Black and White and Vest All Over

Hello Readers. Do you like vests? They come in handy sometimes when it's cold. They are an extra layer for warmth but the arms are still free to move around. Today's post is about such a vest.

I didn't start with a vest. I started with a quilted jacket. It had a very wild black and white paisley pattern with black trim. Don't stare at it too long, your eyes will cross and you'll get dizzy. The sleeves were too long on me. (The story of my life.) And the quilting made this jacket a little stiff. It didn't stretch at all and it didn't give me room to move freely.

When I looked closely, I saw that the trim was really just simple black bias tape.

It was really basic bias tape, just like I had in my sewing supplies. That means I could shorten or alter the sleeves of the jacket and add this bias tape. It would look like it was never altered at all.

I considered shortening the sleeves but I decided that the pattern was a little overwhelming and the sleeves were not really comfortable so I removed the sleeves completely.

I pinned some black bias tape around the arm holes. I knew that the quilting inside would want to come out of the bias tape so I used a lot of pins.

I tried to be extra careful and sew very slowly so I didn't lose control of all the layers.

It was easy enough to finish. I went to work just like this. And at work I realized there was a flaw in my design. No pockets. They gray jeans I was wearing didn't have real pockets either. It was annoying. I am out here adulting, I have to carry stuff, I need pockets.

I still had the sleeves. I had planned to make a couple little cosmetic bags out of them. What if I made pockets instead?

I did just that. Here is a picture of a pocket about to be sewn on the front of this vest.

The wild paisley pattern makes it hard to see the pocket.

Here is the truly finished vest with pockets. I attached them at an angle because it was easier than trying to make them perfectly horizontal and parallel to each other. It is also the direction my hands would naturally fit in the pockets.

Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself.

Denim Days; Jean Jackets

Hello Readers. I found a couple jean jackets a clothes swap recently and they will be the last post in this denim series. I gave this first jacket a glitzy upgrade with bits of trim to dress it up.

 

The jacket fit well but I decided to shorten the sleeves to a 3/4 length just for fun. I started adding trim and ribbon to the jacket. I didn't have a real plan. I put the trim where it seemed to fit best. I put some at the waist, collar, front panels, and in the back. I also tapered the sleeves a bit too.

I kept adding trim until I was afraid I would start to look like a Las Vegas show girl if I didn't stop. This was a fun sewing project because it cleared out some trim from the scrap collection and there was no wrong way to do it. Anything was OK. I just kept stitching until I felt done.

*****     JACKET TWO     *****

This second jacket was basic and simple in a good way. It would go with anything and everything. It was almost perfect. I just wanted to shorten those really long sleeves. Why were the sleeves so long? (Why are my arms so short?) If I rolled up the sleeves they will be very bulky. I really need to shorten them so I can wear this jacket.

I wanted to keep that original cuff but I also needed to remove some of that fabric. I unpicked the stitches and took the cuff off. I removed about 3 inches of fabric from the sleeve and then I reattached the cuff.

    

I used heavy gold thread made for jeans so the stitching would match the rest of the jacket. This thread made the jacket look like it had always been the way I fixed it. It isn't expensive but it it so thick, you get less of it on the spool. I think it's worth it though.

I can now wear this jacket and use my hands too. It sounds like a small issue but it is annoying when your arms are never long enough.

Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself.

*Year end update- I had so much fun with these jackets. The ribbon jacket can dress up anything and the plain one goes with anything.

Denim Jacket For Summer

Hello Readers. I decided to make an old denim jacket a little more light weight for summer.I thought it would be great over sundresses.

I started with a simple basic broken in jacket. I had removed the pocket flaps a while back because they were covered with shiny gold studs. I didn't like the shiny studs so I just cut them off. You can see how it looked originally here.

    

I cut the sleeves off so I had a denim vest. I just cut along the seam at the armhole. The stitching at the seam will keep the jacket together. The edge will fray a little in the wash. That will give it a great distressed look.

    

I cut out the back panel. I cut along the seams so the jacket would still have a good strong structure to keep it together and hold it's shape.

I needed to fill the back of the vest in with something. I decided to use this sweater. It had a nice crocheted back. (I didn't mind cutting it up because it was also too tight in the arms and I could barely squeeze into it last winter.) I cut the crocheted part of the sweater out of the back. It had a thick self-contained edging around it. I removed the whole thing and kept it it one piece so it wouldn't unravel.

    

It was easy to insert it into the back of the vest. It was really thick to stitch through, but not difficult. Whatever I wear under the vest shows through and highlights the crochet work nicely.

Thanks for reading, now go make something fun for yourself.

*Year end update- This is in my closet and I still like it a lot.

A Flattering Hoodie

Hello Readers. I really believe that you can refashion anything. One of my best sources of clothes to refashion is to steal things from my man. If he doesn't wear it often, I will take it for myself. (I am not ashamed.) Today's post is a perfect example. I had this nice big hoodie to work with.

 

 

This hoodie is too big but it is in good shape. I really wanted to make it more fitted but keep the length to cover the caboose when I wear leggings to exercise. I thought it would be nice and warm in the colder weather too. It needed some big adjustments.

 

I used one of my favorite hoodies as a guide. I marked where I wanted to make my new seams on the inside of the blue jacket. I just used my sewing machine to make the new seams on the sleeves and sides of the jacket.

 

You can see in this picture what I removed. I made it more narrow and made the arms smaller and shorter. Sweatshirts are easy to work with because they don't fray. I cut off the extra fabric and didn't worry about it.

 

I added some elastic inside at the waist. I wanted to pull the waist in a little. I thought it would look more feminine. It is still casual but more flattering than the baggy fit it had in the beginning. The best part is that it is just as comfortable and cozy as before.

 

 

I liked the new fit. The longer hoodie is good with leggings. It covers up the backside so I can go out without feeling like a flasher. (My backside is my business.)

 

Thanks for reading, now go make something fun for yourself.