Something's fishy project 2

This is the continuation of the Fish project from several posts back.  It's another IOU post but I am sharing what I have.  I'll be using this lovely skirt....

The remaining top part of the dress....

And this pattern, modified slightly....

Here we go....you can see from the pattern that the I made a much smaller size the last time I used this. Makes me sad.

This took lots of strategery.  Typically you'd cut two on a folded material but I have to watch out for the fishes.  The fish will be on the top piece so it means using the pattern piece flipped.  Look how close I came to that other fish......I'm saving it for project # 3.

Here I am, checking on the fish.

The under piece doesn't need a fish, so I placed this piece in a fishless area.  Notice that I did end up grabbing a couple of bubbles...I doubt it will end up showing.  

And here is all that is left to work with on project #3.  Wondering what it will be?

Here are the two pieces overlapped.

I decided to let the back be a little different from the pattern since I have an existing zipper.

It makes the back come up a little higher on the neck but otherwise about the same.  And I JUST did avoid the fish.

When I got to the zipper, I dipped down a little lower than the pattern to give myself an area to double stitch over to secure the cut zipper.

Once one side was cut, it was easy to just flip it over to match it up.  Notice I left the silk lining in the back.  It would have been harder to remove it due to the zipper.

This is a large size skirt....my favorite.









The skirt is a a faux wrap around so I removed the front panel to use for the sleeves.

The pattern calls for bias tape to finish all the edges, which adds a contrast color.  I happen to have this pre-cut bias cut fabric from a Craigslist give away.  

I am using red to match the existing little piece I left on the back to save the zipper.

The red isn't the exact shade but close enough.

And here is the little tool I used to fold and iron it.

Once it is prepared, I attach it to the sleeve pieces.

 Then I sewed the sleeves in place.  I also attached the bias to the neckline, just making it work splicing it in to the existing red piece.  I would normally not have spliced this together but there was already a zipper in the back that I didn't want to lose.

After sewing it on, I finished it with the serger.  Sometimes I sew first if I am nervous about the serger cutting away something important.  Then I serged up the sides to the end of the arm.

Then I topstitched the arms bias tape....

attached the skirt.

Done!

So quite honestly, the reason I have taken so long to post this is trying to get the darn after photo!  So I'll just update this post once I get it.....you can just imagine how cute it looks....right?

IOU - NEED AFTER PHOTO!



So with what little I have left, what could project #3 possibly be?

Ruffles and ruffle pants

For a complete outfit, I'll need half of the bottom half of the lovely orange and pink skirt from a previous project.  I've lost count of how many projects I got  from that one fabric grouping, and I still owe a post a mother daughter top deal.  Well this is another case of an IOU post.  I'll likely attach some of that layer skirt to an existing tshirt and show it later.  The other item  here is a skirt made of that super ruffle material.  That is the focus here.  You can see the entire outfit when I pull my act together.

I am going to freestyle with this pants pattern, to make ruffle culottes, just leaving the width in the legs. I am just letting that zipper go.  I saved it of course.  I was careful to cut one layer only when cutting out the back.

And here is the front panel of the leg, being used face down and not needing a side seam.  Again, cutting one layer only.  Not easy when those ruffles keep snagging on the scissors.

And all that is left are two godets....perfect for flares on some jeans.  Hmmm?  Save.

See how I was able to line up the rows of ruffles....like an expert.  No really, I had to unstitch and resew when I saw that several rows on the butt were flipped the wrong way.

Once I got them sewn up (at a sewing meetup, I'll talk about later, in between those IOU posts), I feel like the crotch looks too short, especially since I still need to turn it down for an elastic tube.  I believe I'll end up adding a waistband, most likely from a t shirt material.  I'll have to have her try them on first.  Yes these look awfully short but remember, they are culottes.




Anyway, you can tell that they are going to be awfully cute for spring.  Ahh, spring again.  Can you tell I am dying here.  BRRR!


IOU FULL OUTFIT PHOTO.

8 years later

Just to shake things up, instead of sticking with that same group of fabric from the last few posts, here is one off the wall.  This isn't really a refashion except that the burgundy fabric came from a sheet.  The green is a fabric remnant bought at the thrift store and the flower piece was bought on ebay years ago but no fabulous upcycle here.

The flower piece was actual bought and she was laid on it for new born pictures....she finally gets to wear it, 8 years later.  Who knew?  You can tell I was limited on fabric by the minimal gathers in the skirt.

Now that she is getting older, I am questioning if I should make some of her outfits more tailored, like she is showing below.  Any opinion from the peanut gallery on whether this looks better loose or if I should add a little elastic for a waistline?  Adding the elastic would actually add more gathering to the skirt too.

She obviously doesn't care right now, but I don't want to be THAT Mom, dressing her kids like babies when they are too old.

Puffy with paint drips

Here is another project from this fabric group.  I think I have three so far, two posted and one not quite finished.

The paint drip skirt has such an interesting pattern, I am leaving it as is lengthwise.

I just removed the waistband (and saved).  I decided to use that top band of fabric as the bodice.

Using this pattern piece, I cut out the arm holes on each side.  It is way too wide but such a soft fabric, I am going to gather it up the right width with a few sewn lines and let it be a puffy top.

Before I sewed the top, I decided to make it a puffy skirt too.  I did that by flipping it inside out, sewing the underskirt to the overskirt and then turning it back right side out.  Then I serged the top arm holes, flipped the serged edges to the inside.  The only exposed sewn parts were along the neck, which I serged and then turned down to run a ribbon through.

The tiger print matches the traces of brown that are in the paint drips.  I will say this fabric was like sewing cheesecloth....not fun.  But this will be light and airy for spring...if it ever comes.

Super soft flower power

This combination started out as an idea for one outfit, but still ended up as several separate outfits. You saw one from this skirt yesterday... this orange and pink piece is a remnant of that skirt.   The colors are perfect together but the fabrics are so different, it was hard to combine.  And the white based paint drip look would be lost if I cut that one down.  So this little pile will lead to several projects....lets see how many.  One so far from the full skirt.

The flower pattern dress is HUGE, and a very soft stretchy knit.  Think super soft tshirt.  It has this rusching on the back that I plan to use in the design.

First I chopped off the skirt to use for pants.  I left a little skirt below the elastic so I can use a rolled hem on it.  I basically like the top as is, except it is WAY too big, so I'll just cut it down to size for the daughter.  Who knows, I may end up with two tops! Maybe a matching mother daughter set.... I'll set this one aside for now and focus on the pants.

Well here they are.  Not a lot of steps to show.  Basically used the existing hem, all seams are in the inseam and added an elastic waistband.  This photo is a tease on a project to come.  That is the dress from yesterday and yes those are ruffle pants coming soon.....quit looking over there and wait for it.

She can wear these anywhere for now it's  ...
Comfy, comfy and off to bed

So that's two outfits so far and we know another is coming later from that dress top.  I just need to think on it.

Pink and Orange with black dress

These are the kinds of skirts that set my heart a flutter.  The are HUGE, tons of fabric, always long, always colorful, always full swirl, and have done most of the work for me in construction.  Can you imagine sewing all those layers?  And those black capri pants will make a nice bodice for a sun dress.  

Most women's capri pantsthat I find are loud colors or patterns, perfect for kids clothes.

I used as simple sundress bodice construction, which is just cutting out four layers of the top fabric.  I decided to save those folded hems on the legs in case I need them for later. Two pieces, sandwiched, sewn and flipped make the front, and same for the back.  I did topstitch around them to make it look nice and crisp.  

Then I added button holes to run a gross grain ribbon through.  

Nice sharp embroidery scissors make it easy to cut the slit in the button holes.

The skirt is so large that I am de-constructing it for several projects.

The top part of the skirt will make a nice shirt.   And I have the underskirt for something else too.

Those bottom layers, once removed, make up a LOT of width in fabric!  I'll only need half that width for this dress.  So expect several other projects from all this excess fabric.

 And here it is, nice and easy.

I plan to stitch the ribbon in place so it lies nice a flat and doesn't shift around or come untied.