Gray A-Line Fix Fix

About two years ago, I sewed a gray wool blend A-line skirt.  It's a good basic piece that was too small at the waist.

I decided at some point to 'fix' that...and managed to make it too large.  Things weren't helped by my brilliant idea to make the newer, larger waistband from a nice soft knit.

Now, I lived through the late 90s, so a skirt that sits below my natural waistline is not out of the question, but the effect of this one doing that was that the hem landed at a rather dowdy length.

Plus, I had applied that soft comfortable new knit waistband in my usual "sew to the back and flip around to the front, where the edge is stitched down" way, and that does not work as well on a soft floppy knit as it does on a crisp, interfaced woven.

I finally sat down and really fixed it.

A Revisited Skirt Revisited

Nearly two years ago, I took an old idea I'd used on a much earlier thrifted skirt and applied it to a freshly-made skirt.  It turned out well, but...the waistband was, even then, too small to be comfortable.

Since that skirt was made from the sheath version of New Look 6843, it would have been cut in size 16.  So my brain, after making the size 16 New Look 6843 sheath skirt in the previous post work, wondered if I could do something similar with this one.

The first thing I did was remove the waistband.  I let out the back darts by stitching from the point to the edge, tapering to a presser-foot-width from the upper edges, on both the shell and lining darts.  Then I picked out the original stitches.  I couldn't let out the front darts, because one had been decoratively stitched over so it would have been some trouble to change, and I wanted to keep the front symmetrical so I didn't touch the other dart.  Instead, I let out the upper side seams by sewing from the original stitching a few inches above the hem, tapering quickly to a presser-foot-width inside the edge of the serged seam finishing.  Then I removed the original stitching in those areas and pressed everything.

I barely had enough of the wool blend fabric to make the original waist band (I had forgotten that it was pieced) so it was no problem deciding to use a different fabric for the replacement, larger waistband.  I used the same black twill as another (A-line) 6843, but made it as wide as the waistband from Simplicity 9815.  The shades of black of the twill and the wool blend aren't the same, but I don't generally dress in a way that exposes waistbands, so it gets a pass.

(If I ever get a proper belt, I might add belt loops.)

Four Month Fix

 I made this doll print shirt in late June.  The sleeves were too long.

It was the same problem I had with a shirt I made in September, but that time I noticed it and decided to do something about it.

Today, I finally made the same alteration to the doll print shirt.

I have two more shirts that can use the same alteration.  Maybe someday...

Salvaged Fruit Shirt

 OK, the shirt I posted yesterday and its horrible awful unforgivable print repeat: I fixed it.

Wool Slip Fix

 So a few weeks ago, I made a slip jumper from bias cut subtly plaid wool.  It fit very strangely.

I realized it was because the facing was not cut on the bias, and that led to...ah...unflattering compression at the bust.

So I decided I had nothing to lose by cutting the facing very short, cutting the top of the lining to match the contour of this new facing edge, then sewing them back together

This way, the facing is still there cut on-grain for stability, but doesn't extend over body parts that need the kinds of contours that on-grain fabric doesn't offer so easily.

The lining got a lot shorter, so I picked out the lining's hem, which regained a lot of length, and just serged it.

It's not beautiful, but it just might actually get worn.

Halloween Patchwork Jumper Fix

 Last year, I made a Halloween-themed patchwork jumper from Kwik Sew 4138 McCall's It's Sew Simple 9603 (they're the same pattern.)  Since it was a new-to-me pattern, I chose a waist size that ended up larger than needed

and only got around to fixing that this week

(inadvertently spooky photo?)

I tried it on and pinched out the waistband so it felt comfortable on my waist, instead of falling generously below it--ended up being 3"

I picked out a few inches of top stitching around the waistband side seams, four times for each side, plus several structural seams, to free the skirt and expose the seams.  It was annoying work.

Then I cut off the seam allowances at those waistband side seams and sewed new seams at ¾", followed by gathering the skirt a bit more to fit the new waist band width between the untouched stitching, then sewed everything back together.

I do not care that there are now thick lumps of back tacking on the top stitching.  No-one's going to be getting close enough to my waist to see.

Now, maybe I'll finally wear this!  ...mostly next year, since this year's Halloween is only a few days away.

Small

 OK, absolute transparency: my last period wiped out motivation for a few weeks.  It's still not really back yet, but I have managed a few small projects

Oh, another update

 Just over a year ago, I made this shirt, and the sleeve bands were incredibly tight, even after I let them out a bit.  The shirt was unwearable.  So!  Today I picked out the sleeve band stitching, cut slightly longer bands on the bias, and sewed 'em back on.  Much better!