Blue Floral Blouse

Chronic illness and perpetually scrambling to keep up with commissions kept this project on the shelf for two years. As I rebuild my strength, I've been tackling the 'small' projects, and finally took this fabric off to try and do something with it.

I actually don't mind that I had time to think about the design. When I originally bought this fabric on sale at fabric.com, I was envisioning it as a comfy knit dress. However, like most white base fabrics, it was too thin for this to become a reality. I then played around with making a skirt out of it... but I kept seeing poofy sleeves. And that meant I needed to make a top with it.

"Beauty and the Beast" (No, not THAT version)

Emma Watson's "Beauty and the Beast" is not the only retelling of the tale to hit movie theaters in the next year. A French retelling of the story released to select theaters today. I won't have a chance to see it until it hits DVD, but the interview with the costumer is a fantastic read. I am definitely looking forwards to reviewing all of the costume when I get a chance to watch the film!

Autumn Tea Towels

I am having a pretty rough week health-wise, however I did manage to get the listings up for ALL of these towels in my Etsy shop! So if you're looking for some cute and functional fall decor for your kitchen, take a look!

And stay tuned... I have some more sewing posts coming up as my health allows!

How to Make a Skirt from a T-Shirt

 What to do with a t-shirt that is too big to wear anymore?

Make it into a skirt! You can do this on your regular machine. The only special tool you will need is a jersey/ballpoint needle, which you can get at any sewing store or Amazon.

Okay, technically I could still wear this t-shirt, but stripes do not work on my torso. At. All. I didn't want to give up the soft knit fabric though, so I decided to turn it into a skirt.

First step is cutting off the top. You want to get as much fabric out of your shirt as possible, so cut it really close to the neckline! The raw edge will get attached to the waistband, while the hemmed edge will become the edge of the skirt, no further hemming required!

My original plan for the skirt was pretty simple - turn the excess fabric from the back yoke into a waistband.

Typical skirt waistband construction. Sew the ends together...

Fold over...

Sew raw edges to skirt, stretching where necessary. I sewed all of this on a regular sewing machine, using a narrow zig-zag stitch with a jersey/ballpoint needle.

It worked just as I wanted, but the skirt was just a tad too short and tight for my comfort levels. For some people it'd be great, but I wanted a little more ease of movement.

So, I opened up each side of the skirt.

I then inserted a thick black ribbon on each side...

...and I sewed a thick cream strip of lace over the ribbon. These stripes increased the girth of the skirt, allowing for more movement.

I then made a second, thicker waistband to add above the original one, to add length. I used my buttonhole stitch with an embroidery hoop and stabilizer to add bound openings for my drawstring.

I then added the second waistband, just like the first.

The blacks don't match exactly, but I will wear a long shirt over it, so no one will be able to tell.

For the drawstring, I used thick elastic, then attached a ribbon to each end. The elastic will be hidden, while the ribbon will come out of the bound openings.

I drew the drawstring in with a bodkin.

Once the drawstring was inserted, I made a little tack in the center back to keep the drawstring from being pulled out.

And voila, t-shirt to skirt!

I would have had the project done in one sitting if I'd started with a bigger t-shirt. Making the adjustments added two more days of work, but made for an even cuter finished product.