O.K. Basically, if anything stays still too long around me, I put ruffles on it….. It’s my obsession right now. This material was a dress from Free People, that didn’t fit me just right. I used the side seams of the dress to be the side seams of the pants below. Put some elastic on the top. Created these ruffles out of an Indian outfit my friend gave me and I was done. It took about an hour to do!

red ruffle pants

close up of ruffles

red ruffled pants

Every parent has a pair of these pants lying around.  I used to not really like these pants, then I put ruffles on the bottom and they are cuter.  It also makes the pants longer

baby pants

ruffles

styling girl

pants

I tried to make my daughter a pair of pants. the above fabric was a skirt that i could wear from the goodwill. I kept the edge that had the zipper in tack so i wouldn’t have to install one. I used another pair of pants that my daughter wears to use as a pattern. At about where I thought her knees would be, i tapered the pattern out so that it would create the bell bottomy look above.

(IMPORTANT NOTE: I forgot that the pants i was using as a pattern had elastic around the waist in the back. So the pattern i made turned out to be way too small for her waist) Too bad because the pants are soooo cute!

Have you seen this awesome book? Sew what skirts

Well, I learned A LOT from this experience. This was my first time making a skirt from SCRATCH!

i found this fabric at the Goodwill. It used to be a shower curtain. i need to remember to take before and after pictures, but I never really think my project is going to turn out. Plus, I am in such a hurry to get going and try my ideas that I forget to take the pictures.

i am very proud of my side slits that you can’t see in the picture!

straight skirt

the zipper

something i learned about zippers. Above is a picture with the skirt turned inside out. do you notice anything weird? yeah, I put the zipper in backwards. whenever you are putting in a zipper; turn the garment inside out. lay the zipper tail (the part you pull up and down) on the fabric so that you cannot see it. otherwise it ends up going on the inside and though not impossible, it is a little tricky to zip.

I got really confused about how to sew the zipper onto my skirt. So i put the zipper foot on and sewed the zipper keeping the inside of the fabric facing me so i could tell where the zipper border was. In the directions, it said to sew from the side of the fabric that would be showing when you wear the garment, but that was just impossible for me. let me know if that doesn’t make sense or if you have any zipper tricks.

The skirt looks good one. I need to add a picture. But I feel like the skirt needs more personality. a little more something. what do you suggest?

I always loved this poncho that my daughter received as a hand me down:

the inspiration

I wanted to create something like it.  I went to the Goodwill, found a Sports Illustrated green fleece blanket, created a pattern from the original onto a paper bag:

pattern from original poncho

and created this:

my version

here it is on her

lil green riding hood

There’s an amazing website:

http://www.threadbanger.com

This website is all about “Doin it yourself”, fashion, decor, and upcycling clothes. Check it out.

The below project that I made was inspired by this episode:
How to Make a Shrug Wrap

I didn’t come across any issue. I used a blouse instead of a turtleneck sweater. It was pretty fun and I am making them with all sorts of fabrics now. My favorite thing to do is go to the Goodwill and get sweaters and shirts and do this style with all of them. If you have a serger it is super fun!

front of shirt

back of shirt

As my first sewing project, I tried making an outfit for my daughter’s doll. It was going to be a dress made of two different print fabrics. I traced the dress that the doll came with – took it to the sewing machine and sewed the entire dress leaving one hole. I forgot about head and arm holes!!!! =)

After looking at the “mistake” I decided to make it into a reversible purse for my daughter.

dress to purse

Lesson #1 – there is no such thing as a mistake. Just a new life for your next project.

I am a beginner at sewing. As I have started to make projects, I have come across some problems (some turned out to be new ways of sewing). And I have decided to publish the issues and fixes I have come across while sewing. Please stay tuned for more posts and I welcome your comments!