on your work, especially if you do most of it in the evenings.
(9) If you are stuck for inspiration, make a mood board.
(10) Most of all, enjoy it - put some music on. Remember that this is meant to be a hobby, not a stress!

Mini Hobbycraft Haul

Today I went to Hobbycraft and bought a couple of things (not a lot though as I have no money).

- Black and white thread, 1000 metres, and purple and blue thread, 100 metres - I had run out of these colours, so wanted some more - £1.50 each for the black and white and £1.49 each for the purple and blue
- Machine needles size 90/14 - I bought some before that were 80/12s and my sewing machine hated them and they all broke so I'm trying something new - £2.30
- Hand needles (pack of 50) - for some reason, all of my needles have bent or are really blunt, so I needed some more - £1.00
- Scissors - since I used my old ones for my textiles GCSE project, involving a lot of leatherette, they are now really blunt - £1.50
- Tailor's chalk - I'm tired of using old white pencils to draw on fabric - £1.80

So that is it, unfortunately I couldn't buy any more but these were some essentials that I really needed and now hopefully I can do some more projects!

thatupcyclingqueen

Make: Bracelet Out of Can Pulls

(Adapted from www.funcloud.com)

You Will Need:
- Ring pulls from cans - preferably all the same colour
- Ribbon

Instructions:
(1) Get as many ring pulls as you think you will need to go around your wrist, and a long section of ribbon (don't cut it to fit your wrist just yet)

(2) Thread the first pull onto the ribbon by pushing it up through the smaller hole and down into the larger hole.

(3) Add another, and overlap them:

(4) Keep adding pulls until you think that there are enough on there.

(5) Place over your wrist and line the end up against the rest of the ribbon so that you can see how much to cut.

(6) Cut enough so that you can tie a bow or knot when you wear it.

(7) I recommend tying knots at either end of the pulls to minimise them moving around as much.

(8) Finished! Put it on, and join by tying the ends: