Creative Mending

Since I wanted to try making at least one garment this month I decided to tackle mending this black and white flannel sample shirt I got from Fabscrap. Sample garments are unfinished pieces that can have some issues, although from the front this one looked really nice.

The real issue was the big gap in the back, which was about 8" X 12".

I didn't have any kind of flannel scraps large enough to patch the gap, unfortunately. The shape of the hole reminded me of NYC skyscrapers, however, and in the white scrap pack I had a graphic knit piece I thought would work well as a patch.

I needed something to cover the raw edges of the gap, and tried a couple of bias scraps I had on hand (always save your bias scraps; you never know when you'll need them!)

Another possibility. I still don't know where I got this roll of bias. Someone must have given it to me.

In the end plain black seemed to be the way to go.

The next step was to baste the patch in place for sewing on the machine. I have a Singer heavy duty, so I wasn't worried about the bulk. Mixing knit with flannel can create some headaches, though, as one is stretchy and the other isn't. If you're ruthless with pinning you can make it work.

I then covered the raw edges with the black bias and sewed it in place on the machine. I went very slow so the knit wouldn't pucker or stretch out of place.

The end result, which I think looks quite good. Saving one sample garment isn't a big deal, especially when the fix was pretty simple, but it pushed me to step outside my comfort zone and really get creative. Lots of fun.

Comments

Love Triangle

The Inheritors (also known as The Heirs ) is an older k-drama that is more like an American soap opera, and yet has one of the best high-school love triangles I've ever seen. As the illegitimate son of a wealthy conglomerate chairman, Kim Tan (Lee Min-ho) was exiled to study in California so that his older half-brother could be groomed to step into their father's shoes. Instead he mostly surfs and goofs off. He meets Cha Eun-sang (Park Shin-hye), who comes to LA in order to escape her dismal life in Korea while bringing wedding money to her older sister, only to find out her sister has lied about her marriage, and is living in squalor. After the sister takes the money and runs off, leaving Eun-sang with no place to stay, Tan ends up alternately taking care of her and making her situation worse. He also falls for her, but she finally connects with a friend and returns to Korea. The money her sister took ends up forcing Eun-sang and her speech-impaired mom to mov...

Pretties

While at the antique mall where my donated throws were being sold I saw this pretty portait of a frog made out of beads, brooches, necklaces and other bling, and had to take a photo of it. This artist is so clever with how they recycle vintage jewelry and findings into new art. That day this little guy came home with me. He was cheap, made from a very old crazy quilt, very shabby, and has a serene quality that primitives sometimes possess. He'll be hanging out with me in the sewing room. Was it necessary to buy this? Nope. Do I regret the purchase? Nope. I also bought this apothecary jar filled with buttons, threads and other wonders. If you want to sort through it with me, check out more pics here .

Glorious. Kinda

Writing up my thoughts on the Chinese drama You are my Glory is going to be one of those head-scratchers; I liked it, it got annoying, I liked it anyway, it got more annoying. In the end I was left feeling like most of the last third of the series was smacking me on the nose for being a romantic and wishing, not for the first time, I was a screenwriter who could get hired to fix this script. Anyway, okay. The premise for this series is actually pretty good: poor but brilliant aerospace engineer Yu Tu (played by the fabulously handsome Yang Yang) crosses paths with fabulously wealth but not-too-bright actress Qiao Jingjing (portrayed by the genuinely pretty Dilraba Dilmurat) who was his high school classmate. He's looking for a new job that pays better; she's in hot water due to an inappropriate product endorsement snafu, and they end up spending a lot of time together. It's a cross between Notting Hill and Apollo Thirteen, sorta kinda. Yu Tu is in a life crisis ...

Rayen

Search This Blog