Worth It !

Four years ago I bought this skirt at a Worth trunk show. Worth is one of my favorite clothing lines, but the clothes are expensive. I consider my Worth purchases very special.

I never wore the skirt because it didn't fit correctly. I decided to remake it although I was a little nervous about cutting such nice silk. As soon as I released a few stitches in the lining the skirt fit beautifully and I realized it had been a manufacturer's error after all these years. Since I rarely wear long skirts these days I proceeded with the refashion and used this old New Look pattern as my guide.

Here is the fabric after I took the skirt apart.

Following are the steps I used:

1. I cut the pieces out from the bottom of the skirt and used the top for the facings.

2. There wasn't enough fabric to cut the back piece out without leaving two of the original skirt seams in place, but they aren't too noticeable.

3. I really wanted a lined skirt but didn’t want to disturb the pretty border, so I lined two of the panels and left the front panel unlined. I sewed the lining to the left front panel and the seam allowance on the back. The right front remained unlined. This worked well giving the skirt enough weight to hang properly and feel substantial.

4. I attached small ties on the left front and inside the back to hold the skirt together. I finished it with a button on the right front to hold the panel in place.

Remaking the Worth skirt was a positive move and I have a piece of clothing far more versatile than before. It was definitely W O R T H remaking!

www.goodbyevalentino.com

Grandmother's Sheet

On my third time around with this Cynthia Rowley pattern bySimplicity I decided to take a different route other than buying a new piece of fabric, and began this endeavor with a sheet I found while cleaning out my grandmother’s linen closet in 1998. The sheet with its beautiful hand crochet border was made by Grandmother’s neighbor who was a generation older than my grandmother. I suspect the sheet is around 100 years old at least.

I thought about making an apron or pillow with it but thankfully never got around to it.

I’ve always wanted a white tunic to wear with jeans, now I have a truly one-of-a-kind top with sentimental value.

Actually, I only had half of a sheet to work with, still trying to remember what I did with the bottom half of this sheet. Because of that I didn’t have enough fabric for the sleeves and had to piece them together. I put the heirloom sewing skills I learned 20 years ago to practice, and inserted a piece of lace in between the sleeve sections.

It’s easy in case you have never done it before.

My grandmother who lived in a small Kentucky town loved to play practical jokes on others and was constantly trying to get a rise out of people. She was always nicely dressed and had a gorgeous collection of Italian hats which I will never figure out! Grandmother would have never run around in an old bedsheet so maybe my tunic would get a rise out of her for a change.

My latest sewing project gave me not only a new f r e e piece of clothing, but also provided a gentle reminder that looking to the past often brings about modern results!

www.goodbyevalentino.com