Refashion Fail – Mostly

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My internet pal Laura sent me a few seriously awesome gems to refashion a few weeks ago. This is the first of them. I love the stripes and the placket (Funny enough, Hello Holiday has something similar in stock). I also liked the mix of horizontal and vertical stripes. 

They’re not nearly as dizzying in person, FYI. Since the shirt was too big in the shoulders, I thought I would take it apart and use the Banksia pattern to make it fit me. It was an epic fail. I didn’t follow the pattern like I should have and got a pretty wonky result.

I’m not sure if you can tell from here, but my darts are lopsided. WHAT? And they’re really pointy. The neck hole is a bit too tight for me to button the placket up, too. I sort of halfway used a pattern and halfway winged it which makes for a disastrous end. It’s not entirely unsalvageable, fortunately. I think I’ll take out the darts and take in the waist. If all fails miserably, Penelope is pretty much just straight lines at this point and would look so adorable as a candy striper.

I’ve hit a bit of a rough patch recently with sewing and creativity. I keep telling myself: I’ll only fail if I don’t do anything creative.

 

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    1. amy h says:

      That looks so close to me! I hope you can fix it — it’s cute. And don’t be hard on yourself. You are massively productive and creative. Seriously.

    2. That shirt is freaking awesome…too awesome not to have work out into something.

      And I get in wierd funks to…they always go away but it sucks while your in them.
      liZ

    3. Heidi says:

      Oh boy, do I know the feeling of a failed sewing project. But you’re right, keep on creating.
      Do you have any tips for sewing medium thickness stretchy knits? I thought a shirt I thrifted would be a super simple resize and after sewing and ripping our my seams 17 times I’m at a loss. I’ve changed the thread tension, the pressure of the presser foot, the needle, used tissue paper underneath and nothing seems to be helping, it just keeps puckering. I have a really old machine so maybe I just can’t sew that particular fabric with it.

    4. Heidi says:

      Oh%20boy%2C%20do%20I%20know%20the%20feeling%20of%20a%20failed%20sewing%20project.%20But%20you’re%20right%2C%20keep%20on%20creating.%20
      Do%20you%20have%20any%20tips%20for%20sewing%20medium%20thickness%20stretchy%20knits%3F%20I%20thought%20a%20shirt%20I%20thrifted%20would%20be%20a%20super%20simple%20resize%20and%20after%20sewing%20and%20ripping%20our%20my%20seams%2017%20times%20I’m%20at%20a%20loss.%20I’ve%20changed%20the%20thread%20tension%2C%20the%20pressure%20of%20the%20presser%20foot%2C%20the%20needle%2C%20used%20tissue%20paper%20underneath%20and%20nothing%20seems%20to%20be%20helping%2C%20it%20just%20keeps%20puckering.%20I%20have%20a%20really%20old%20machine%20so%20maybe%20I%20just%20can’t%20sew%20that%20particular%20fabric%20with%20it.%20

    5. Lindsay says:

      I don’t think it looks that bad! And I love red stripes. :)

    6. Shelby says:

      Don’t feel bad about taking a break. Sometimes a little off time is exactly what you need to have that “ah-ha” moment when the next great project comes to mind.

      I love to cook but all summer long the last place I wanted to be was in the kitchen. I finally came out of my funk recently and am loving cooking again. Sometimes to be passionate about something, you need to step away and try something else for a while so you can remember why you love your passions.

      Best of luck!

    7. I was just wondering yesterday if you were able to do anything with them! After I left the post office I thought to myself: oh man I really hope she doesnt think I sent her trash! I’ve got another dress I need to send you!

      I think it looks great! I love it! So neat to see that shirt fulfil its destiny! I’m sure you can figure out what you need to do to tweak it and make it work whether its for you or Penelope! :)

    8. Slip says:

      I think Shelby has some good advice. It’s okay to step back from things. Maybe you should do some projects and intentionally mess them up. That might be fun! Also, another thought I try to keep in mind, the most successful people have failed WAY more than the average person. They just keep going until the successes outweigh the failures. Or at least that’s what I tell myself. That being said, you’ve definitely improved that top.

    9. Ching says:

      I know what you mean! Sometimes I do what Shelby does, sometimes I do what you do and keep going on. It’s no fun being in that rough patch. You’ll find your way out! ;)

    10. […] Laura sent me this awesome navy polka dot top that needed a slight fit adjustment. It’s made of some sort of polyester knit fabric so it was a little bit slippery, but not as mischievous as the last one. […]

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