Thrifted Fabric Sewing

As you may recall, I found a bunch of vintage fabric at a local thrift store earlier this month....

I got busy right away getting it washed, folded, and put away so it would be ready to go when the mood struck.  Last week I tried a modern shirt pattern with some of the vintage polyester: 

I chose version E, and added some length to it so it would be tunic-length ....

I think it turned out fine, but it's rather big for me and I think polyester might not have been the best choice for this pattern (and no doubt why it wasn't one of the recommended fabrics!).  However, it was good practice on neck and armhole facings.  Whether or not I'll actually wear this is debatable.  

This weekend was warm and sunny, which put me in the mood for sewing something summery: 

I love tank tops and wear them all the time when the weather is warm.  This one was created from Simplicity #9930, copyright 1972: 

You can see that version 2 has a very low scoop neck.  So I will simply turn it around and wear it backwards!  There were no facings for the neck and armholes on this so they turned out a bit wobbly, but for a summer tank I won't worry too much about that.  This will work for workout wear and as a swimsuit cover-up.  Here's that low scoop: 

This stripe isn't something I would normally choose, but it's good to have a little variety in my often-monotonous wardrobe.  This project provided more practice in sewing with knits, too.  End result: not perfect, but totally wearable = success!  

Thrifting Karma!

Karma has been on my side this week.

First up, my very first attempt at sewing a shirt turned out as a shirt!  Not only was this my first shirt, it was my first attempt at sewing with a knit fabric.  The result:

I used this pattern, an old Simplicity from 1981.  I did the shirt length in the tunic style.  The fabric was on the clearance rack at Joann's, so this is a $6 shirt.  Which is just about what I like to pay for a shirt.  I wore the shirt the other day and it is really comfy.  Definitely a keeper.  Of course it looks like about half the shirts in my closet, but when I like something I have a tendency to stick with it.

So after my initial success working with a knit, I picked up a few more vintage "just for knits" patterns at a local antique mall a few days later.  These are from the 70's, but again, I bet they'll end up looking like most of my clothes.  My style doesn't really change.

Butterick #3089

Simplicity #6443, 1974

These patterns may be 40+ years old but they look great to me--simple and comfortable!

As luck would have it, two days after I found these patterns, I stopped in to my favorite thrift store and stumbled upon a GIANT, and I do mean GIANT bag of fabric.  Knit fabric.  Polyester.  Cotton.  Silk.  All kinds of fabric.  So much fabric that I could barely lift it into the cart.  I had to get a cart, because there was no way I could carry it.

I didn't bother to look through it at the store.  I also picked up a pink floral sheet set and what turned out to be an Ikea duvet cover in that pink & red print you see on the left.  When I got home, I had a whole bunch of fun sorting through all this:

knits and polyesters

fancy!  

several colors of corduroy

various wovens.

Needless to say, I've been busy washing my score.  I'd estimate I've got about 50 yards, possibly more.  The corduroys, cottons, and polyesters washed up beautifully and I've already used some for pillow cover backs.  I've never used corduroy before but didn't have any problems there.  That chambray you see in the pic above still had the slip from the cutting counter attached to it; the original purchase price was $1/yard (when in the heck was fabric ever ONE dollar a yard?).

It seems obvious to me that someone who loved to sew passed away and her family donated her stash.  I had to rescue this fabric.  I will put it to good use.  I now have enough fabric to last me the rest of my life; however, I'm sure it won't prevent me from buying more.  

Fabric Fun: Pillow Covers

Last week I finally figured out how to sew pillow covers, something I'd been wanting to do for quite a while.  It's been a pillow-cover making frenzy ever since!

This is the first batch I stitched up.  I used a variety of fabrics, both new and vintage.  The three with the big pink flowers that you see here are from a vintage tablecloth that I've had for a long time but rarely ever used.  We're just not a pretty tablecloth type of household.  I hesitated before making the first cut, but after I finished the first cover, I was totally happy I decided to do it.  I love how this fabric works as a pillow cover; I think it showcases the beauty of this vintage piece so well. 

My design process for these might best be described as completely and totally random.  I had purchased a Robert Kaufman charm pack last week at Stitch here in Des Moines, and decided to see what I could come up with from it.  The colors weren't my usual palette so it was a good little challenge:

And since I'd opened that charm pack, I grabbed a few more pieces from it and paired them up with a vintage pillow case that I happened to have, because I'd bought a stack of them at a garage sale a few years ago:

I really, really like this one.  I love how the modern fabrics work with the vintage.  Like they were all part of the same collection. 

Yesterday I tried one more idea I'd been toying with, which will come as no surprise to those of you who know me:

I just couldn't resist.  The red floral print is from a bundle of yardage I got at an estate sale last summer.  I had no particular project in mind when I bought it, but it was too good of a deal to pass up. 

So that's what's been happening around here.  Now back to my sewing machine! 

DIY Recycled Chair

Five years ago this summer, I was out jogging one morning and discovered four chairs sitting on the curb, just about a mile or so away from my house. (Coincidentally, it turns out that these chairs were discarded by my friend Lisa of Abba's Hand Mosaics; I curbed her trash before we ever met.) Obviously I couldn't carry four chairs, so I finished my jog and then drove back in the hubby's monster truck to see if the chairs were still there.  They were.  Just waiting for me, which I took as a sign that they were meant to come home with me.  Which, naturally, did not make the hubby too happy.  My first attempt at repainting one of them was not so successful.  One chair wasn't in such good shape so it ended up in the trash, I think.  A couple sat around in the garage and eventually met the same end. 
But one chair remained.  This is what I did with it.  A few coats of paint to make it pretty.  The chenille pom-pom fabric is a remnant of an old bedspread that belonged to my grandma; I've had it for years and wasn't sure what to do with it, but of course I couldn't throw it away (I still have a good-sized piece left).  As far as recovering the seat, I didn't follow any instructions, I just got out my handy staple gun (love that thing!) and went to work.  I think it turned out all right.  There's another chair waiting for me at my mom's just begging for a makeover.  Stay tuned.