Do you have those refashion items that don't work but you can't quite let go? This is one of those: I like the colors, but it was all wrong when I put it on (length / fit / style).
It's been in my maybe one day pile for a long time.
Then one day when I was fossicking in my maybe pile that top and this striped one fell together. They shouldn't work because one is raspberry and the other grape and grey but they look the same colour when they are together by some weird alchemy.
Meant to be? Maybe, and maybe not. The neckline on this one is alarmingly stretched when wearing so there was one way for them to go together.
I messed about with options and then cut them apart for sewing back together better.
Which is when the 'fun' started. I cut the raspberry one / top part to my block pattern for knits exactly. But when I tried it on it was way too big. Did I stretch it all out of shape trying it on? Nope, checked against the pattern and it was fine. I safety pinned it on me to where it needed to go and that was about 8cm (3in?) each side. Unbelievable. I split the difference and took it in 4cm each side and that seem right next time I tried it on.
Then this - little did I know that the stripes were mismatched by 5 between one side and the other. Disguised on the original version but it would have been obvious against the block colour. Did I give up (when I should have)? NOooooo, I cut one side open, pinned every second stripe and sewed the striped section together - with wrong sides together. <Sigh>. Unpicked and sewed them together again. Then I had to finagle that sharp point at the bottom side seam, still matching the stripes. So. Much. Time. Then I stitched the top and bottom together perfectly aligned. Then I set in the sleeves...
...and tried it on and hated it. I dunno, maybe being tortured during the sewing process means I was never going to like it. I can't put my finger on it. I added the neck band and I'm going to donate it and hope it makes someone else happy. It's looks fine on Gabby there.
Lessons learned: 1. I don't have to save everything. 2. When it stops being fun, stop and do the next thing.
I hope your up-cycling is going well, now and in future. May it always be fun.
Mimi
3 comments:
I've been down that road too:). I kept telling myself till the end 'it wasn't so bad'. Cool that you shared this with us, anyway!
Hi Mimi,
Stripes have tricked me like that too. They seem even but they are not.
I don't like to give up on a refashion either but sometimes life is like that.
You did a great job putting the shirts together.
Chickie
Some refashioners & sewists call those projects "wadders" as in "wad them up & throw them away" or at least throw them on the donation pile, lol.
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