Removing Jean Pockets

 Hello Readers. I love to go thrifting and sometimes I find amazing items. Sometimes I find great basics too. These jeans fit so well and the length was perfect. They were a perfect basic. And they were only $1.75!!! I liked the dark wash but not the front pockets.

Removing the pockets.

These jeans were on clearance at the thrift store. They were also soft and had a straight leg cut. They seemed great.

I didn't notice until I got home but the front patch pockets were unevenly placed. I don't like front patch pockets anyway and I planned to remove the pockets entirely. 

 

I used a seam ripper to take the stitches out. I worked from the inside to prevent damaging the outer fabric. I worked slow and went stitch by stitch until I could remove the pockets easily. I didn't want to pull on the fabric or rip the front of the jeans. 

The jeans had some slight light marks where the pocket stitches were. 

 

I used a fine tipped permanent marker in black to hide the little stitch marks. I didn't draw a line over them. I made a small dot right on the light spot to darken it. I went dot by dot until I had blended them away. The permanent marker will stay on through the washer and dryer well over time.

 

I was happy with how the stitch marks had disappeared. I think the smooth front looks better without the pockets. I like the plain simple look of these "new" jeans so much better. Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself.
 

 

Pouch Pocket Top

 Hello Readers. I hope you are enjoyed spring and looking forward to summer. I have loved all of "Me-Made-May". It is fun to scroll on Instagram and see what other people are sewing. Today's post is about a fun top I made with fabric from my stash. 

I love these pockets!

This top all started with this sewing book for beginners. "One Piece Wearables". All the patterns included are actually one piece so it is easier to make a completed project. It can be overwhelming when the pattern has a dozen pieces to put together.

I have been wanting to make this top for a while. The pockets look really big. I could put so much stuff in there. This was my daughter's book and she had already cut out all the pattern pieces so I was ready to get sewing. 

This pattern was one big piece that got folded and sewn together one small step at a time. The first step was to sew bias tape along the edges of the pockets. I used some bias tape I had on hand.

I did all the pleats next. When that was done I started connecting the center front. It was going to have a V-neck. 

 

 I was getting ready to add the bias tape to the neckline and I realized I did not have enough bias tape. I was going to have to add this plain beige bias tape onto the fancy bias tape I was using to make a long enough piece to go around the neckline.

 

I went on a side quest to get my bias tape situation figured out. I have never connected 2 pieces of bias tape and it was so much geometry and shapes and angles that my brain was stretched to it's limits. It was like high school math all over again. (Math was NOT my best subject.)

I got back to work and used the bias tape to finish the neckline and also the arm holes. 

 

There was supposed to be a tie in back made of even more bias tape. I added elastic across the inside of the back panel and called it a day.

 

It worked to define the waist.
 

This was a fun project and I really liked the pockets. Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself. 

 

***Year End Update- This top is cozy and the pockets are so handy. 

 

 

 

So Much Red

 Hello Dear Readers. Valentine's Day is coming and when I saw this red dress I thought the color was perfect for Valentine's Day.

This red is so pretty but this dress is a little shapeless.

It isn't anymore exciting from the back either. Ho-hum. But that color!!

The first thing I did was remove the pocket. It didn't seem to be in the right location for me. It was very low. It was in between my chest and my stomach. I carefully unpicked the stitches and took it off the dress.

I did want a pocket, just not the red one. I have had these little fabric pieces for ages. I did not make them. They were in a bag of sewing things someone passed on to me. The embroidery was so pretty I have held onto them for a few years. I decided it was time to use one.

I folded and ironed and starched this one square into a pocket. I used MANY pins to secure it in the right location. Then I used my machine to attach it. The pins held it in place while I sewed. Things tend to move around on me so I went heavy on the pins.

You saw that the dress was a very loose A-line shape but that isn't what I wanted. I wanted a shirt. I reshaped and shortened the dress. Right now you are adjusting your glasses and/or the screen on your device. This picture is crazy blurry. I apologize. But I included it because it really does show the shape and the parts that were cut away

The bottom of the dress made a perfect infinity scarf to wear with my new t-shirt. (It's cold out there.)

I loved the shirt and it matched this sweater. It was the perfect off-white to match my added pocket.

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

***Chickie's Year End Review-I loved this red shirt. Sadly the color bled onto the pocket and I tried to fix it. It didn't work. I was crushed. I miss you red Tshirt.

A Sweatshirt & Matching Scarf

 Hello Readers. How are you? I did a sweatshirt update recently. It was quick and easy.

 I liked the color of this sweatshirt. I also like how they reversed the fabric and used it as a contrast on the sleeves. It was a little over-sized on me. I thought I could do something more with it.

Those sleeves were too long. I liked the color contrast and decided to keep some of it. I thought I would like even more of that reversed fabric somewhere on the shirt. I decided to make pockets and add them on the front of this shirt. 

Actual pocket sewing right here!

I also took in the sides of the shirt to improve the fit a little.

  The pockets added a little something to the shirt.  And the shirt was a great match for this infinity scarf my daughter made for me. It's cold enough for a scarf now.

The cool thing about the scarf is that there is a hidden zipper pocket that is large enough for a phone, wallet, passport, keys, or whatever you want. It is great for being hands free when out or traveling.

 If you like the scarf, you can check out more scarves and other items at her on-line shop Hope Makers Boutique. 

  Her business only sells from ethically sourced products that support ministries and charities. She said about her business: My biggest hope for this small venture is that it will communicate in ordinary ways a big truth: THERE IS HOPE. We can use our purchasing power to buy from brands that are intentionally set up to make a difference. THERE IS HOPE when your purchase of a necklace helps give a mother a job with safe working conditions that also allows her to provide for her children. THERE IS HOPE when you buy ethically sourced tea and gift it to a friend who needs a reminder they are not alone… Together we can be HOPE MAKERS.
 

Polka Dots & Button Downs

 Hello Readers. I read an article online recently that said polka dots and button-down shirts would be big this spring. I don't know if they ever really went out of style but they are coming back and I am getting myself ready for spring.

I found these polka dot jeans at a recent clothes swap. I didn't really check the size. I just saw dots and decided to take them home. They are a little big but I could fix that. The shirt was a ladies large that I have had for years and have not gotten around to altering it. 

 The shirt was an easy fix. I took a little off the sides and the sleeves to make it more narrow. The shoulder seams were in a good place for me so I did not try to re-do the armholes. This shirt was 100% cotton so it had no stretch at all. I had to keep it roomy enough to be comfortable. I tried it on and took a little more out of the sides. The pink marks below are for you so you can see where I was focusing. I wanted to make the body more narrow in the middle. I didn't want the chest too tight.

These polka dot jeans took more work. They needed to be smaller and shorter. I did some custom fitting work. (I sewed, tried them on, and sewed some more.)

What is this? Why are there 2 pairs of polka dot jeans? Well, the pair on the left are my old jeans that are too tight. (Yes, I make have hit the Christmas cookies too hard this year.) When I finished the newer larger jeans I noticed the pockets were not centered on my backside correctly anymore. I was going to remove the pockets and move them over but then I had an idea.
What about double pockets???

I cut the pockets off the old tight jeans and attached them to the new stretchy jeans with a lot of pins.

I put the new pockets closer to the center and lower than the original pockets to fill in where my backside was in these jeans. I placed the new pockets where it looked most balanced.

 I don't feel comfortable putting a picture of my tush on the net so here is my bed pillow wearing the jeans for me. (My body shape is the same a soft lumpy old pillow. I am not sure how to process this new information.)

These jeans and this shirt were perfect for work. I like the high waist a lot. I can't guarantee 100% that polka dots and button-down shirts will be all the rage this spring. (Sometimes the internet is wrong.) I didn't wait for spring, I just started wearing them right away.

 

Lego pieces everywhere!

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

Refashioning Old Shirts

Hello Readers. I decided to refashion this shirt even though I had already refashioned it a long time ago. Sometimes I do that. I liked the shirt when I refashioned it the first time but then I never wore it. If I am not wearing it, I need to do something about it.

This is what it looked like in the beginning. My older son said it looked like a old-fashioned jail uniform. It was also long in the arms and so I shortened the sleeves and dyed it blue. I added an elastic waist to give it some shape. I wore it out to dinner and I never wore it again. The elastic waist was a little annoying and I just never reached for it in the closet.

I decided to start over. First I removed the elastic waistband.

I made the shirt smaller on the sides and cut off the bottom. I also shortened the sleeves just a little.

I tucked it in and wore it to work. Now it is a simple basic shirt that I can wear alone or under a sweater. It isn't very exciting but we all need basics. And it is still a fabulous blue.

**** SHIRT 2 ****

My striped shirt got a stain. An embarrassing stain. A stain right on the chest. On the right side of my chest. It was right on my boob y'all. It was un-wearable!! I tried everything to get it out. It faded but It didn't go away.

I decided to cover it with a pocket. I used some extra fabric I had left over from a recent jumpsuit refashion. I liked the floral with the stripes. I added a tiny pocket on the sleeve just for fun.

Stain problem solved. I used a dirty mirror at the store to take an awkward selfie in my refashioned shirt .

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

***Year End Update- I liked and wore these  shirts a lot now that I fixed them.