Friday Wardrobe Redo Update: Raincoat Part 2

I ripped apart my raincoat this week, in between caring for my son who is home sick with the flu again, poor boy.  I was thinking I would jump right in to cutting up, but better sense  prevailed.  I realized the fabric was quite dirty.  So, after getting a big pile of pieces, I put the wool fabric through the wash on Handwash setting and let it dry.  The label said dry clean only, so it was a risk.  The fabric came out fine, the hand hand changed a bit, much more drapey than before, and I haven't tested for waterproof ability.  However, now the fabric and lining are clean.

Next, I went through my patterns to decide what to do.  What I want is an elegant, yet rather funky coat  that is fitted and 3/4 length.  After looking through, I decided to use Vogue 8465.  I will not use the collar as is, and it will not be double breasted, but it is a good shape for the bodice with modifications.

I have started making the muslin and fitting it.  So, this is where I am to date.  I hope to be a bit farther along by next week's Friday update. 

  The other thing I did was to order ribbons and buttons.  I found a designer, Kristi Smart, whose work I admired when I looked through my back issues of Belle Armoire.  I won't be quite so funky with my design, but I did want a unique rather than off the rack look, so I went looking for special embellishments.  I have a few ribbons that I like, and I like to mix different ribbons together as you can see on my of my daughter's clothes such as the reversible Avalon jacket.  So, I went online and found some ribbon from one of my favorite designers Laura Foster Nicholson, who also happens to be a tapestry weaver.  I love her jacquard ribbons.   Have a look at her site LFNtextiles.  I also bought some ribbon a few years ago at Satin Moon Fabric Store in San Francisco.  What a beautiful store!  Anyway, I bought some Midori Chrysanthemum ribbon there and used it for a skirt I made.  I had only a few inches left and although it is now no longer made, I found some and bought 5 yards of it.  Finally, I was looking at special buttons and found some on a bead site which are Czech glass.  So, I will be using two of those.  I figured, since I am not using new fabric, I will buy some ribbons and buttons to make the piece special.  When the ribbons and buttons come in, I will share a photograph of them.

Wardrobe Redo: First Redo Finished

Wow, how hard is it to convert a flare skirt into a pencil skirt?  Easy right?  Well, I found out it was not so easy.  Maybe I am slow, a little too slap happy with the scissors, a little too impetuous and not enough planning.  But, this simple, easy, let's go into it slow wardrobe redo was a bit time consuming that I thought it would be. Hence, I did not get this posted yesterday.  That and the fact that my children have only been in school 1 1/2 days in the last week and only 7 in the last three weeks, which makes finding the time to get my sewing done a bit more challenging.  Plus, I know there are much colder places in this country right now, but having to turn over the horses' water tanks, jump on them to bust out the ice every morning, and hauling buckets of water down to the field for the horses is getting a bit old.  It takes twice as long to do chores when the water in the barn is frozen solid.  Okay, enough whining about the weather, okay one more whine, we didn't even get enough snow to sled on!

Enough excuses, here it goes:  Before and After.  I am pleased with how the skirt turned out, a nice update.

I took a bit of fabric off of both sides, then felt it wasn't quite slim enough and impetuously cut a bit up the back without thinking.  It took me two days of thinking and sewing and ripping seams to get the back right.

The Barcelona Skirt by Amy Butler (see previous post) can be divided into three layers then the layers are stitched one on top of the other.  I finally had to take the two bottom layers apart and readjust them to get the back of the skirt to hang correctly.  Because of course, the back of the skirt is cut on the fold and is therefore straight.  Duh, I forgot this fact in my zeal to get a straighter look so I cut up the back which created a LOT of headaches.  This is a lesson I won't forget.  

I am happy with the final result, so this skirt will be coming out of my closet more this spring and summer.  (Hopefully, as my son and I get better at fashion photography the photos will get a bit better, too.  It is too grey and cold to get out for more interesting location shooting).

In the meantime I found a FABULOUS book:  Basic Pattern Skills for Fashion Design by Bernard Zamkoff and Jeanne Price.  I found this book when perusing the sewing section of the library.  I was so taken by it, that I ordered it from Alibris.  If you are not familiar with this site, it is a great site for finding out of print books and used books from booksellers around the country.  In any case, this book shows a basic design and how to modify it to get all kinds of other styles.  So in the skirt section they show a basic straight skirt, then how to modify the pattern to get a pegged skirt, dirndl skirt, flared skirt, trumpet skirt, ...  They also cover collars, bodices, and sleeves.  The book is very clear and straightforward.  I had bought another pattern alteration book which has useful information, but the pages are so cluttered that I found it almost unusable.  

What's next?  The next few weeks will be following my changes to a trench coat.  I have had this trench coat for decades.  Depressing to admit that it is that old, but it is.  However, it is in good shape.  I love the fabric, it is 100 percent wool, and has held up well to abuse.  However, it has NO style.  

I will be looking to update this coat to take with us on our spring vacation.  So, I will post more about it next Friday....

Wardrobe Redo: Piece 1

As promised, it is Friday and I am posting my first wardrobe piece that I want to update.  I made this skirt a couple of several years ago.  It is from an Amy Butler pattern Barcelona Skirt.  I love this pattern.  It is easy to make, it fits well, and it is easy to modify the fit.  This skirt wears well whether I am the size I am now, or when I am 5 pounds heavier.  It sits on my hips, not at my waist, and is really comfortable to wear.  I have made 5 of these skirts and this was my first one.  I wear these skirts in the heat of the summer when it is just too darn hot to wear pants.  I hate wearing shorts and rarely wear them, but feel comfortable in skirts.

Now, to what I don't like about this skirt.  When I made it, I made it pretty long.  I wanted to cover up my legs.  I have made other shorter versions, and I have to say, those look better on me.  I think this one  just looks dowdy.

When I first made it, I didn't like the fabric that much.  I felt like I was wearing a 1950's sofa pattern, but the fabric has grown on me.  It is a heavier weight cotton and it washes and dries well, and wears like iron.  Gotta love that!

Don't you just love my adoring dogs?  It helps that I feed them every night!

I think what I have decided to do it to update the design by making what Boden is calling a "Modern Pencil Skirt".  This photo shows the pencil skirt in a bright floral.  It should be an easy modification, which I hope to make this weekend.  So come back for the first update.