Yesterday, I worked on the Harley Davidson overalls. I added wings to the back pockets. Sounds easy, right? I took the pockets off, which means that I picked through industrial stitching with my little seam ripper, one by one, two by two, taking great care not to tear the fabric of the overalls themselves. I cut the wings out of the bandanna, leaving a bit of fabric on the edges to provide a base for the machine appliqué. I basted the wings on the pockets, did the machine satin stitching, added some decorative trim to the pockets to girlyfie them, then put the pockets back on the overalls, matching the top stitching on the overalls. This took about 2 hours. It was a tedious process, but the end result is worth it.
Next, I added a Harley Davidson shield to the back of the overalls. I'm not 100% happy with the way it looks, so I am going to fine tune it today. I also took off the tag on the side of the jeans that was a decorative item before I started the redesign. The original tag is still inside the overalls, so the manufacturer is visible.
Last, I added a fray checking solution to the machine appliqued edges.
Today, I work on the shield on the back and start the leg ruffles. I may finish this project today. I haven't decided on a price yet, but I believe it's going to be a really nice outfit when I'm done!
Monday, August 18, 2008
The overalls are done and here they are
Here they are, all done and ready to put on eBay. I started them at $35 as I'm never sure how much things like this will go for. I think they turned out pretty good!
Now to the frugal part - The patch on the bib was about $2. The vinyl is a small piece of a bigger piece I have that I use on Harley Davidson Christmas stockings. The bandannas I used for the embellishment are some I bought in bulk a long time ago to make potholders, which I have posted before. The trim was some I had from a yard sale that I've been saving. It's extremely old, but in very good shape, so why not use it? The overalls themselves were either free or about $2; I can't remember. I spent about 6 hours sewing and designing (designing mostly as I fall asleep at night, for real!), and loved every minute of it. It was fun deciding where to place what, how to problem-solve, and how to finish them off. It would be easy to go even more overboard than I did, but I felt like it was time to stop with the ruffles.
Get to work! Find something you can remake.
Those HD overalls
Yesterday, I worked on the Harley Davidson overalls. I added wings to the back pockets. Sounds easy, right? I took the pockets off, which means that I picked through industrial stitching with my little seam ripper, one by one, two by two, taking great care not to tear the fabric of the overalls themselves. I cut the wings out of the bandanna, leaving a bit of fabric on the edges to provide a base for the machine appliqué. I basted the wings on the pockets, did the machine satin stitching, added some decorative trim to the pockets to girlyfie them, then put the pockets back on the overalls, matching the top stitching on the overalls. This took about 2 hours. It was a tedious process, but the end result is worth it.
Next, I added a Harley Davidson shield to the back of the overalls. I'm not 100% happy with the way it looks, so I am going to fine tune it today. I also took off the tag on the side of the jeans that was a decorative item before I started the redesign. The original tag is still inside the overalls, so the manufacturer is visible.
Last, I added a fray checking solution to the machine appliqued edges.
Today, I work on the shield on the back and start the leg ruffles. I may finish this project today. I haven't decided on a price yet, but I believe it's going to be a really nice outfit when I'm done!
Next, I added a Harley Davidson shield to the back of the overalls. I'm not 100% happy with the way it looks, so I am going to fine tune it today. I also took off the tag on the side of the jeans that was a decorative item before I started the redesign. The original tag is still inside the overalls, so the manufacturer is visible.
Last, I added a fray checking solution to the machine appliqued edges.
Today, I work on the shield on the back and start the leg ruffles. I may finish this project today. I haven't decided on a price yet, but I believe it's going to be a really nice outfit when I'm done!
The overalls are done and here they are
Here they are, all done and ready to put on eBay. I started them at $35 as I'm never sure how much things like this will go for. I think they turned out pretty good!
Now to the frugal part - The patch on the bib was about $2. The vinyl is a small piece of a bigger piece I have that I use on Harley Davidson Christmas stockings. The bandannas I used for the embellishment are some I bought in bulk a long time ago to make potholders, which I have posted before. The trim was some I had from a yard sale that I've been saving. It's extremely old, but in very good shape, so why not use it? The overalls themselves were either free or about $2; I can't remember. I spent about 6 hours sewing and designing (designing mostly as I fall asleep at night, for real!), and loved every minute of it. It was fun deciding where to place what, how to problem-solve, and how to finish them off. It would be easy to go even more overboard than I did, but I felt like it was time to stop with the ruffles.
Get to work! Find something you can remake.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Loose ends...done
Wow, I can't believe I did it. I finished a fairly big project yesterday. I'm planning a yard/craft sale for 9/20. Having decided that, I decided also to make a slew of potholders and bibs. I've been working on 12 potholders and 5 bibs production style - doing the appliqué work, putting them together, machine quilting them, adding the binding (both machine and by hand), and then adding finishing touches finally yesterday (hanging loops for the potholders and closures for the bibs). I can't believe they're finally done! Now what?
I'm not one to be without a sewing project, so last night, I took apart a pair of Polo overalls (kid sized) and started designing a girl's Harley Davidson theme. This morning, I added a leather (vinyl) strip to the front bib pocket and a Harley shield emblem on top of that. I put the pocket back on. Now my plan is to add a shield to the back (from a bandanna) and then the ruffles on the legs. The ruffles will be Harley bandanna fabric alternating with flames fabric. Those will most likely go for sale on eBay as I wouldn't expect to make any money on them at a yard sale. I have about 10 pair of overalls to work on and have thousands of ideas. Strawberry Shortcake, firemen, dogs, Christmas, etc., etc., etc. I wish I could do it all!
I've also been collecting black Christmas fabrics. With that and the "leather," I'll be making Harley Davidson Christmas stockings. I'd like to have a few done for the yard/craft sale, but they may be online items instead.
Lastly, I'm planning some blouses for winter. I've lost a considerable amount of weight and, darn the luck, can't wear a lot of what I wore last winter. I have some kicky prints and some fun patterns to play with. I want to do a couple of block tops and maybe a block T-dress (I found an old one I had that I can use as a pattern).
I sew every day. Do you? It makes me feel right.
I'm not one to be without a sewing project, so last night, I took apart a pair of Polo overalls (kid sized) and started designing a girl's Harley Davidson theme. This morning, I added a leather (vinyl) strip to the front bib pocket and a Harley shield emblem on top of that. I put the pocket back on. Now my plan is to add a shield to the back (from a bandanna) and then the ruffles on the legs. The ruffles will be Harley bandanna fabric alternating with flames fabric. Those will most likely go for sale on eBay as I wouldn't expect to make any money on them at a yard sale. I have about 10 pair of overalls to work on and have thousands of ideas. Strawberry Shortcake, firemen, dogs, Christmas, etc., etc., etc. I wish I could do it all!
I've also been collecting black Christmas fabrics. With that and the "leather," I'll be making Harley Davidson Christmas stockings. I'd like to have a few done for the yard/craft sale, but they may be online items instead.
Lastly, I'm planning some blouses for winter. I've lost a considerable amount of weight and, darn the luck, can't wear a lot of what I wore last winter. I have some kicky prints and some fun patterns to play with. I want to do a couple of block tops and maybe a block T-dress (I found an old one I had that I can use as a pattern).
I sew every day. Do you? It makes me feel right.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Yard sales
I go to yard sales almost every Saturday. I go for specific items and sometimes I find them, other times I don't. What I also find, without fail, is a person or three selling their sewing machine and their sewing "stuff."
This year alone, I've purchased a Featherweight (Singer) and an Elna at yard sales. Combined, I spent less than $50 on those two machines. I had the Featherweight serviced and it's running like new. The Elna came running like a top. Both were machines of the person having the sale's mothers. It makes me wonder where mom is, why isn't she sewing anymore, and why the daughters didn't want to keep the machines and do some sewing of their own. Are people too busy now? Do they see sewing as a chore? Was it something they saw their moms do that seemed like work and not pleasure?
That's our secret - sewing is very much a pleasure. It's the thing *I* do - and I love the time I spend with my machine. Nancy, of Nancy's Notions and Sewing with Nancy, said to sew something every day. I believe it was suggested that even if it was only 5 minutes, try to sew something every day. I do try, but some days, I just don't make it.
Back to the yard sales! Today, like every other Saturday, I rummaged through a box of this and that - rick-rack, snaps, old threads, snips, hooks and eyes, ribbons, laces, and untold other treasures. There were two more sewing baskets next to this box, but I didn't go through those. I just knew I would end up buying it all and trying to figure out what to do with it, and my budget today didn't include sewing items. But as I handled the items in the box, I wondered what project this and that were from. I wondered who bought them and how they saved the money to do so. I wondered why the daughter of that someone was now selling these items and didn't she see the value? I'd say that she didn't. She probably didn't sew a stitch herself, and there are more people like that than I'll ever know.
I guess the bottom line is, sewing just isn't everyone's thing! Go figure.
My license plate says I <3 SEWING (the <3 is really an upright heart that I painted with borrowed fingernail polish!). I get comments all the time from people and today, an older woman got a kick out of it. She was at the same yard sale. When I left, she was going through the very same box of sewing supplies.
Yard sales are a treasure trove of notions and fabrics, and sewing machines. It's a truly frugal outing and sometimes, just sometimes, you can pick up a piece of sewing history and make something new and beautiful with it.
P.S. I've never bought rick-rack new. I've been fortunate enough to pick up a box full here and there at yard sales!
This year alone, I've purchased a Featherweight (Singer) and an Elna at yard sales. Combined, I spent less than $50 on those two machines. I had the Featherweight serviced and it's running like new. The Elna came running like a top. Both were machines of the person having the sale's mothers. It makes me wonder where mom is, why isn't she sewing anymore, and why the daughters didn't want to keep the machines and do some sewing of their own. Are people too busy now? Do they see sewing as a chore? Was it something they saw their moms do that seemed like work and not pleasure?
That's our secret - sewing is very much a pleasure. It's the thing *I* do - and I love the time I spend with my machine. Nancy, of Nancy's Notions and Sewing with Nancy, said to sew something every day. I believe it was suggested that even if it was only 5 minutes, try to sew something every day. I do try, but some days, I just don't make it.
Back to the yard sales! Today, like every other Saturday, I rummaged through a box of this and that - rick-rack, snaps, old threads, snips, hooks and eyes, ribbons, laces, and untold other treasures. There were two more sewing baskets next to this box, but I didn't go through those. I just knew I would end up buying it all and trying to figure out what to do with it, and my budget today didn't include sewing items. But as I handled the items in the box, I wondered what project this and that were from. I wondered who bought them and how they saved the money to do so. I wondered why the daughter of that someone was now selling these items and didn't she see the value? I'd say that she didn't. She probably didn't sew a stitch herself, and there are more people like that than I'll ever know.
I guess the bottom line is, sewing just isn't everyone's thing! Go figure.
My license plate says I <3 SEWING (the <3 is really an upright heart that I painted with borrowed fingernail polish!). I get comments all the time from people and today, an older woman got a kick out of it. She was at the same yard sale. When I left, she was going through the very same box of sewing supplies.
Yard sales are a treasure trove of notions and fabrics, and sewing machines. It's a truly frugal outing and sometimes, just sometimes, you can pick up a piece of sewing history and make something new and beautiful with it.
P.S. I've never bought rick-rack new. I've been fortunate enough to pick up a box full here and there at yard sales!