Me-Made-May 2021: A Pair of Shorts, a Shirt, and a Fail

On May 9, 2021 By tbudnik05In Apparel, Sewing & Crafts5 Comments

Me-Made-May is a way for sewists to celebrate, expand, and strengthen their understanding of their handmade wardrobes. I have new shorts and shirt to wear!

Detail of Avalon Shorts by Peach Patterns

Me-Made-May was started by Zoe of So, Zo…What Do You Know? From Zoe’s blog it is “a challenge designed to encourage people who make their own clothes to develop a better relationship with their handmade wardrobe.” While I am not ready to set my own challenge, I have been stitching a few pieces of apparel and have a lifetime goal of making more of my own clothing.

Making apparel is not a hobby for me. I don’t want to do it just to do it, no matter how many clothes I already have. (In contrast, I’ll make a quilt regardless of whether I need it or have someone to give it to!) Sewing clothing is more about aspiring to have a wardrobe that is well-intentioned—one that is filled with quality, versatile, and timeless pieces. I say “aspiring” because I am far from achieving this goal. I think I’m still figuring out “my style” and what works for my body shape and lifestyle.

Because I needed a palate-cleanser between finishing quilts, I bought some patterns and ordered some fabric while also digging out a pattern and fabric and already owned.

Front of Avalon Shorts by Peach Patterns

First, I made this pair of Avalon Shorts by Peach Patterns. The instructions are simple and I learned how to make a semi-circular side pocket. The pocket was so easy that I’m thinking maybe I could hack this kind of pocket into a pattern that doesn’t have them. Hmmm….

I tried to hack in a real drawstring, but, ah, I was way off with my buttonhole placement. Oops! Oh well! At least it’s on the inside of the waistband and now I know how to do buttonholes on my current sewing machine (I had never done them on this machine!).

The fabric is a linen-rayon blend and so the shorts have some swing to them. I’m excited to wear these shorts in the summer and see how I like them. Our spring has been stubborn—I feel like the warmer temperatures won’t stick around. The pattern is so simple that making more shorts would be easy.

Next, I had a fail. I bought this aqua linen-cotton blend because I love the color (it’s pretty much the background color for my Down the Rabbit Hole Quilt). I also have a couple of shirts in this kind of color and I like them. I ended up cutting the pattern a size or two too big. Once I had the side seams together, I tried it on and realized it was too big. And, the color makes it look like a medical scrub shirt. I don’t know enough to make adjustments to make it fit. And because I can’t get “scrub” out of my mind, I decided that I was not going to take the time to deconstruct it and re-cut a smaller size. Waaah!

Failed shirt. Beautiful pattern, but wrong size and not the best fabric.

I’m not going to tell you the pattern because I don’t want anyone thinking it was the pattern’s fault. It’s a good pattern! It was easy to follow! It is all my fault! But! All is not lost! I learned to sew a dart AND flat felled seams! Which, are two skills I’m happy to now have. Maybe once I have some time away from it, I’ll find better fabric, cut the right size, and have success.

Scout Tee by Grainline Studio from a thrifted dress.

Finally, I made my second Grainline Studio Scout Tee. I’ve made one before and liked not only the pattern, but the fit of the shirt. A couple of years ago, I thrifted this Old Navy XL rayon/viscose dress figuring I could use it to make something new. A Scout Tee was the perfect project for it and it worked! I’ll write up the details in a future post.

This is how sewing and making goes: you win some; you lose some. Without a few mistakes here and there and some wasted fabric, you just aren’t going to get better at sewing.

Tell me about the me-made pieces you’re wearing or what pieces you’re currently making!

How I Visibly Mended a Pair of Secondhand Jeans

On March 26, 2021 By tbudnik05In Mending, Sewing & Crafts3 Comments

Using a scrap of quilting cotton and pearl cotton thread, I reinforced and mended a thinning and fraying area of my secondhand jeans.

Remember the jeans I visibly hemmed? Well, I recently visibly mended them right at the seam on the upper thigh. I noticed that a twist in the seam allowance had created a thinning and fraying spot. As a person who has ripped her jeans in an embarrassing spot whilst wearing them before, I decided to take care of these jeans before an incident occurred. I chose to reinforce the area with a patch of woven cotton fabric on the inside using a Sashiko-like running stitch with pearl cotton.

Fraying and thinning area right at the seam

There wasn’t quite a hole, yet, and no mending to do per se, but with these being my—ahem—only pair of jeans that I can wear regularly, I wanted to be proactive. (Side note: Why is it so hard to find a pair of jeans that fit and fit comfortably? Hello, my third child is a little over a year old and I’ve spent a year staying at home as much as possible, thank you, pandemic. My body has capital-C changed. Also, WHY DO JEANS HAVE SO MUCH NON-COTTON FIBERS IN THEM?!? I get that a touch of stretch can make them comfortable, but when a quarter of the total fibers are not cotton, the fabric REALLY stretches. I’m already trying to find my new size, fiber content matters and is messing with my head!) Rant over—haha!

A small piece of quilting cotton for the patch

I simply pulled a scrap of quilting cotton from my stash and cut it to size. Then I finger-pressed a 1/4” hem around the edges of this patch (I eyeballed it since I put it inside the jeans—no one else will be eyeballing it!).

Then, I pin-basted it into place. My first stitches were around the hem. The raw edges of the patch are completely concealed and contained between the patch and the jeans, because I didn’t want to deal with the patch fraying.

Quite simply, I just did a running stitch zigzagging from side to side in between the perimeter stitches. Done and done. My stitching is inspired by the “visible mending” trend, some of which is based on Japanese Sashiko. I found a great website for learning more about the culture and the craft. Click over to Upcycle Stitches.

Stitched around the perimeter first to secure the raw edges of the patch.

I’ve worn and washed these jeans a few times and the patch and stitching have stayed in place. Also, the repair is very subtle. The white thread is perfect on the light wash. While I love the “visible mending” aesthetic, I’m not about to draw attention to my hips and thighs!

You can see the jeans have been mended, but it’s not bold.

So, what do you think? Have you visibly mended any clothing? Did you use a technique that worked really well? Have I missed anything here? Let me know! I read all the comments whether you write them the day I publish a post or 5 years after!

How I Visibly Hemmed a Pair of Secondhand Jeans

On January 27, 2021January 30, 2021 By tbudnik05In Sewing & Crafts4 Comments

I used sashiko-like stitching to hem a pair of thrifted jeans. The inseam now fits better and the jeans have a “visible mending” aesthetic.

I’ve had a pair of thrifted jeans that I didn’t like for a couple of years. They were too long (and bootcut, which exacerbates the annoyance of a too-long inseam—all that fabric just hanging around my ankles!). Alas, my post-third-baby and pandemic-life body fits these jeans and not many other pants. So, I figured I can’t make these jeans any worse, so why not try to hem them and make them marginally better?

Pinterest, a go-to for inspiration, didn’t have too much about visibly hemming pants. There are about a bazillion tutorials on how to hem jeans with the original hem, but for this project, I didn’t have the patience. I did find this inspiration: jeans with colorful stitching to hold a cuff in place. I wasn’t interested in a cuff as much as just shortening the legs of my jeans.

*The before: just a thrifted pair of bootcut jeans showing a little wear.*

I dived right into this project by first cutting off the original hem. Because of the bootcut silhouette and my annoyance at the excessive fabric around my ankles, removing the hem got rid of some of that heft.

*Removed the original hem to lose the extra weight/fabric.*

Then, I folded up the pantlegs to a length I liked. I had been doing this when I wore them anyway. Anyone else despise how a cuff like this will catch anything and everything? I’ve taken my pants off at the end of the day to find bits of dried leaves and grass and dirt hiding in the cuffs!

*A perfect fit requires just putting the jeans on!*

I held the hem in place with some clips and broke out a needle and some pearl cotton thread. I went to town with a running stitch along the folded-up hem, securing the fabric in place. It gives the hem a sashiko stitch look and a nod to the visible mending trend (which is what I was going for second to shortening the length).

*Visibly hemmed jeans with a running stitch.*

Overall? The pants are still not my favorite. But, they are better than what they were! Plus, I got some practice hand stitching and felt a sense of accomplishment getting a small project started and completed (hard to do with a one-year-old crawling around!). I’ve washed the jeans and there is some fraying where I cut off the original hem. But, it’s nothing just a little snipping of loose threads here and there can’t fix.

*After one wash. A little bit of fraying, but not too bad.*

Have you ever taken a chance on altering a piece of clothing you felt “meh” about? Did you like it better afterwards? Let me know!

Unfussy Instructions for Sewing a Standard Pillowcase

On September 12, 2020 By tbudnik05In Sewing & Crafts1 Comment

My easy instructions for making pillowcases means you can have a lot of different designs to choose from every time you change sheets. It’s fun for everyone, especially kiddos.

One of my favorite things is having fun pillowcases to choose from every time I change the sheets. I recently made pillowcases for my older kiddos for Christmas (yes, I had to get started this early). Because they’re easy to make, why not have a lot of different patterns or give in to your kids’ 6-month obsession with whatever television character?

I’m not fussy about my home décor and how I make my standard pillowcases is equally unfussy. Admittedly, I inherited my “lots of fun pillowcases” philosophy from my quilter-sewist mom. (She started my collection.) So, I had a sense of how to make one myself since I’ve watched her make them before. But, the instructions I’m providing are my own—made from simply measuring whatever pillow was on my bed at the time, measuring one of her pillowcases, and doing my best with limited space for cutting large swaths of fabric!

First and foremost, per Google, a standard pillow measures 26”L x 20”H. The pillowcase should be a wee bit higher and a wee bit longer. A Google search shows that a standard pillowcase is 30”L x 20”H. But, remember we are working with pillows. Pillows are squishy. Standard pillows are for sleeping, not for decoration (like a throw pillow). So, if your pillowcase ends up a bit too small, you can just squish the pillow in. If they pillowcase is a bit too big, well, it’ll just be a bit loose on the pillow.

To start, select 2 coordinating cotton woven fabrics about 45” wide. One will be for the main part of the pillowcase (Fabric A) and one for the accent (Fabric B). Fabric A needs ¾ yard. Fabric B needs 1/3 yard. Honestly, just get 1 yard of Fabric A and ½ yard of Fabric B. Any extras you can just toss into your scrap pile or add to your stash—who doesn’t want extra fabric to play with? Plus, while 25” + 11” = 36”, a yard, you must remember that a yard is not a yard of fabric. One of the reasons I prewash is that it helps to show just how un-square the cut is. Washing fabric will shrink it, even slightly. Once you fold the fabric straight, you’ll see that the cut edges are not square and that once you square the fabric, you’re most definitely not left with whatever length you asked for. You’ll lose a few inches.

Cut Fabric A 25” by the width of the fabric (WOF). Cut Fabric B 11” by the WOF. Trim off the selvedge.

Fold Fabric B in half with wrong sides together (so the right side is showing) and press.

Pin and stitch Fabric A and B together along the WOF, right sides together, raw edges together. Finish the seam with a zigzag stitch or a French seam. (See below for YouTube French seam tutorial video.)

Here’s where the unfussy comes in: if there are any differences in the lengths between Fabric A and B, just square it up and trim off the extra fabric after they’re stitched together. This is where you’ll get your little bit too small or little bit too big measurements. It’s okay! Trust me! Perfection is overrated anyway.

What the length difference looks like in real life. Notice the pink leaf fabric is longer than the accent fabric.

Next, fold the fabric in half with the right sides together and then stitch the long sides together and finish that seam (zigzag stitch, French seam).

Finally, stitch the short sides together with the right sides together and finish that seam. Turn it right side out and you’re done!

You have my permission to put it on your pillow immediately and just take a short little snooze to test it out.

Here is the French seam tutorial I watched to learn how to do them. It’s a nifty technique that’s great to have in your sewing repertoire.

Update! August’s Goal: Sew Pillowcases

On August 12, 2020 By tbudnik05In Sewing & Crafts3 Comments

It’s time to give an update on August’s One Monthly Goal Link-Up by Elm Street Quilts, because I did it! The pillowcases are done!

Here is how I broke down this project:

cut the main and accent pieces–DONE

fold and iron the accent/end pieces in half–DONE

pin and stitch the accent pieces to the main pieces–DONE
pin and stitch the long ends together–DONE
pin and stitch the short sides together–DONE!!!

Honestly, I thought it would take me a lot longer than it did. Alas, having my sewing machine set up 24/7 really helped because it meant I DID NOT need a big chunk of time to work on the pillowcases. I took advantage of my kids’ quiet time and a smidgen of time after the kiddos were in bed.

This pattern is my own, based on just measuring a standard pillow and pillowcase. There are a few unfussy tricks I use to make it super easy to stitch together. I’m going to write a tutorial post soon, so stay tuned.

T-Bud Co. Creative

Category: Sewing & Crafts