Warning: Don't Be Cheap

I, thankfully, had nothing to do with the construction of this dress; it is RTW. 

The person who made it used cheap interfacing (or else they didn't pre-shrink it) because it bubbled and wrinkled after the first washing. 

While it is on the underside of the collar, it us very difficult to iron. 

Thankfully it is a very cute dress and worth the bother of some finicky pressing. 

Scheming and Planning

Now that I am rid of the triad of evil, I am making plans for the remainder of my leave. And while I can't row, cycle, kayak, play soccer, do pilates, drive, lift more than 10 pounds, or do any of the other things that fritter away my time, I can sit. And in the shade I shall sit while I take apart a few items I have found in thrift stores.

First up, this cool wool* skirt. It is a lovely, incredibly full, skirt, very royal blue and, judging by the tag, from the late '80s or early '90s It is destined to to become another Hollyburn with perhaps enough left over to trim something else.

The second skirt is a linen/ rayon blend. Allegedly dry-clean only, but since I don't own anything I can't wash, I pre-washed it. You can tell how much shrinkage occurred by the amount of lining hanging clear of the bottom.

The colours did not photograph very well; it is brown and green striped - very autumnal. I'll try to better shot after it has been remade. I'm hoping to get another Vogue 1247 out of the yardage.

I have no firm ideas about the fate of this skirt. I think it is a wool/rayon blend but the tag has gone missing. Maybe it dissolved in the pre-wash. I would like to get a top of some sort but I'll see how it looks when I drape it around myself, post dissection. It may end up looking too dowdy for a blouse.

It's nice to be able to spend time in the yard keeping busy. I'm pretty twitchy and while I'm fortunate to have a long leave to recover, sitting around this past week has been pretty restricting. It will be good to feel productive again.

*That's the name of the fabric, not how I feel about it.

Incredibly simple Pants

Has anyone seen the mesh panties hospitals use for in-patients? The construction is really rather clever.  I should find a scrap of stretch fabric and try a pair to see if there is any way to incorporate this into some self-sewn skivvies. 

They are made from two six-inch pieces very stretchy soft 'fabric' sewn down the sides. I think the elastic at the waist is woven right in. 

A sean is made across the middle of the  bottom to make leg holes.  Thoughts?

Hooray for Hollyburn

I now have three Hollyburn skirts, my latest out of denim.

I look unimpressed. Why?

 I love the fullness of these skirts -they are definitely bike-able. I made the waistbands on these two skirts about an inch narrower. I am very short waisted and the wider waistband would fold over when it made contact with my lower ribcage.

 The pockets are lined with the same fabric I used to line N4's cape. So many of my skirts have pockets now. I think the only reason my previous skirts did not is my need to hurry and adding pockets would add, what, another 15 minutes to the process. I guess I have learned to slow down.

 The second Hollyburn is made from this owl upholstery fabric. It has great body as well.

 I screwed up the waistband -I should have cut it with the grain, but I was worried it would stretch. Silly me.

 I did better with the pocket facings tho'.

 Especially this one.

I have plans for at least one more of these made from a thrifted lightweight wool skirt. But that can wait for cooler weather.