What OS sewing have you done today?

luxor4t

I know lots of us here on the OS board use our sewing skills to save money -anything from small running repairs to a major dressmaking project like a wedding dress.

Let's share successes, gain inspiration and encourage each other to save some money.


Today I made a table cloth out of one end of a single flat sheet and a housewifestyle pillowcase out of the patterned end.

I bought the sheet and a matching duvet cover in a charity shop as they are a pretty ditsy floral print in blue and red on a spotless white background, just right for DD's bedroom. It washed beautifully.

As there was no pillowcase I reckoned it was better to make a matching one out of the sheet so there was a set, and then use a plain sheet as it would not show. As there was so much fabric left, I hemmed it round and now have a springlike tablecloth
Total cost £2.50 for a set of bedding and a tablecloth :money:

What have you made?

Olliebeak

Well done, luxor4t - great ideas there .

Not done any sewing at all today, but had to an emergency repair on dgd's school cardi sleeve during the week. How the heck do kids manage to get massive holes just above the cuff of a cardigan?

Her mother is refusing to buy another cardi at this stage, as she's going to the 'big school' in September and will probably hardly wear it for the remainder of this term - it just looked hideous when she visited me mid-week. DD never learned how to thread a needle - too busy being a tom-boy and following her brothers around.

Butterfly_Brain

Apart from repairing a few blankets and sewing on buttons I haven't really done much sewing of late - but in my springclean of the airing cupboard I found a lot of duvet covers that I don't use anymore so I will have a think as to what to make with them - The Tablecloth souns like a great idea and I may even make a cathedral quilt I haven't made one of those since DD was born

frankie55

I tested out my new machine today, and altered a dress for my DD and made a net underskirt for it as she was wearing it for a fancy dress party tonight, it looked pretty good to me. As it was a fifties partyshe needed the skirt to stand out, but, she was adament that it was much shorter than I remeber was worn in the fifties lol.
Got some new t shirts and jeans to alter tomorrow, why do manufactures insitst on making 'larger lady' sizes with such long almost elbow length sleves, it just makes me look like I've got a mans t shirt on, I know I'm big but I don't need an armhole that comes down to my waist!!

SunnyGirl

This week I have taken 2 pairs of jeans in for DD and did an emergency re-fit job on a top for DD's friend on Friday night before they went out :rotfl: It was one of those baggy tops that are gathered over the tummy. It was too long and not gathered enough apparently so I ran a line of running stitch, in double thread, up the sides then pulled it tight to gather the material up and knotted the two ends of cotton together :T It was decleared a success by DD's friend and survived the rigours of the party they were getting ready to go to

Has anyone got any ideas on what I can do with DS3's school trousers? They are getting too short for him but I'm determined not to buy any new ones this late in the year as he's going to High school in Spetember & they wear completely different coloured trousers. I can let the hem down completely but any tips on what to do with the edges?

Dobie

SunnyGirl wrote: »

Has anyone got any ideas on what I can do with DS3's school trousers? They are getting too short for him but I'm determined not to buy any new ones this late in the year as he's going to High school in Spetember & they wear completely different coloured trousers. I can let the hem down completely but any tips on what to do with the edges?

If you let them down completely you could zig zag the raw edge & see what that looks like. I've done that with a pair of my own trousers & it looked fine. If it doesn't look good enoughyou could buy (or make) some binding tape the same colour as the trousers & sew that round the bottom.

Yesterday I patched the knees of the trousers my DH wears to walk the dog & work in the garden. That should give him a few more months of wear.

I also finished turning a pair of ummer trousers that I won't wear into a summer skirt that I will wear! They're white cotton with really pretty embroidery near the ankle but they were too baggy in the leg. I split the middle seam, cut them to the length I wanted, sewed & hemmed & then appliqued the embroidery onto my new skirt. I'm very pleased with it & it'll make a nice change from shorts on my hols.

luxor4t

Olliebeak - as a reluctant 'darner' I salute you! my DD has never taken to sewing either, but I had to as almost all our clothes were "home made" when I was young.

Butterfly - wow, I've never tried cathedral patchwork, mine have always been quick-to-machine squares etc, after my first attempt at millions of hand-sewn hexagons (never did finish that quilt )

Frankie - I agree on the armhole/sleeve business, but have you noticed on blouses with 3/4 sleeves that the cuff is always way too small? The designers must think we have biceps like Popeye and forearms like Olive Oyl :rolleyes:


Today I am going to shorten a full length tiered skirt by one tier, so I can use it as a 'normal' skirt.
It will be a boring job, but it will save buying a new skirt (I'm on Lula-hula's £100 clothes challenge )

Sunnygirl -is DS too old to wear shorts or cutoffs for school? That's what I used to do with DS1 & DS2's trousers (it featured in one of their wartime history lessons!)

Dobie - brilliant! I'm off to review my trousers!

SunnyGirl

luxor4t wrote: »

Sunnygirl -is DS too old to wear shorts or cutoffs for school? That's what I used to do with DS1 & DS2's trousers (it featured in one of their wartime history lessons!)

I used to make them into shorts all the time but he has refused to wear them for the past few years - too babyish for him he says I shall give Dobie's idea of zig zagging the edges a whirl & see how it looks.

thriftlady_2

I don't do much sewing. I have a top cut out and marked up that has been in my sewing box for months. Must get on with it.

Yesterday I did do a bit of sewing. I patched ds2's jeans with a piece of dd's old jeans. They had split horizontally right across the knee which is what happens to every pair of jeans he has. I didn't make a very good job of it, but it'll do for now.

Mending clothes is my most common sewing task.

MrsMW

I am just about to turn a lovely piece of cotton I found in my stash, into a tablecloth.

SunnyGirl

thriftlady wrote: »

I don't do much sewing. I have a top cut out and marked up that has been in my sewing box for months. Must get on with it.

Mending clothes is my most common sewing task.

I agree Thriftlady on both counts. I tend to have fads on sewing it's a shame really as I found a blouse cut out & half sewn in my sewing box the other week & 4 lots of material to make 2 more blouses, a lined skirt and a pair of trousers Every time I think that I'll have a day of it something comes up :rolleyes: Hey ho that's life I guess.

I have, in the past, made lots of things for gifts like aprons with matching oven gloves, tablecloths, bedding, curtains & dog beds. I may try to get going again with it as soon as my Dad is out of hospital & life returns to some form of normality.