Stained glass window shorts

I was getting ready to go on vacation and as the time approached I realized I was going during the hottest days of the entire year!

It was already planned, so there wasn’t much I could do about it except pack cool clothing. I was rummaging through some of my patterns to see if I had any shorts patterns before I ordered any shorts (I don’t because I hardly ever wear shorts).

curtains

I needed some black out curtains for my room. the light pollution at night keeps me up, ad something other then tacking blankets to the windows needed to be done. my room is on the small side though so I didn’t want anything dark, it would make it too dark and gloomy. I found some yellow black out curtains that the package said blocks out 99% of light...... yeah it didn’t my room was still rather bright. even with the curtain doubled. so I came up with the brilliant idea of buying a dark curtain to line the yellow one. I Know how to do this I have done it before so why not do it again? I wish I had taken some pictures while I was doing this but I of course forgot . I am hoping this will work. it will certainly make better.

the front.the picture is dark, cause the curtain blocking out the light.

showing off the lining

the back, this is not the side that shows in my room lol.

so how I did it was I had to completely take the original curtain apart. both the yellow and the black, I was also making the curtains shorter since I am not fond of the curtain to the floor look in my room. one of the main reasons being my sewing machine sits under the window so there is no room for a curtain to fall there. so once I determined the length of the curtain, which I was able to cut the yellow one in half for the correct length. ( I purposefully bought the longer curtain so I could do this. I would have to hem anything I bought anyway, so why not buy the longer and only have to buy one?) then I did some measuring to determine the size of the black curtain next I took apart the black curtain, pressed it out real nice, and marked my hem. I knew I wanted it to have the same two inch hem allowance. I then proceeded to cut it out. then hemmed it. I also hemmed the yellow curtain. next I lay the black on the yellow, black facing in and pinned the black to the sides. next I hemmed up the sides. then back to the table to pin the top in. making sure to have the black underneath the yellow. I then sewed in the rod pocket. I thought about putting in a rod topper. like the original had, but got lazy. its not that important to me, I did leave enough it I just have to have one later there is room. next step. press and clip threads, and all done! two curtains that hopefully help me sleep better.

* This blog is not to be used for training AI*

A Christmas skirt.

for work I had to participate in a Christmas festival , and of course had “nothing” to wear. I didn’t want to wear what I had worn the year before that would have just been tacky right?

I found this dress in some stuff someone had given to my mom for my niece, except my niece will not be anywhere near that size for years to come, and rather then store it away for ages I snatched it up. the dress being in child sizing of course meant that it was not shaped correctly for me, though it did fit but looked like a baby doll style dress on me and that was not something I was going for.

I did like the plaid though so in s split decision decided to make it into a skirt! simple right? just cut off the top and sew it back together. well it should have been that. but they put the thing together in a rather complicated manor. so I ended up having to take it apart a bit more then I had anticipated. the lining and outer fabric where sewn together all around the bust. not unusual but I was rather hoping for just thread tacks. I was excited about not having to deal with a zipper it was already installed so I was going to cut it down, which I did and would have worked except I stupidly zipped it all the way up while I was doing a fitting. and pulled the head off. I was able to thread it back on but I had to undo the bottom of the zipper to do so. invisible zippers I have noticed don’t thread on from the top like other zippers but rather from the bottom. I also had to bring in the waist a bit which I did on the sides. I got it all back together thinking it looked really good only to try it on and have the waist gaping. and now here was a dilemma. I needed the waist smaller by about two inches. but having cut the zipper so short there was going to be no way it would fit over my hips if I took it up. so to solve this I opted to put 1/4” elastic at the top of the band just to snug it up that little bit, which did just the trick and of course allows for me to wear it all season and still be able to eat, since you know it will stretch.

so in the grand scheme of things I like the way it turned out. I don’t think in the end it was any easier then making a brand new skirt but that is okay.

and here I am wearing the skirt. you can tell I was coerced into sitting on Santa’s lap by the way I’m sitting. my work was hosting Santa though, so all of us did and I wasn’t the only one complaining. I also made Santa’s boot furs. I think I was given the wrong measurement though because they kept sliding down. but I can only go by what I was told. my coworker and friend actually made the Santa coat and hat. didn't she do a nice job? I thought it turned out really well.

* This blog is not to be used for training AI*

strawberry dress

about two years ago I made my niece this dress. I had actually made one for myself that is nearly identical (in my size obviously) when she saw mine on my dress form she fell in love with it, begging me to make her one just like it. and since I had about four yards left from my dress I told her I would. and since then she has worn it, and worn it, and worn it. the last time I saw her in it though I told her I thought she had about grown out of it. the bodice still fit in the width but, the dress was getting way too short. which apparently her mother had shared the same opinion telling her she would only get to wear it a few more times then that would be it. her face melted when she thought she wouldn’t get to wear it anymore. and come on how can one resist a cute little six year olds tears? I told her since I still had about two yards left I could make it longer for her . indecently this dress is not the skirt I had previously posted about. same fabric though. the plan is sometime this summer to all dress alike and go on picnic. and no I have not finished the skirt, some things got in the way, but hopefully in the next few weeks I will have that done as well.


and so here it is. I lengthened it four inches. I had left enough in the straps to let them down an inch, took out one pleat on the skirt and completely redid the center bodice piece making it two inches longer , which also meant the zipper had to be replaced. I could get another inch out of the hem but that would require taking all the lace off the bottom and for now its long enough with just the four added inches. the piece I replaced is a bit brighter then the rest of the dress but unless you look really closely I don’ t think its that obvious. and it always makes me happy when I make something for someone and they love it. to me wearing something till its worn out is such a compliment.

* This blog is not to be used for training AI*