The Pledge Ends

My Wardrobe Refashion pledge ended on Friday. I've got to be honest with you. The last week was a total fail. Not only did I not refashion anything. I went shopping! I have an excuse. You may make your own minds up as to whether it is a good one. They were turning the power off in our village to do some work for the whole day on Thursday so mum suggested that we spend the day out of the house shopping. A girl can't let her mum down out can she? I know I am supposed to feel bad but then I look at the pretty new things in my wardrobe and well, I don't. I always said that I wasn't entering into the pledge in entirely the right spirit. However it has not I hope been a total waste of time. I have tried out some new techniques, made a few clothes wearable again and learnt not to pass up that huge skirt or dress in a pretty fabric in the charity shop. It can be altered or the fabric used for another project. I am also trying to change my attitude to shopping. Buying more expensive and better quality wardrobe essentials that will see me through every season rather than falling apart or going out of fashion after one.

Now let me display the shame I am meant to feel with a get out of jail free card.

Week Eight Refashions

I've been on fire this week (compared to the last few weeks at least). Not only have I completed my reasonably happy mistake top, I have done two refashions and sewn a slip from scratch.
Behold.

I picked up this skirt in my charity shopping spree just before the start of my pledge for £1.

Top Dorothy Perkins
Skirt Refashioned by Me
Socks Boots
Shoes New Look
Short Necklace Vintage from my Grandmother
Long Necklace 'Do You Love Me?' Made by Me

All it needed was a good ironing and a significant amount hacked off the hem to make it a cute high waisted floral skirt. The hem is pretty wonky as I did this refashion in just half and hour. Luckily it doesn't notice when I'm wearing it as far as I can tell.

This is another item that I picked up in my spree. It was £4 from Sense. Originally St. Michaels (or M & S).

Dress Refashioned by Me
Necklace Scissors charm on silver chain
Shoes Dorothy Perkins

I removed the shoulder pads, rehemmed it a lot shorter and ruched the sleeves by sewing three lines of running stitch in them (two at the top and one under the arm), gathering them and then sewing in place by hand. I also added another eyelet to the belt. It wasn't really needed by I just wanted to find out how to do it. This is my favourite refashion that I have done so far.

I also made myself this slip. It is specifically designed to go under this dress as the front always rides up on my tights. I decided it would be a good time to practice a new technique...

...That is a french seam people. One area where my sewing has improved a lot since I first started is the neatness on the 'unseen' parts of garments. I used to not even bother turning the hem over twice and how spend half my time cutting loose fibers out of my earlier projects.

Week Seven Refashions

I bought this blue jumper, seen here, from a charity shop around christmas time. I thought that the beading was christmasy, which it was, I wore it to our christmas family gathering but post christmas it wasn't getting a lot of wear so I took all the beading off with my trusty stitch unpick and now I have a plain electric blue jumper. I put in a blue hair piece, just seen in my pony tail, to match. Probably should have like brushed my hair and put some make up on or something before taking a picture.

Jumper Originally charity shop, Refashioned by Me
Jeggings Dorothy Perkins
Necklace 'Peas in a Pod' Made by Me, to feature in a up coming jewellery post
Hair Piece Claire's Accessories

Still haven't finshed the top I was working on last week. Life has been getting in the way of sewing recently. With under 2 weeks left of my Wardrobe Refashion pledge I can't see myself achieving my aim of reducing my stash in any significant way, especially with all the old floral sheets and duvet covers I keep picking up in charity shops. The pledge has however given me the opportunity to reflect on my shopping and consumption habits. Shopping is definitely a bigger part of my life than I had realised. In fact I cheated a little this week buying underwear and shoes on a shopping trip with my best friend as those items are 'allowed'.

Week Six Refashions / What I'm Working On

Actually there are no refashions this week but I am working on a 'from scratch' project. Huberta models a little preview below. I made the pattern myself based on this top, though I changed the neckline, and all the fabric I used is scraps from other projects. I actually had a bit of a problem with the fabric but everything turned out well in the end. I originally intended to make the top entirely from the grey fabric until I realsied that no matter how I laid out the pattern I wasn't going to have enough. I considered giving up on the whole thing for a while before having the idea of cutting the front of the pattern into strips and using a second fabric. It turned out much better than I expected, much more interesting than a plain grey top. I will add a picture which will hopefully show more clearly what I did once the top is finished. To finish it I still need to hem the bottom and bind the neck and arm holes. I am going to make my own bias binding for the first time!

Week Five Refashions

Week five of my pledge and I have to admit that temptation has been setting in. A few 'I have nothing to wear moments' and I find myself surfing the online stores of high street shops that helpfully send me weekly e-mails filled with tempting offers and new stock of nude tones and foral dresses. I also find that my currents tights obsession extends to socks. The things I would do for a frilly pair of of socks...

Um... Anyway this weeks refashions.

I've never really liked this top. I can't understand why I bought it or never gave it away. I don't get the whole short sleeves on a jumper concept and that cowl neck does not work for me. Cowl necks have never worked for me. Seriously what was I thinking?

Perhaps deep down I knew that it had potential. I cut it right down the front and then added satin bias binding to stop the edges unraveling and for a bit of interest (and because they didn't have plain black in stock). So now it is a short sleeved black cardigan/gilet type thing. Probably still not the most wearable item in my wardrobe but it is an improvement.

It can be pinned closed using some of my vast collection of brooches.

Cardigan Refashioned by Me, originally it might have been Dorothy Perkins I think

Brooch Charity Shop

T-Shirt New Look

Jeggings Dorothy Perkins

Shoes New Look

This second refashion was more of an experiment. I don't think I'll wear it but I will definitely try out the idea with a different fabric.

I'd wanted to try out this gilet that Yoshimi posted on burdastyle and her blog, yoshimi the flying squirrel, for ages. It is just a length of material with a hole cut in the middle. So when I accepted that an old woolen dress no longer deserved space in my wardrobe I decided to use the fabric to make one.

Gilet Made by Me, fabric from a Miss Selfridge dress
T-Shirt New Look
Jeggings Dorothy Perkins
Boots Jane Shilton

I didn't have as much fabric as the original dimensions call for. Mine is about 150cm in length and 45cm wide. The hole of my arms is 30cm in diameter leaving 5cm at the neck and 10cm at the back. When I make it again I should like to use a piece of fabric with greater width so that i can have more fabric at the neck and the back more like the original. The main reason I am unlikely to wear it though is something that can't really be seen on the photos. I needed to finish the cut out arm hole somehow as the fabric was streching too much and starting to fray. There was no way my machine was going to sew this knit so I trid hand sewing a hem around the edge of the hole but I really couldn't get it neat so I gave up a went for a deliberately messy blanket stitch. It gives it a very 'handmade' look that I personally don't like. Next time I make this I will make it in a fabric that I know my machine can sew.

Thats all the refashioning for this week. I need to get a move on if I want to make a significant dent in my stash before my pledge is up.

And for what is it worth this is my two cents on the recent news that Wardrobe Refashion will be charging a subscription fee in near future. I afraid that like so many others I will not be using the site after the fee is introduced. The concept and so much of the site is inspiring to me (though not always that useful as I don't have children and am younger than the majority of readers) and I would like to thank Nikki for all the hard work that she has put into the site and for showcasing the benefits of refashioning. I don't want it seem like I am criticising her personally as I am sure she has put a great deal of work into the site and can understand why she feels it can no longer continue in its current formet. I can see myself taking a similar pledge in the future but in my own way. I won't be paying when they are so many similar sites that are free or mostly free; burdastyle, cut out + keep, threadbanger and of course so many of the blogs out there. Yes I expect a lot of the content on the internet to be free but that's because it is. That is the reality of the free market folks.

Week Four Refashions

Other than the shoes I posted earlier in the week there are none :(
I was struck down by a flu type virus mid week and then progress on the job search front, i.e. I got one, meant that I've spent the rest of the week reading contracts and independence policies. I do have a number of small unfinished projects languishing in a heap in my room which I hope to finish next week. The good news is that once I'm done with all this paperwork the job doesn't start until September so I should have loads of free time for sewing and crafting, and, oh yeah, relocating. I am flying the nest! My new job won't be taking me too far away. In fact the mothership is calling me home yet again. I shall be returning to Essex. Birth place, family seat, university county and Global Xchange location. I shall never escape.

Shoe Refashions

This week I went to town with a black permanent marker to refashion some shoes.

I forgot to take a before picture (again) but previously the now black parts around the sole of these trainers were white. Over time and wear they had turned to a nasty orange/brown colour. I would normally have just thrown them away but I bought these shoes when I was in Australia when I was 17 and they hold some good memories. Plus they are super comfortable. The black parts are a bit too shiny at the moment but I hope they will tone down with wear.

My favourite pair of party shoes. They are surprisingly comfortable for their height although I can't last the night in them like I used to, need more practice! Sadly after a few scrapes the metal on the heels was showing a lot of wear with unsightly copper bits showing.

So out came the black marker. I thought it would rub straight off the metal but it has stayed on perfect, even in the rain. I am feeling rather pleased with myself.

Week Three Refashion

Refashion this week rather than refashions. I suppose this refashion took slightly more work than the last ones but I don't really know where this week has gone.

Remember this skirt from my charity shopping spree? I said I was going to totally remake it. Gather it onto a high waistband and shorten it. Well that is exactly what I did. See the results below.

Vest Top Shop

Skirt Refashioned by Me

Shoes Dorothy Perkins

I cut off the original waistband and then used the fabric left to make a completely new skirt. I roughly followed Nayantara’s Quick Party Skirt tutorial on burdastyle which I have used before but I made a few changes. The measurements used are different. The waistband is smaller and the skirt is more than twice the size of my waist so there is some serious gathering going on but it works because it is such a light weight fabric. In addition I used a lapped zip rather than an invisible one. I should have used a heavier interfacing on the wasitband because it tends to get scrunched up when I sit down but other than that I'm really pleased with it.

Week Two Refashions

Three very quick and easy refashions this week. Yep even easier than rehemming two dresses last week.

I bought this skirt in a bazaar in Kazakhstan. It was very cheap and that was reflected in the construction. It lasted out my Kazakh summer, just, but by the time I got it home all the shirring at the waist was starting to unravel.

We have an appearance by my cat Tippy in this photo. She is 15 this year.

To fix it I cut off the old shirred waistband and created a new elasticated one. It makes the skirt shorter but I can live with that.

Perhaps not strictly a wardrobe refashion but a refashion none the less and jewellery is as much a part of a girls wardrobe as clothes are as far as I'm concerned. This necklace was a gift which I loved but found difficult to wear because of the length. It was one of those necklaces were the pendant keeps disappearing down your cleavage.

I took my wire cutters to it and after adding jump rings to the rose and the other pendant I have three necklaces!

Finally one of those jersey necklaces/scarf everyone has been making. I roughly followed this tutorial on Cut Out and Keep. The material is the bottom of this previous t-shirt refashion.

Charity Shopping Spree

Just before my Wardrobe Refashion pledge started I went on a spree around the charity shops of my university town. Here I present my finds.

Brooch from Sense, £1. I like how the portrait doesn't look like a traditional European lady but Indian maybe instead.

Mens grey jumper from the PDSA, £3. I was going to refashion this into a cardigan but when I tried it on I actually liked it as it was.

Marks & Spencer polka dot dress £4 from Sense. I've already taken the shoulder pads out and I'm going to shorten it. I might try and do something with the sleeves. I haven't decided if I'm brave enough yet. Never done sleeves.

Skirt £1.50 from Sense. Obviously it is far too big for me but I really liked the floral fabric. Going to totally remake it. It will be gathered onto a high waistband and shortened.

The best thing about my spree is that one charity shop in aid of Arthritis Research was having a special one day sale in which all clothing was £1. I rushed around picking up all sorts of stuff that I liked the look of. Surprsingly to me most of it actually fitted when I tried it on back at home and doesn't need that much refashioning.

Skirt originally from River Island. I'm guessing it must be pretty old as there is no way River Island would be seen dead selling this nowdays. I love the print, so into girly florals at the moment, the high waist and the pearly buttons. All it needs to be perfect is a much shorter hemline. I don't know what I'll do with the fabric I take off.

Awful long elasticated Laura Ashley skirt. I liked the patterned silk fabric though, close up below. I'm going to try and turn it into a shift dress.

Another skirt that just needs a shorter hemline. I love the pleated swingy goodness of it. Just look at now it is moving in the photo.

Large black lace shirt. I haven't decided yet whether to refashion this or leave it as is.

Polka dot top. I don't like the neckline of this top. Going to try and refashion it into a vest I hope.

Floral shirt originally from Next. I so want to make a high waisted demin pair of shorts or skirt to wear with this.

Beige cardigan originally BHS. This is my take on the boyfriend cardigans that are around at the moment. Loose fitting but it doesn't come down to my thighs which can be really unflattering on my pear shape and the pearly buttons girlify it. Already worn this for a Sunday lunch with the family.

Oh I forgot the jeans in these photos are a new pair of straight legs from Gap. Love them. More flattering than skinnies I think. Bought before the pledge started obviously.

Week One Refashions

Got off to a reasonably good start with my pledge. First I dug out this dress I made from the Burdastyle Anda pattern back in March last year. I always felt it was a bit frumpy and I didn't like the sleeves which were too long. To refashion it I took some length off the hem and shortened the shoulder seams by adding some thin elastic about half the length of the seams to gather them up. It's still not perfect. If I make this pattern again I am definitely going to try to reduce the size of the bodice and do something with the sleeves.

Close up of the gathering on the shoulder seams.

I think it looks better when the pattern is broken up with a belt.

My second refashion was a knee length dress from River Island. I got it in a sale and loved its details but the length was very unflattering on me. I forgot to take a before picture but remembered as I was cutting the hem so decided to take a picture then to show how much length I was taking off.

After.

Wardrobe Refashion

I'm jumping on the bandwagon and signing up for a two month pledge on wardrobe refashion. For those of you that don't know about the site here is some blurb,

"Wardrobe Refashion is a community which has had an online presence since early 2006. Based in Melbourne, Australia, owner Nichola Prested started up the site after deciding to quit buying new manufactured clothing in a bid to do her part for the planet, save money and improve her sewing skills. Participants of the blog pledge to abstain from the purchase of new manufactured clothing for the period of 2, 4, 6 months or LIFE. They pledge to refashion, renovate, and recycle preloved items with their own hands in fabric, yarn or other medium or make their own from scratch. Those who fall off the wagon must confess on the blog by displaying a ‘Get out of Refashionista Jail FREE’ card."

And a link, http://nikkishell.typepad.com/wardroberefashion/

And here is my pledge

I Catherine pledge that I shall abstain from the purchase of "new" manufactured items of clothing, for the period of 2 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, renovoted, recycled, crafted or created item of clothing on the Wardrobe Refashion blog, so that others may share the joy that thy thriftiness brings!
Signed Catherine.



Now, I do fear that I may not be taking the pledge in completely the right spirit. The fact is that I love shopping and I love new clothes. All my good intentions about fair trade, anti-sweat shop and sustainable clothing have as yet failed to materialise into any action other than an avoidance of Primark. I actually timed my pledge so that it didn't fall over the January sales or my birthday in May. Both prime clothes buying events. The reason I have signed up is explained below.

This is my stash and I have added to it since. It is taking up a significant corner of my bedroom. On top of this I have a folder bursting with designs and a load of dress patterns that have not yet been touched. I have taken the pledge because what I need is the motivation to get some projects finished. Hopefully one a week.

Wish me luck x