Pastel Rainbow Stripe Three-quarter Sleeve Cardigan with Trim

As mentioned in the last post, I recently received a very generous amount of fabric scraps left over from someone's clothing projects.  I had quickly sorted the larger pieces into the larger yardage storage when I first got them, and I decided the other day to sort all of my ribbing, more fully integrating the new stuff with what I already had.

This quickly showed me that I now had enough rib knits to make a complete, if pastel, rainbow.

Well, what could I make from this combination?  I did a bunch of burn tests and confirmed that all of them were, if not fully synthetic, then at least still blends (except for the yellow—it sparked and flared like a sparkler, and dripped, showing that it's 100% nylon.)  That meant I didn't necessarily want it in direct contact with my underarm area, so...cardigan?

I got out Simplicity 8951, for once planning to go with its as-given ¾-length sleeves, since they're the same length as the cardigan body, which meant I wouldn't have to make any length adjustments to the stripes.

I cut the strips for the shoulder area much wider than everything else, because I wasn't sure how much area would be needed to cut the tops of the shoulders and sleeves, and I cut everything else in 3½" strips.  I sewed everything together with roughly 3/8" seam allowances, using straight stitch for the assembly and serging the seam allowances.  I cut the pattern pieces from those assembled strips, figuring that would be a lot less hassle than trying to cut each strip also in the proper shape before assembly.

I did refer back to the post about making the patchwork cardigan, and that reminded me to put a drop of FrayCheck on each seam end right after it was cut, to hold it together long enough to get sewn into a construction seam.

I had originally planned to cut the neckband, cuffs, and waistband from the pale pink, just because I had so much of it left.  Once I realized that I would be most likely to wear the cardigan with my black dresses, I changed the plan to cutting those bits from black.

I was also not super happy with how the seam allowances between the stripes were laying, so I considered top stitching through them to hold everything down.  But what color?

I had done the strip assembly and initial body construction in beige, but I didn't really want that visible.  Black top stitching would make sense, but I felt it would look rather underwhelming against all of the other colors.

So...what about adding black trims...? And a different one at every seam.

Sure, why not. 

After that, black buttons were only logical.

Seven Slapdash Sleep Shirts

For quite a while, I've been sleeping in thrifted T-shirts that had gotten too worn out in everyday use.  I'd thrift a shirt, wear it until it started developing holes or other signs of damage, and, if I didn't creatively repair them for continued dressing use, retire them to the pajama drawer.  However, since I drastically cut back how much I thrift, my T-shirt supply has dwindled, and the pajama shirts have started more or less disintegrating.

Not too long ago, someone I've known online for ages asked if I'd like some fabric—left over from her clothing sewing projects—that should be good for doll clothes, and I said Sure, Thanks!  The parcel arrived and the generous amount of knit cloth was indeed a good weight for doll clothes.  The quantity would have taken me years to sew through if limited only to doll use (and probably had a lot passed on to other doll sewing people—in fact, I just sent two huge boxes of doll appropriate fabric remnants off myself); however, a lot of the pieces were large enough to be able to use for ribbing in person-sized sewing projects, so I sorted out those bigger pieces and put them on the large yardage shelves, then crammed the rest into the small yardage knits drawer.

I realized a few days ago that I just might be able to solve the sleep shirt problem with the larger odds'n'ends of the gift knits.

And I did!

Groovy

A friend thrifted a big bold piece of PeterMax-inspired fabric, and later surprised me with it.

The selvedge says Peter Pan Fabrics, but, given that Peter Pan Fabrics was around from the 1940s to the early 2000s and pretty much never changed the way they put their name in their (unlicensed print) selvedges, I am genuinely unsure if the fabric really is from the late 1960s/early 1970s, or if it's from the late 1990s revival of that groovy era aesthetic.

Either way, it's vintage, right?

After receiving the surprise package containing this fabric, I pretty quickly thought it would be a lot of fun to make it into a button up dress shirt.

I did not so quickly get around to making it, but, now I have.

 

It could never have been anything but ridiculous.

Petticoat Function

When making the lattice print skirt, I got very sidetracked by the decision to line it—sidetracked because the fabric I thought I would use had been set aside to make a petticoat.  I knew it wouldn't take all of it to make the petticoat, but I didn't want to use it in the skirt lining first, then discover there wasn't enough left to make the petticoat.  So!  Pause the lattice skirt to make the petticoat.

 

Lattice

About two years ago, a visit to the craft thrift store found a length of very 1990s rayon, which I bought after being overwhelmed by nostalgia, but with no clear plans for it.  I honestly thought I'd make it into a button up shirt, because I could very much imagine that's something I would have worn in high school.

And, after making the previous few simple shirts, I was ready to make this one!  So I got out the fabric and...didn't want to make it into a shirt.  I briefly considered a dress, but I'm not the right shape for anything that seemed suitable for that fabric in that quantity.

I've also wanted to make some simple dirndl type skirts, and I realized that the nice heavy swish of the rayon would be very good for that.  The fact that it's predominantly white did make me pause, for various reasons, but...that swish was just so nice...

The thought process then went on to "Well, it definitely needs pockets," followed by "There's not enough of this fabric to make self pockets, so I'd need to use something else" and "Any pockets would be clearly visible through the white fabric, as well as any underwear," so that's how I ended up also lining it.

This means I still haven't made a simple dirndl style skirt, but I did make this one!

 

I am surprised by how much I like it.

Smaller Big Floral Shirt

The previous project was a more wearable shirt made from the remnants of a more ridiculous shirt, and this one is, too.

The ridiculous shirt project this time was the peter pan collar trapeze shirt I made at the end of last year; the more wearable shirt is once again the heavily hacked Burda 7831, the no darts version.

 

 It is, predictably, a very loud shirt.

Swiss Dot, More Wearable (maybe)

In fall of 2023, I made a ridiculously frilly shirt with some delicate swiss dot cotton I happened to find in the Walmart mill end precuts bins.  There was a decent amount of the fabric left, and I figured I'd make a much more plain shirt from it (although I'm not sure if I'd say "more practical," because there's nothing practical about the idea of me trying to wear white without getting it stained and grungy.)

Then, last September, I made a vest and vaguely coordinating skirt and immediately knew I wanted to make the basic swiss dot shirt to go with them.  Nine months later, I finally have! 

And then: So Many Doll Clothes

Someone very kindly sent me a box of really good dolls, so I wanted to make something to send back as thanks.  Of course, I wanted it to be die-cut patchwork, so I started digging through my scrap bin, looking for a relatively masculine assortment, with the idea being to make a jacket in Ken size.

And then I also found some other assortments of scraps to use for doll dresses, so I cut those into squares...and had so much fun cutting those squares that I decided to get into some of the bags of scraps I'd already sorted out, and cut those, too.  And, as long as I was making scrap bag dresses, why not make a few more dresses from handkerchiefs?  Ooh, and from some of the very distinctly vintage fabrics a different doll friend had sent...and some dresses made from the last bits of some cottons...and some dresses that just seemed like suitable ideas at the time...

And eventually ended up with these 

 

 and these! 

The items in the top photo will be going to other people, eventually.  The items in the lower photo are all mine, and many of the dolls modeling were sent in the package that inspired the whole project.  Thanks thanks!