An old bag

This is a bag I made when I was in high school because I had a lot of things to tote back and forth from home to school in preparation for the school festival. I remember making this bag with the remnant fabric from making a light weight coat. Initially it had a metal-teeth zipper at the top, but in the later years I took it off and used it for something else. 

It has been used every weekend when we go grocery shopping. The handles were originally made with the same fabric as the bag itself, but it got threadbare after years of use. So, I changed them, and now the bag has nylon webbing handles which should last a long time. 

I made so many little pockets inside of this bag. I remember thinking when I was making this bag that I needed lots of pockets because I wanted to find things in this huge bag. 

Zipper repair on fleece jacket

Within one year of wearing a fleece jacket of a famous brand, the front zipper broke like this: 

I was hoping I could simply fix the zipper itself, but the teeth of the zipper was somehow detached. So, I had to install a completely new zipper. I looked for a similar colour, but I was not able to find any. (The clothes manufacturers have a way of ordering the matching coloured notions for their production. But home sewists like us do not have access to that.) 

So, in the end, I bought a black one, and here is what it looks like after the repair. So, yes, the colour is black and the zipper stands out now, but oh well. I would rather be able to make use of this fleece jacket until it's beyond repair. 

Thread chicken

Sometimes I wonder if my thread on the spool would last until I finish making the thing I'm working on. It's such a relief when I don't have to stop the project midway and run to a store! 

It's a thrilling game of thread chicken. 

Dress alteration

Sometime what you buy online isn't quite what you like. Then, I can help you change things around. 

This is the finished dress after the alterations. The shoulder straps were different, and it was too long. 

First, I cut off the length at the bottom of the main fabric, and retained the frilled part and sewed it back on. 

I made a quick pattern for the shoulder strap with the length the client wanted. Then, I used the fabric I cut off to make a pair of new shoulder straps. I think it looks better than the original dress. (I forgot to take the photo of the dress before the alteration, and I don't want to use the photo from the online store website.) 

Hats

This is a set of hats made based on a hat my friend really liked. She wore it for along time, and it was getting worn. So, she asked me to take it a part and make a sewing pattern for it. I did, and it turned out to be everyone's favourite hat now. 

A little decoration with different buttons. 

The pieces are ready to be sewn together. 

It is fun making hats. :) 

Kimono jacket remade into vest

I made this vest by remaking my grandmother's kimono jacket. 

 The photo below is the original jacket. 

The pattern of the fabric is pretty. 

First I had to take everything apart. 

Then, I had to cut the fabric using sewing patterns. The pattern used is McCall's 2099. 

Now I just had to sew them up. Remaking an old piece of garment that you don't wear into something you actually wear is giving it a second life. :)

Matching chair cover and pillow

Yes, this is an IKEA chair (POÄNG, I believe) that we purchased a loooong time ago. The original fabric on it was looking tired, so I made a cover for it. 

I also wanted a little lumbar support pillow. Here is the matching pillow. 

 I wish I had bought more of this fabric. I've grown really fond of it. 

Linen skirts

I really like wearing linen in the summer. Here are some linen skirts I made a while back. They have been modified a couple of times, but this is how they first looked like. 

The natural linen coloured fabric one is gathered at the waist and has a drawstring to further secure the skirt from falling down. I always put pockets in my skirts, and since I carry my phone, keys, etc., I need to keep the skirt up. 

The navy blue one has a waist band. Since I fluctuate in sizes in my waist, I since made a modification. It's now a split side skirt... 

And yes, both are made from linen curtain fabrics from IKEA. Cheap linen, but it's good for skirts or pants. 

Scrunchies

Making scrunchies is like meditation for me. I get into the zone when I'm running the sewing machine or hand stitching to close the little hole I used to insert the elastic.  

This is what they look like before I insert the elastic.

Here are the finished scrunchies. They are a joy to make. 

You can use one for your own hair, but you can always buy them as gifts for your family or friends. They'd also make a one-of-a-kind party favour at your next party. I can always make them with any fabrics of your choice. It's a great way to upcycle your clothes you don't wear any longer, etc. 

Upcycle makeup remover pads

These used to be my flannel pajamas. Now they are makeup remover pads.

After darning and patching my pajamas until there was really not much left to darn or repair on the seams, I just cut out the sections that could be remade into something else. One of the choices was to remake an old well-worn clothes is something like this.

I find that 100% cotton flannel can be made into absorbent makeup remover pads. (I also made some panty liners and cleaning clothes.) Yes, you can buy some "upcycled" makeup remover pads to contribute to the reduction of clothing wastes. But if you can make your favourite well-worn-and-now-very-soft shirt or pants into something you can use, why not?

Also, I find most of the makeup remover pads being sold are just serged at the edge - meaning that an overlock stitch (serger) is used to keep the edges from fraying. I find that when I only use a serger, bits of fabric or fiber pieces from the edge still fall off when I use it. So, I made mine with clean edges. All the raw edges of the fabric is inside after being sewn twice (once from the inside with the right sides together and once from the outside as topstitches), so nothing can flake off as you use it on your face.

A fabric made of soft 100% natural fibre, like cotton or linen, works best for making items that require high absorbency.

I am sure if you sew, you already know how to make something like this. However, for those of you who can't or don't have time, I can make them for you. Please tell me the size you like and bring me your used fabric/clothes. Also, I will not charge you for the regular polyester thread if you choose white or black. If you want a specific colour for your thread, please bring it with your fabric. 

If you prefer, I can use a 100% cotton thread (only black or white) so that your 100% cotton (or other natural fabric) items can be composted when it's time to go back to the earth. This option is available only for the square/rectangular pads. 

Squares or rectangles are the fastest to make because cutting and sewing in straight lines are easier. With the circles or ovals, it will require a little more care and time for both cutting and sewing (and there will be more waste). 

Sewing fees: 

• clean-edge square/rectangular makeup remover: 5 for $12
• round/oval makeup remover pads: 5 for $15. (I'm sorry, but there is no option for cotton thread for these unless you can provide four spools yourself. My serger uses four threads at the same time.)

Please contact me to place an order, and we can discuss the details. A bulk rate will be available for orders of more than 100.

linen summer dress

It's been quite hot, and this summer dress has been helpful. It's made of linen. With a very loose waist it keeps me cool. 

I played around with multi-coloured snaps in the front. 

Usually, linen is so expensive, but I bough this linen fabric at IKEA. It's meant for making curtains, but why not? (I have to admit, it was a little rough at first, but it softened enough after several washes.)

Memory blanket

I had a pleasure to make a memory blanket a while back. This is the finished product.

My client had beautiful, fun images painted on her lab coats by artist Chris Hall, D.C. Aren't they wonderful?

However, she is now retired and wanted to have the images on something that can be used. First, I cut the images out and folded the edges.

She provided me with some fleece fabrics (the blue is the backing, and the orange is the front panel).

She gave me permission for me to design the blanket, so I decided on the front panel to be like this and decided on the places of the images. I moved around the images until I felt good about the placement.

All I did after this are sewing on the images, trimming the backing to fit the front panel, and sewing it all together. There is no quilting involved in this blanket, since it's fleece. Two layers of polar fleece makes it a very warm blanket.

It made me so happy to be of give treasured items a second life like this! Please contact me if you have anything like this to be made.

A sling

Some people have sensitive skin, and this may be a solution for such people. The main part of this sling is made of cotton/linen blend fabric. This means that those who may be sensitive to synthetic fabrics can tolerate this. (I'm quite sensitive to synthetic fabric, which is one of the reasons that I make my own clothes and other things.) 

First, I made a pattern using a sling that the doctor's office required us to buy. 

Then, I sewed it up using the natural fabric. The bands are nylons, but they seem to be fine. 

If you need something like this made, please feel free to contact me. I can also make it using fun fabric with prints, too. 

Black dress

I had to make myself a black dress. 

This is made of a simple lightweight cotton fabric, and of course I had to add side-seam pockets with concealed zipper. A lot of time there's no pockets in dresses, but I am a believer in pockets. 

Brush roll

I made a brush roll for an artist. She gave me the measurements for her brushes and how many brushes she has. 

 I didn't fill the brush roll completely, but you get the idea. 

The inside liner is a heavy cotton canvas, and the outer fabric is a patchwork with cotton quilting fabric. When you roll it up, you fold down the upper flap, roll it and tie in the middle. 

Boxy obi pouch

I really enjoy making pretty pouches and bags. I had an occasion to make one for a friend. 

It is made with the silk obi fabric from Japan. Yes, it is an upcycled pouch. 

Both the outer and inner fabrics are from the same obi, so they mach perfectly. 

Letting out the waist

Clients ask me to do a lot of size adjustments on pants, skirts, dresses, etc. Sometimes I have to let them know it is not possible because of the physical limitations. 

Taking in a waste (or making the waist smaller) is so much easier than letting out. 

Letting out the waist or other areas requires that I have enough materials to move the seams. Let me show you. 

This is a black dress flipped inside out:

The seam allowance is shown with the red arrows below, and that length of the red arrow is about 1.2 cm. 

This dress has three seams (two side seams and one back seam). At each seam, I can take out 1.2 cm x 2 = 2.4 cm. Then, there's three seams, 2.4 cm x 3 seams = 7.2 cm. This means, I can make the circumference larger by 7.2 cm in total. 

This below is the inside of a pair of khaki pants. 

The red bit of line indicates the room I have to play with, and it's about 0.2 cm in length. The math: 0.2 cm x 2 x 3 seams = 1.2 cm. That is not very much addition. 

I suppose one can always try to add contrasting fabrics in the side seams and back seam to add more length for the circumference, but it would look odd in my opinion. 

So, when you wonder if you can something larger, look inside of the garment and check if there's a lot of fabric like with the black dress above. 

Unfortunately, lots of ready-made garments are made like the khaki pants. This means there is not much room to play around in when you want to let out a waist, etc. This is too bad because we as humans do fluctuate in shapes and we may want to keep on wearing the same clothes. 

The black dress is a well made dress that was manufactured in Japan. There was no shortcut in the construction of this dress. The hem was sewn by hand, and the lining was fastened with this hand sewn stay. I rarely see a well-constructed garment like this these days. 

Waist band repair

Here is a nice faux leather pants whose elastic has gone... well, bad. 

Essentially, the elastic band was not sewn securely enough, so with wear, it broke at the seam.

I took out enough stitches to access the inner elastic band and replaced the elastic band with a new one. 

Now, my client can enjoy this pair of pants again. 
 

Simple sleeveless shirt

I just sewed a very simple summer shirt because it's been quite hot. Here is what it looks on my beloved Glenda the dress form. (I am a bit larger than Glenda, so it fits me better.) 

Like with any sewing projects, it starts out with cutting the fabric. 

I decided to put a little opening in the front. 

This is after finishing the shoulder and side seams. The next step is to finish the arm and neck openings with a bias tape I made with the same fabric. The finished product is on the top of the page.