Refashion July Month Series

Have you checked the great line-up we've got for you in July?

House of Estrela will be having amazing guests all through the month and now I am calling for you.

Yes, YOU! 

All of you who have seen this announcement and wished to be part of the refashion month! 

It is your chance to have a place and join the fun. Just let me know about your wish to be part of this by sending me an e-mail (edc_magda (at) hotmail (dot) com). Write REFASHION JULY in the subject, please. 

My weekends will be dedicated to sewalongers that would love to join and share your creations.
You will also be able to join by uploading your refashions to the flickr group that will be up in July. 

M(a)y Mending Month IX

Today I'm sharing just a small mending project. Last year I made my first flamenco dress, for my nearly one year old, as I mentioned here. Back then, I also made the nephew's pants and suspenders. And, took one ruffle off the niece's dress because it was too long. 

One year has gone and the Romeria week time came again and you know... kids grow! 

I had to sew the ruffle back to my niece's dress... and I did it all by hand. The dress was at my parents in Spain, and I couldn't fix it until I got there last friday evening. That's a lot of ruffle to sew by hand - let me tell you!

I also had to fix my little one's dress. I ripped the last ruffle off, and added a small band all around in order to attach the ruffle to it again, giving me extra lenght to the dress. The nephew's was just fine. A little too tight already, but at least I didn't have to put my hands on it. 

I left planning to make myself a flamenco skirt next year. Not sure I will, but I have it in mind. I fell in love with one from a little girl and I even took photos of it to rerember later... hehhe

M(a)y Mending Month VIII

I'm still not sure if I call it mending or refashioning. The thing is, my mom was given a Tintoretto dress, but the elastic on the back was too old and had lost elasticity. Besides, she didn't really like the fit. She wasn't sure if she wanted me to fix it for her or just give it to me, so I could turn it into something new for baby G.

The fabric was great, I loved it at first sight, so I didn't want her to give up on it that easy. I suggested to turn it into a tunic instead and she aproved the idea.

A few days ago, I finally took care of it (she wasn't waiting for too long though), changed the elastic on the back, and cut it from dress to tunic, hemmed and voilá! Easy peasy! And I still had a nice amount of the amazing fabric to try and turn it into something for the little princess. 

80's Inspired look

No need to say: 

I went the punk way!

I've put so much thought about this week that I nearly ended up with no time to join the week's theme sewalong over Project Sewn. At first I wasn't really sure I was going to do anything for this week, as I mentioned here. I really couldn't think of anything for this week. At least anything I would happily wear on a daily basis. 

Anyway, since I was getting short on time, I went the refashion way after I find a little inspiration point to start with. 

After looking at some pictures of the 80's a flash lighted in my head. It was also the decade of the sub-cultures! DAHHHH... how couldn't I think of that before? How?! Still can't understand how I couldn't remember that before. I've been a bit of a freak myself in the last few years, so of course I would pay homage to the early punk years... 

I looked for pieces I could use, and I found a t-shirt my loverboy wasn't using anymore and I loved too death. Don't ask me why I loved those ugly faces so much, but this has always been one of my fave t-shirts from him. Proud to say it is mine now!!! hehehe

Oh, and I also went after a pair of very old leggings. Well, they're not old, I bought them last year, but they weren't made of a great quality, and they've turned too tight, even for me (someone who wears an S size). After a little use they looked pretty pretty old. Before giving them up, I tried something on them. If it didn't turn good I wouldn't lament destroying a pair of leggins (a garment I can't live without). 

sorry for the bad pictures, only later I realised I needed to clean my lenses. 

I refashioned the t-shirt to fit me. I used a Burda pattern for the shirt but I had to adjust it in a few ways. One of them was the lenght to start and the most important was getting rid of some center pleats it had. I didn't want them to ruin my two beautiful faces. 

 

I used only the front of the t-shirt to remake mine. For the back I used a net fabric that I had bought in Lisbon in one of my trips a few years ago. I had quite a good amount and kept wanting to make something out of it for all those years. So far, I had only made a shirt a friend ordered me and that was it. I'm glad I finally used it for myself. 

I didn't sew any seams, I just finished it all with a zig zag stitch to get the punk look I wanted to. Too bad it isn't so easy to see in most pictures. 

For the leggings I cut two stripes of lace and add them to the sides of each leg. It made the fit of the leggings much more comfortable - remember I said they were too tight even for me?! And they got a new face. 

To put my look together I wore the two pieces with the shorts I've refashioned last year... which were just cuts I made on a pair of pants. I've put on my boots, which aren't Doc Martens (very popular in the 80's) but are what I have as close as the originals. Also a tacks belt, a cross necklace, long earings and I had the net gloves, but forgot them in the car. =( 

The weather got better and today I was able to play around in the beach with my family as we had fun taking a few pictures and enjoying the good weather. Here's a few goofy pictures. See how comfortable my outfit is? hahaha

If you'd like to vote for me, it will start tomorrow HERE, if not don't worry because I am here only for the fun!!! 

funny fact, when I got dressed hubby told me "you look like an 80's Madonna"

ahahahaha

Exactly boy!!! Think I achieved my goal!

There are so many ways to help...

When I reached my e-mail box this morning, I had an appeal from Suzanne Winter  to help the victims in Oklahoma by sending them our sewed items. You can read more about it in her blog.

As always, my heart is with those suffering, seeing their lives devasted by something they can't control. 

And of course I want to help too... I don't know about sewing something to send, because the post offices tend to take weeks to deliver something from here to the USA, but I am surely sharing this here, hoping to reach others that will able to help. 

<div align="center"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/2229044@N23/" title="Flickr group"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj212aRTeRoyQ0dv1Evrx5uEbs_Jr_f6d7m9BAtp597x20kO1kk3-5b2qBImw3jGMZmY8pyxMv1PRA2Vh-bey13sPdqaM2dMAo5pkE1TQXZlBwJwgNcV65kCAmpMerdKbZ-ce-QrF2vaDA/s320/button.jpg" alt="Flickr group" style="border:none;" />


Main Page Grab Button:

<div align="center"> <a href="http://patternrevolution.com/" title="Pattern Revolution"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj212aRTeRoyQ0dv1Evrx5uEbs_Jr_f6d7m9BAtp597x20kO1kk3-5b2qBImw3jGMZmY8pyxMv1PRA2Vh-bey13sPdqaM2dMAo5pkE1TQXZlBwJwgNcV65kCAmpMerdKbZ-ce-QrF2vaDA/s320/button.jpg" alt="Pattern Revolution" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

This is the address where items can be sent:

Green Style Creations

508 Conquistador Ct 

Edmond OK 73025.

There are so many ways to help... if you can't sew, try to spread the word, the more people we reach, the more people will help!

M(a)y Mending Month: Simple Invisible Stitched Hem Tutorial

First of all I'd like to apologise for the flash pictures, but  lately I have only been able to sew in the evenings, after G. is in bed - the problem is she has been refusing sleep, so she ends up sleeping much later and I end up with no time at all unless I'm up until 1a.m. on a daily basis. 

On my month's challenge, I've been mending clothes from the mending pile - which was getting way too big. I had (and still have a few) a lot of classic looking pants to hem. Here's how I make those, always by hand. 

And you're done. Any doubts and you know you're free to ask. 

Project Sewn and my own thoughts

This is 80's themed week at Project Sewn and as I try to decide (yet) if I join the sew along or not, I just had to share my thoughts hoping some of you will tell me back your own opinion about it. 

The 80's were rebellious. I was born in the early 80's. 1983 more precisally - actually by the end of 1983. When I thought that maybe I should join this week's sewalong, I found it funny to do something inspired at a picture from the year I was born. 

But then again. Seriously? Who, in right concious would do anything from the 80's? Ok, there are some acceptable pieces but most of them use colours I would never use... no way... and the shape? Oh Jesus, that shape... The 80's were creepy in my point of view. 

Then I tried to think/recall some of my mom's clothes from that time and get inspired. But all the clothes I can recall I would never wear either and can't find a way to recreate them now. 

So, if I join this week's sewalong, I am pretty much getting inspired in someone I adored back then. Someone that even though I didn't understand a single word of what she sang, I would sing along and dance like crazy... From her it was said that (...) look and manner of dressing, her performances, and her music videos influenced young girls and women and her style became one of the female fashion trends of the 1980s (...) the look consisted of lace tops, skirts over capri pants, fishnet stockings, jewelry bearing the crucifix, bracelets, and bleached hair.

Not too hard to know who I am talking about, right?!

Knock off Featured!

Heidi from Elegance & Elephants has featured my romper dress from her flickr group. 

I feel honoured. 

The knock off series she's hosting are my favourite of them all!!! 

=D

M(a)y Mending Month VI

Didn't I say it was mainly pants I had to mend? I wasn't kidding, I guess by the end of my challenge, if I get to fix all of the pants in the pile, I'll end up with more than double of what I already had...

Three more pairs here. Look how great they fit me now?!

I had to take in the waist in all three pairs and had to hem too. I was given the first and the third, and bought the red skinnies after having my daughter, all this time I've been just folding the hems and wearing a belt to keep them sort of in place... oppsssss... I'm really proud and happier to use the now, and I do that all the time since I love my red skinnies!!!!

Here's a closer look to my mendings. I forgot the sew the loop back on the white pants (the one in the middle), and I hand stitched the hem for this one with an invisible stitch - my personal favourite way of hemming classic styled pants. Sorry the hem picture is a bit blurry. 

The red one look ok on the outside but I was sewing a sort of a french seam inside and it got sloppy, I didn't really care to fix that since no one would actually see it but me (and all of you =/ Sorry!). 

The grey one... well I think this one was just perfect. It's neat and I didn't forget or miss any spot/bit. The insides are equally perfect and I even sewed back the label to it. 

I'm counting 6 pairs of pants already and I can tell you there's more to come!

Features make me smile!!!

It was a nice surprise to see that I got a new feature again today! This time over

especially because the featured dress, was meant to enter The Sew off competition hosted by Amy, if I did make it to that week's theme. =) 

Newest Feature!

The sweetest Shaffer Sisters have featured my top and dress =D

M(a)Y Mending Month: Folded Hem Tutorial

In my previous post, I told you that I made a folded hem on my pants to keep the original look. 

This kind of hem is really easy to do and adds a special detail to your finished piece. Today I am going to show you how to do it. 

Start by measuring the length you desire your garment to be. I needed to cut about 11cm from mine. Then go unpicking (1) the original hem. You'll be faced with a folded mark (2) and that's from here that we will work.  In picture number 3, I am showing you how it looks outside. Press (4) it all flat so you can work better. 

Let's work on the inside of your pants. Measure (5) how much distance from the folded mark (11cm in my image) up to the desires length of your pants. Measure 2cm down the folded mark (6). Then cut on that line (7). Fold your pants to the inside, using the upper line to guide you (8), and do some wide stitches just to keep it in place (9). I usually use pins but I figured it was much easier to do it this way in order to get a better finished look. 

You will fold it again (10/11) and pin it. Sew a straight line using your foot's distance (12), 0,5cm in mine. Then unfold and press your seams on the inside (13). And you're done (14). If there is any step that wasn't really clear, please feel free to contact me and I'll be glad to help. 

A while ago I have done a different folded hem tutorial. I wrote it in portuguese only though, in my other blog. Here's a link just in case you want to look at the pictures. Hopefully I'll get around to share that here too. 

M(a)Y Mending Month IV

Time for another mended piece. This was a great find. My sister works in a clothes department, and sometimes she can find us some very cheap clothes. This denin pants were one of those. They were 3€. I bought two pairs just because I couldn't decide which ones I liked best. These are darker, the others* are a little blueish(er).

What was the problem with them? Well to start the zipper was broken. It almost made me leave them here. If there's one thing that scares me is changing zippers. I don't fear adding them to a new garment I am sewing, but it just freaks me out when I have to change one. Go figure! 

The thing is, I avoid the task... like  a l w a y s ! This time though, I thought it'd be a good opportunity to improve my skills, and face my fears. I even had the perfect zipper I had saved from one of V.'s pants that I had cut to do baby G. something. 

Apart from that zipper, the only thing it needed was a new hem. I'm short, really short so I always have to cut a few cms out of my pants. I really liked the original folded hem, and wanted to keep it, so I just did the folded hem myself. If you want to know how, stay around, a tutorial will be up soon. And I love my new pants... the ironing part has been keeping me from using them... ooppppssss... gotta get my hands on that soon. 

You can see from the pictures how much I had to cut out of my lenght. And myself applied zipper... yay for me! It didn't turn out bad at all. 

*will have to Cut some lenght on these ones too!

M(a)Y Mending Month III

I haven't done this now, but I thought it'd be nice to share with you. 

I bought this old looking jeans, but it happens that they´ve frayed and got a hole too big after just a little use. Since they are skinnies and tight, it would look like I had a piece of flesh wanted to run out of the hole. I didn't like it at all. 

So, I thought of something to fix it, and this is what I got: I sewed with a zig-zag stitch, a piece of black lace in the holes place. Voilá! Now it's wearable again, everyone loves it, and it's become one of my favourites (no kidding, I am wearing them right now!).

The Black & White Striped Dress

As you might know by now, the lovely ladies from Project Run and Play, have recently launched a sister site that goes by Project Sewn. It's sort of a similar thing, but instead of kids sewing, this one is about selfish sewing, it is: sewing for ourselves. 

The first season/competition has started just a few days ago, and the rules are a little different from the ones over Project Run & Play. The first theme is Black and White, and here's my contribution... 

I really enjoyed all their weekly themes when I first read them last month, but I didn't mention anything about it here, because I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to sew along this time. I hoped so, and hoping was all I could do. You see, Spring is supoused to be a wonderful thing, right? But not in our home. Daddy suffers a lot with allergies, and he gets moody and stressed and it infects me too and I lose all my sewing disposal. 

So, I am really, really happy that I have finally done something I was planning for far too long. If I had made it to the 3rd week of The Sew Off competition, this is what I would have created. But I didn't and if it wasn't because of Project Sewn, I believe I wouldn't have finished (or even start it) yet. 

please just look at the dress and never mind my face... it was so windy, that all the front pictures of the dress looks awful... if not for my face, for the weird shapes the dress would get from the wind. Believe me, this was one of the best ones. 

Remember what dress was the very first I made when sewing along with Project Run & Play for the very first time? Exactly, the black and white striped dress for my daughter. Mine is a matching one. I had a lot of this fabric that I had bought like 4 years ago to make my nephew's Carnival costume (a prisioner), THIS one here. Back then I bought a large amont because I've always wanted a striped (B&W) dress. 

I used a pattern from a spanish magazine Patrones for the bodice and black band, the skirt was just gathered together and sewn to the top. It closes on the left side with an invisible ziper. The only thing I didn't like about this dress, is that the arm holes turned out too tight. They do fit me, but it gets a little uncomfortable. The problem was that I had to resize my pattern and I am almost sure I did it a size smaller. =( 

My sister saw the dress when it still was in construction the other day, and she was like "Who's pregnant?". lol She thinks it looks like a maternity dress, and honestly I do too, but I don't care. Having a second child is on my plans so I will feel pretty happy to wear it on a second pregnancy. 

Here's how it looks on the back. I just love the red of the shoes with black and white clothes. It's such a wonderful contrast. Don't you agree?!

And just because my little pie was playing around us and wanted to be part of my photoshoot, here's one of my favourite photos from today... Can you guess what's she's wearing? I'll give you a hint... soon there will be more about it. Oh, and yes... I did get my dress all wet!!!

So, now is time to go HERE to see what all the rest of the ladies are doing. 

In Project sewn you can vote for the designers but you can also vote for sew alongers. Great isn't it?

I think this is a wonderful incentive for sewing mammas that spend all their time on the little ones and forget about theirselves most of the time. 

M(a)y mending month II

I have a 21 year old niece. And she buys a lot of clothes everytime the season/fashion tendency changes. So, after each season, I always get a lot of clothes from her. The problem is that most of her clothes won't fit me on the boobies. She's an L and I am an XS. Which pretty much annoys me when there is something I really like.

Lately I've discovered I've got a thing about greys and browns, so I just couldn't donate one of those shirts she gave me. Here's my solution to fix the problem... 

I don't have a picture of it finished, (sorry!) but it looks just great. 

M(a)Y mending month I

As said before, this is the month I decided to go through the huge pile of clothes waiting for any kind of mending. There are mostly pants. I have a very thin waist and pants fit me well everywhere but always have to be a little taken in the waist. Since mending isn't really my favourite thing to do when it comes to sew, some of them have been waiting for years. Yes, you read it right, years. Some I never got to wear!

There are also button shirts with too puffy sleeves, tunics to be hemmed, seams to be done, etc etc etc. 

Today I am sharing one of the easiest things I had to do, and kept posponing for years... so you can see how much I hate mending... lol ... now, honestly, I don't understand why on earth it took me this much to just do a few stitches. 

I had these lovely pair of pants that fits me so well, I love the colour, the fabric, the shape, everything. It closes with a button placket on the front, and right under the placket there's a few stitches that used to unite both pieces of fabric together (I mean the right and left pieces), so my underwear wouldn't show. 

After using it just twice, those stitches fell apart and I never got to sew them together again. When I decided to go for the mending pile, this was one of the first things I did. I didn't even use the machine - I felt lazy to change the thread and did it by hand. It took me less than two minutes. Et voilá! I got myself a new pair of pants (back). 

July Refashion Month Announcement (Edited)

Have you been wondering about the Refashion Month button on my sidebar? Maybe you've seen it in some other blogs?! I will tell you all about it now.

Last year, I had a Refashion month in July here at House of Estrela. It was something small, most of anything, something personal. I did have one guest though. I have enjoyed it so much, and ever since my love for refashioning has only grown bigger.

So, YES, I am planning a new refashion month this year. Again in July, but this time around I wanted it to be bigger, much bigger, so I have invited a few of my favourite refashionistas and bloggers. Of course some of them couldn't make it. I was actually afraid most of them would say no to my invitation, so I couldn't be more honoured to have all of those amazing ladies sharing their skills with us. I can't stop thanking them enough for dedicating their time to my blog event.

Curious to know who's in for the challenge? Here's the line up!

Max California - Alida Makes - Feather's Flights - Nelesc Designs - Threading my Way - Serger Pepper - Mammy Made - Do Guincho - Sewing Mamma RaeAnna - Made with Love by Hulibug - Winter Wonderings Wanderings & Whatnot - Theresa's To do's - Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy!  - Mikelina Makes - Charity Shop Chic - Sew Chibi - Wunderbar Life - MellySews

I'm sure you'll want to come back in JULY to see what everyone comes up with. 

EDIT, May 15th: I'm so happy and honoured to announce that I will have two new guests joining in for the fun:

Carissa from Carissa Knits and Jillian from Refashionista! 
This is getting better and better!

Self Challenge for May

You know how I love a good challenge, don't you? So, when I looked to the pile of clothes I've been acumulating because they just need a little fixing I made my mind: I had to dedicate a whole month to mending those pieces. and I've started already. I will try to share as much as possible of those little fixing into my clothes... Did I mention I just  h a t e  mending?

It's going to be a good challenge for me!

Oh, and by the way... my Flower Fairy Dress was featured at Pam's Threading My Way! Thanks again, Pam!

Knock it off |sew along|

So, I told you about this dress I've been sewing lately. What I didn't tell you is that it was a knock off I had planned when I started it back in January. The KCW was the starting point for me to get my hands on it again, and the knockoff series over Heidi's blog was the perfect timing for me to show the finished product. 

It was done yesterday after dinner. But I thought it was too long, and unpicked, cut and pin in place again. I didn't feel like continuing sewing after that and only finished it this morning. It took me about 5 minutes. 

The inspiration (original) piece was the dress romper from the cathalogue from LaRedoutte. It costs 59,99€... I really liked it, but there's no way I was going to pay basically 60€ plus postage to order it. Especially when I could hit it for free! No cost at all. Oh I am so lucky I can sew some. 

I'm so sorry I haven't got a better picture of the original. =( But I guess it's enough to compare, right?!

I did make a few changes though, and I think it got even better... at least for me! errr...

Most important thing: baby G. loved it and did not refuse to use it. That's a bonus. But she was too moody today for photos. Too bad!

Again, I used fabric and supplies that I already had. The dark denin was given to me by my mother-in-law, and the lining are left overs from single sized sheets that I have turned into crib sheets. Since I didn't have 8 of the same colour buttons, I tried playing with them and mixed two tones of blue. What do you think about it? Honest answers are needed, please!

Oh, and just because I am very satisfied with it, here's one more picture.