REinvent :: What the Dog Did!

Remember when Lola 
tried her paws & teeth at some REinventing


well, to cut a fairly long story
 short 
Lola ate [part of] my cardy 
so I REfashioned it
then I accidently put a hole in it
and because I don't like to be beaten
 I RE-REfashioned it

realising the cardy was never going to be how I'd first imagined her
however still with the beautiful
 soft, light as a feather feel
 I first fell in love with
I opted for a shorter version



cutting off where I'd torn the hole 
deciding to use the sleeve from the already sacrificed jumper
which was cut in half, reshaped & hemmed to fit the new raw edge

adding a hint of vintage tea coloured lace

as a subtle contrast



 to help eliminate any stretching during the stitching process
I set myself up in the garden 
for some hand stitching

and by using a combination of hand sewn blind stitch



and machine stitching with the Walking Foot

I also added 
a small length of narrow elastic
through the back to absorb any fullness
and give a little shape & interest



I could have fastened the front with anything
but why would I 
when Fripperies go with everything

so while sitting in the garden
enjoying the glorious morning light
I threw some vintage lace remnants together
and created the Lola Cardy her very own Frippery 

and with no room in the wardrobe for another cardy

I'll be letting this one go.

Weekend Away

Some spur of the moment ideas are winners

deciding to throw caution & sewing to the wind
and ring my friend Carol to secure overnight accommodation in her Villa 

& book tickets to a couple of films I'd never heard of

then throw the teenager in the car and drive south for 2hours

was such a good idea 
we're already planning the next time!

Both films were excellent

however our favourite

Paper Planes won the $100K first prize

which was announced at a Gala Event directly across the road from us

which we watched from our bedroom window

and listened to through our bedroom wall

…only 'til midnight thank goodness

along with a great cultural experience

we enjoyed fantastic accommodation

 fabulous food

and the bonding experience

was priceless...

Bravo Busselton!

All Day Fridays Workshop :: Show & Tell

I love firsts 

especially sewing firsts

and Ruths desire 

to create a lined quilted Tea Cosy for her vintage Spode Tea Pot

meant another first-box ticked

and it also meant Ruth got a rest from making Liza Pants

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Kate loves frocks

and we love Kate and her Frocks

with an eye for the perfect fabric & pattern combo
and a desire to create perfection
Kate added an invisible zip and lining to the mix
just to make sure it met her exacting standards  

and with enough fabric & binding from the Studio Shop in her bag
I'm looking forward to seeing her
 Spring Splice Skirt

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Rennae rose to the Drape Drape 2 challenge

and created the perfect-for-her version of Dress #2

and pulled out her Liza Pant pattern 

to whip up another comfy pair of pants

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It was lovely to have Inge back 

in the Studio 

even if it was for just one day

which we will repeat soon
when I'll get to share her favourite Top 

copied in her new favourite fabric.

and lucky me 
I get to do it all again 
same place
with some of the same faces

and if you'd like to join us
there's still a couple of spots 
available on the website.

JaM - Sharing Moments from the Week

JaM

[Just a Moment or few from the week]

 

Pansy Planting - every August 13th in memory of Grannys birthday
Crochet Corner - nearly ended up in the Lola REfashion
Foggy Morning - a rare occurrence around these parts
Bottles - from the garden, now on the sill in the Studio
Workshop - my Friday Girls
RE-REfashion - I have an[other] idea

Latest REfashion :: Trials & Tribulations

Where to start

this has been a difficult post to write
I've tried being gentle
referencing my love of certain things
holding your hand as I walked you up to and through my pain
all the while without naming names or pointing fingers
however I've decided brutal is best
because the experience has been that traumatic
and there's actually no way
to tone down
the fact 
that my once favourite dog

'Lola'

ate 
my new favourite cardy

and in case you can't see the extent of the damage 
or can't quite believe it's true 
[as was the case for me]
here's some close ups

 

I've only recently discovered
the love of a long grey cardy
and having nearly worn the life out of the one & only I own
I can't explain the joy I felt
at finding a second one at the local oppy

I know there's bigger things in the world to worry about
and I do

however on a personal level 
this discovery was shattering
she was perfect
teamed with the birthday frock
for a 2nd workshop
I was excited

until...


thankfully I didn't bin her immediately

because through the mist of shock, anger & despair
a REfashion began to form
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armed with new found purpose
I selected some filed grey knits
and came up with two options

a once 
vintage crocheted cotton cardy  

or a lightweight similar colour-toned wool blend jumper 

I settled on the jumper 



which I free machine embroidered in place
and because I didn't want to lose any of Lolas impact on the Refashion 
the decision was made to leave all jagged edges & tooth holes as-is
[after it was washed of course] 

sometimes you know
when a REfashion or REinvent is going to work before you start
and this was the case here
I knew she was never going to be the same cardy she once was
however this improved version of the chewed-up-spat-out one
was a very wearable option
 
especially with the little hint 
of vintage floral bias sweetness
created from a slightly tea stained trivet 
hidden on the inside

and yesterday I wore her for the first time 

during a workshop

content now in the knowledge that Lola will 
remain this side of the bedroom door and within sight where possible
unable to destroy any other article of clothing left within her reach

and that was going to be the end of the tale

until when at lunch yesterday I got up from the table 
catching & pulling a thread

causing a hole 

... back to the drawing board!