In conjunction with my Wardrobe Refashion promise, I have recently completed a few new refashions for my wardrobe. Lately, I have been aware that I have a lack of shirts to wear. Luckily, after sifting through my “to-do” pile (it’s huge), I found several dresses that I could refashion into shirts to incorporate into my everyday wardrobe.

First, I had this super long (to the floor) knit dress that I bought at an expensive boutique for $4. It was on super clearance because the bodice was tearing and the dress needed repairs. I liked the fabric, so I bought it but never did anything with it. A year later, I fixed the bodice and chopped off the skirt to make this:

A  super comfy, light-weight knit cami. I also have plenty of leftover fabric to make something else.

Lurking in the pile was this all black, shirtdress with a HUGE circle skirt. I thought the dress was cute, but it was so heavy and black that it made me look like I was going to a funeral. I cut off about 12″ of the skirt and then removed some of the volume by removing strategically cut triangles from the skirt. This created a little blouse that will be perfect for everyday wear:

The “to-do” pile also contained this dress that I created from a vintage Butterick pattern, however it came out way too big and I couldn’t decide what to do with it.

 So I turned it into a fresh new top:

I also tailored a pair of stretchy, flared jeans into skinny jeans!

And that’s all for now! I am slowly working through the pile. Lots more in store, with a couple of tutorials on the way as well. Sorry about the bad quality photos, I really need a new digital camera! Any suggestions?

I have been sewing, knitting, and crafting for years, however, there is one art form that I have yet to learn - jewelry making. For some reason, I just have not found the time to learn this craft, nor do I have a desperate desire to do so, mainly because of all the talented jewelry makers that are out there. I prefer to support handmade artisans, if I am able, and here is one artist that has grabbed my attention with her store on etsy, Heatherly Designs. Her pieces are exquisite, some with a very vintage feel, and others more modern. And the prices are incrediably reasonable. Here are some picks of mine (I hope to purchase these after this post!):

So lovely! And they’re only $12!

I am already envisioning wearing these everyday of the week….(can you tell I like green?)

This necklace at only $23, would be lovely for the Fall when paired with a chocolate brown tweed wool jumper…

If you know of any other deserving jewelry artists, please let me know. I am always looking for handmade jewelry to accesorize my handmade wardrobe.

…of crafting. Sorry I’ve been away. Busy with school, and other menial life tasks. I have found a little time to sneak in some sewing, and I am always knitting something while I watch TV at the end of the night to unwind. I recently finished knitting these little gloves from Knitty. I used the recommended yarn, Debbie Bliss Cashmerino. A lovely yarn, it only takes one skein of yarn, or in my case, a little bit over one skein. I extended the glove to make it longer for those colder nights, but if you follow the pattern exactly, one skein of yarn will do it! That means these glove only cost about $7 to make, and about 2 hours of your time. They make an excellent gift, as well.

I will be knitting a couple more pairs of these babies for friends and classmates.

I am also working on a lovely quilt (that’s what you see in the background!) for my etsy store that I recently opened. There is nothing there yet, but I intend to choc it full of handmade goodies, including this lovely, queen-sized quilt…

It’s made with the most deliciously soft burnt orange “suede”….I would like to keep it for myself. I will post a photo when it is complete!

Lastly, I am working on a couple new jumpers for Fall, with this pattern:

It is the easiest pattern I have ever worked with, I think I whipped this gem up in under an hour! It was a teensy bit too large for me, so I have some altering and finishing to do, and then, another post with photos. Promise.

Yes, I know. I’ve been away for a little while, not my intentions but that’s what happens sometimes. The good news is I have a few new projects that I’ve finished as I enter week #2 of my Wardrobe Refashion. I am happy to report that I have not purchased any new clothing, however, I did break down and buy some new fabric….oh well.  On to my projects!

I made a simply short jacket with kimono style sleeves from this pattern, view A:

I thought I would really love it, made up in some steel blue corderoy fabric.

I have not finished  it yet, I still need to hem the edges and add a button at the collar. It didn’t take me very long, although the directions could be a bit more explicit. I don’t love the way it looks on me; it is just super baggy (that’s the style, Erica…) so I may play around with it a little more.

 and one more….

Secondly, I made a dress from this pattern:

Yes, of course I know that isn’t a dress pattern, per se, but I just did a few simple changes and voila! A new dress:

Details on the changes: Very simply, you extend the hem line from the bodice to any length you desire. I added 9 inches to mine and it hits me right at the knee.

Make sure you cut both your front and back pieces to the same length. Then you can finish the pattern with the normal instructions. I love this pattern! I am not so crazy about this particular fabric pairing with this dress, but it fits well. I would love to create a knit dress with a different fabric for the collar and sleeves. This pattern is really adaptable and is a great purchase. I can’t wait to make something else from it.

Close-up of bodice

One last thing! I knit a handbag from a Knitting Daily pattern (if you haven’t signed up already, what are you waiting for?). I chose Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice in Rose. It was only around $5 for two skeins and I didn’t even use all of it! The bag knit up rather quickly, seaming and lining took about 2 hours. Although the pattern called for knitting needles instead of binding off, I decided to do the latter and attach a vintage button for closure.

Things I would change? I would make the handles shorter, make the bag wider and shorten this as well. It is really roomy, though! I can’t wait to use it…

To line a knitted bag, I just measured some fabric (you will only use about 1/4 of a yard) with my knitted bag piece comme ca,

And then press down the top edge to conceal any raw edges:

And then handstitch it into your bag. Tres simple.

I know this post is just overflowing with photos, but here is one more. My new fabric purchase, Amy Butler Nigella. This print is HUGE and I have 1 1/2 yards from a 64″ bolt, plenty to do a number of things, but what should I make?

On a last note, I need a new digital camera. xo.

I’ve gone and done it. I’ve joined the Wardrobe Refashion Blog (it starts tomorrow) and I’ve committed to 6 months of not purchasing any new clothes and instead, making them myself. This is going to be good for me, since as of late I have become a shopaholic. (Having a clothes-horse of boyfriend does not help.) Here is my pledge:

 ”I, Erica, pledge that I shall abstain from the purchase of “new” manufactured items of clothing, for the period of 6 months. I pledge that I shall refashion, renovate, recycle preloved items for myself with my own hands in fabric, yarn or other medium for the term of my contract. I pledge that I will share the love and post a photo of my refashioned, renovoated, recylcled, crafted or created item of clothing on the Wardrobe Refashion blog, so that others may share the joy that thy thriftyness brings! Signed, Erica.”

In addition to that pledge, I am making a personal pledge NOT to buy any additional patterns, yarn, fabric or other craft supplies UNLESS it is absolutely necessary to the completion of a project. I have so many unused patterns, fabrics and notions that I have not used and it is my goal through this to use all of what I currently have on hand. In addition to this, I intend to clean and reorganize my craft space and to sell or trade any fabric and notions that I cannot find a use for. Whew! That’s quite a committment. Wish me luck.

If you’re anything like me, you constantly have WIP and skeins of yarn hanging around the house getting in the way of everything.  Plus having two adorable kittens who love to eat yarn does not help matters. My solution was simple: I found a small basket that closed like a briefcase from Thrift Town for $3.00.  I decided that it needed to be lined to keep from all my lace-weight yarns from snagging on the edges of the basket. Here is how I went about it…

I measured the insides, top and bottom to determine what size my lining was to be.

I then added approximately 1/2″ to allow for the pressing under of each side ( you could also serge the edges if you were so inclined). Then I cut my pieces of cute fabric for the lining to the measurements.

Press under 1/4″ on each side of fabric, like so….

Then stitch with a contrasting or complimentary thread color along each side on your machine and press seams with warm iron.

I then layed each piece in their respective sides and stitched a few anchoring stitches through the weaves in the basket:

I added a pocket to the top to keep all my little knitting notions in, which is completely optional of course…

Et, voila! It took me less than 30 minutes to complete and fits 3 or 4 projects at a time, fully protected from my kittens.

Oh, did you notice my new Denise Interchangeable Knitting Needles? I got them about a month ago and they are seriously my new favorite thing. 10 pairs of circular knitting needles with various lengths of cords and extenders. For around $50 this is the best deal ever! Treat yourself and get yourself a set.

I love jackets. I think it is because I love jacket weather. In Texas, this comes very late, but where I am from in Connecticut, it’s already jacket time. I made this jacket in 100% wool with a lovely pale pink cotton/poly lining. I plan on making at least several more…perhaps with slight modifications. I used this pattern and it was not only easy to use, but it was a quick project, taking me about 2-3 hours. The pattern has great modifications for the collar and it would be easy to shorten or lengthen the arms and bodice of this jacket. It calls for buttons down the front, but I chose to use one vintage button for the very top to allow the jacket to be open.

The wool was a total steal at $2 a yard. For 100% buttery soft wool? That’s a deal of a lifetime. I can’t wait to make a few more in red and yellow plaids……

Of course, I needed something lovely to wear underneath my jackets, and I thought it would suit perfectly to have a simply knit dress to showcase the jacket. I really like the look of the high-waisted, A-line skirt dresses that have been popular over the summer and chose this pattern:

It was only 99 cents and I love view A. It calls for only knits (which made me a little sad), and I chose some leftover black knit fabric I was using for making hoodies:

It is lightweight enough to make a lovely flowy dress, but also heavy enough to stay warm on any fall evening.

Prep and cutting work was a little under an hour, I always press my pattern pieces with a warm iron to ensure proper sizing.

I lined the dress bodice with the same fabric but I left the skirt unlined because I thought that lining it may weigh it down a bit too much for my taste. Sewing the entire dress took about 1 hour 15 minutes, and a little over 30 minutes to put the elastic in the waistline (the pattern was a bit confusing about this part, but I got it!)

After turning up the hem, the dress is finished (please ignore the one light spot on the bodice…that is the sun peeking through my window):

And a full length view:

All in all I like the dress, it fits well (action shots to come, I promise) and is quite comfortable. It needs a little dressing up, but that’s where my jacket comes in. I think I will use the pattern again, perhaps adding a zipper so I can use non-knit fabrics (this dress is pullover style).  It makes me glad that I have one outfit done for autumn, with more on the way.

I bought this book about 2 months ago after falling in love with all the lovely projects and beautiful photography. All of the patterns are very easy to understand and easy to make - especially this one! It took me about 2 weeks to complete and I had no problems. I want to make a few more in different colors! I used a wool/cotton blend for the main color and a Pima Tencel for the border.

Although the pattern suggests using a metal clasp for the top closure, I opted to use a couple of vintage buttons instead! I am happy with the results and am in the middle of completing two other projects from the book.

I’ve got a slew of new things I’ve been working on for fall, they should be up soon but in the meantime, here are some photos of things I’ve made in the past. Most are made from my designs and thusly have no pattern, unless otherwise noted. I will be adding more of these “past projects” as time allows.

Is what this blog is. I promise, there will be stuff here. Soon.