Tutorial: How to make a visible knee patch and fix a hole

Scroll down for english, please. 

Comecemos este post com algo ao qual as mães estamos bem habituadas: buracos nos joelhos das calças dos nossos filhos. Quem está comigo? 👋👋👋 O meu miúdo de quatro anos não é exceção À regra e aqui ando eu a tentar arranjar as dele. Quando dei conta da existência deste buraco, tentei arranjá-lo costurando à mão um pedacinho de tecido no interior do mesmo. Claro que os pontos depressa cederam, logo na primeira vez que as usou. 

Let's start this post with something mom's are pretty used to see: knee holes in our boys pants. Who's with me?! 👋👋👋 My four your old active little one is no exception and here I am trying to fix them. The first time I noticed this hole was getting too big I tried to fix it by hand stitching a patch to the knee hole area. Of course my stitches gave in after the first tiem he used them. 

Se forem como eu, fogem de arranjos como o diabo da cruz. Na verdade, são na maioria coisas rápidas de se fazer, mas só de pensar em descoser, não é? Bem, acompanhem-me lá, e com o vosso melhor sorriso vamos lá arranjar essas peças adoradas que precisam de um carinho extra. 💪

If you are anything like me, you'll avoid fixing clothes as much as you can. They are quick fixes most of the time, but just the thought of unpicking seams and all that. Right? Well, bare with me, put on your best smile and get to your machine to fix all those loved clothes that need just a little extra care. 💪

Para trabalhar melhor nessa zona, o mais sensato é começar por descoser a lateral da perna (a que não está pespontada) o suficiente para se conseguir costurar depois na máquina (1). Depois, usa-se um retalho de um tecido semelhante ou então algum que contraste se assim desejarmos. Eu usei um retalho do mesmo tecido que usei para o arranjo da calça da minha filha (último post), e como o tecido é fino, usei também um retalho de ganga para dar mais corpo (2). Coloquei o direito do tecido com motivos no avesso das calças (onde estava o buraco), e coloquei o retalho de ganga por cima desse. Alinhavei ambos às calças (3) e costurei à volta com um ponto em zigue zague (4). 

To better work on the knee area, you should unpick the side seam (the one that is not topstitched) just as much as you need to comfortable sew on your machine (1). Then use a scrap of a similar fabric and optionally a contrasting one if you want it to show in your patch. I did use a scrap of the same fabric my daughter chose for me to fix her's too (last post), and because it is a lighter fabric, I used to denim to give it a bit more weight (2). I've put the printed fabric right side to the wrong side of jeans (covering the hole), and the denim on top of it. Then basted both scraps to the leg (3) and sewed it with a zigzag stitch all around (4).  

Para terminar, trabalhasse pelo direito da peça. Usei um ponto a direito e passei pelo retalho várias vezes de uma ponta à outra. Normalmente coso uma linha a direito, e depois com a agulha em baixo mudo para o ponto de coser atrás e vou indo intercalando, só tendo que segurar o tecido para dar aquele efeito de zigue zague profundo. Virem as calças para o avesso novamente, fechem a lateral e é só chulear as costuras. 

To finish, work from the right side of the leg. Use a straight stitch and top stitch the patch from one side to the corner. I usually sew a straight line, then with my needle down switch to back stitch and sew another carefully guiding the fabric to make the deep zigzag effect. Turn pants wrong side again, close the side seam and finish it. 

Tutorial: How to add extra lenght to your kids pants

Scroll down for english, please. 

Todos sabemos que num dia os nossos filhos vestem as suas calças preferidas, e no dia a seguir ficam-lhe demasiado curtas, certo? Eu, pelo menos, acho que já passámos todos por ai. E isso é o que aconteceu recentemente com todas as calças de ganga da minha filha. Continuam a servir-lhe, excepto no comprimento. Para resolver esse probleminha, e evitar ter de comprar calças novas tão cedo, optei por alongá-las um pouco. 

We all know that one day your child is wearing his fave pants and the next they are too short, right? Well, I think we've all been there. That's what recently happen to most of my girl's jeans. They still fit her except for lenght. To fix this little issue and avoid buying new ones so soon, I decided to add in some extra lenght.

Fica aqui um breve passo a passo de como o fazer, caso também precisem.

Here's a quick tutorial on how to do it, in case you need to as well. 

1. 

Começa por descoser a bainha e apenas um pouco das laterais das pernas das calças. 

Start by unpicking the hems and a bit of the legs side seams. 

2. 

Mede a largura da perna da frente e de trás. 

Measure the width of front and back leg piece. 

3. 

Corta duas peças (uma para a frente e uma para trás) para cada perna. Cada peça deverá medir de largura o mesmo que as vossas pernas e de comprimento o extra que querem acrescentar às calças x2 + 2cm para as costuras. Imagina que queres deixar as calças 5cm mais compridas, então cortas 12cm de comprimento. Dobra essas peças ao meio no comprimento, com o avesso com avesso, e vinca com o ferro. 

Cut two pieces (one front and one back) for each leg. Each piece should be width the same as your leg's, and lenght the one you need to add to your kid's pants x2 +2cm for seams. Image you need to add 5 cm more, you should cut a 12 cm piece. Fold them lenght wise, wrong sides together and press.

 4. 

Prende cada uma das peças às calças, e cose-as, chulei-a as costuras (se o tecido tiver algum padrão, certifica-te que ao virar para o direito este fica na posição correta). 

Pin it to your pants and sew, finish seams (if there is a pattern on the fabric, make sure it won't be upside down once you sew). 

5. 

Cose à máquina o lado que tem o pesponto na costura primeiro. Passa a ferro. 

Sew the side with the topstitching first. Press seam. 

6. 

Pesponta por onde já estava antes. Fecha o outro lado das calças e vinca a ferro a costura para cima. Podes pespontar a faixa que adicionaste ou deixar assim. 

Topstitch in the same place it was before. Close the other side of legs and press seams towards the top. You can either topstitch the band or just leave as it. 

Parabéns! Acabaste de arranjar as calças da tua criança e evitaste uma visita à loja mais próxima. No próximo post trago-vos outra forma de remendar umas calças e prolongar a sua vida. 

Congratulations! You have finished fixing your kid's pants and avoided a trip to the nearest store. I will bring you another quick fixing tip, that will allow you to extend pants life, in my next post. 

My balance |Fabrics, Refashioning & Thrifting|

It wasn't on my top 5 goals for 2015, but really, I don't need to add that anymore. Sewing from my stash and my refashion clothes pile has just become part of who I am and how I sew. I realised over the last couple of years that sewing doesn't have to be expansive. In fact, I can save a lot while sewing. Last year I tried to keep track of how much I was paying for the supplies I bought, but I got lost somewhere in between and I couldn't keep up with it. This year, I am planning to get a bit more organized, I have a folder on my computer, where I add photos of supplies, fabric, thrift clothes I buy with the information of how much I spent for each item. 

Even though I commited to not buying new fabrics last year, I did get a few new ones. I didn't buy them all, I got a couple from my grandma's friend, as birthday gifts from hubby and also from online sewing friends. In the list of the ones I bought there are more knits than wovens, for the simple fact that those weren't much in my stash before, so I needed these more than the other. When I look at my fabric piles right now, these new in 2014 included, I realise I lack on boys appropriate fabric. I have a few that are gender neutral, but most of them are really for girls. Because of that, I will allow myself buying new fabrics anytime I need it, even though I will always try to go for refashioning. There's all sorts of fabric prints and types in that pile. Some of the fabrics on the photos are already leftovers from pieces I made last year, which is a good sign, I bought them, but I have used them too. I haven't used a lot of them for the simple fact that most of them were bought after S. was born, which was also when I decreased my sewing projects for lack of time or mood. 

I was donated so many clothes last year. Closer to the end of the year I chose through it again and have donated a few of them myself too, there's just too much in my stash already and every now and then I have to do this. It was all getting too messy. I have used some of the pieces from the first photo below as they were, they were given to me by my own who got a little extra weight, and gave it all to me. 

Go ahead. Have fun trying to figure the pieces I have used from these piles already. There are a few. Anyway, a few were donated, and the pile is slightly shorter. I still have too many pieces to go through, and still, it always seems like enough is never enough when you are an addict. Last week I went thrifting in my favourite charity shop. And it is my favourite because all adult clothes and shoes cost 1€ and all kids clothes and shoes cost 0,50€, which is the closest to nothing. I usually thrift for refashioning, but often I fall in love with a piece and buy it to use as is. This was the case this last time. I didn't fall in love, but I was looking for specific warm shirts for both my kids, knitted ones because I don't knit. I eneded up bringing that and more, much more, but all costed me 9,50€, so, why should I complain. 

The butterfly are pieces for G. Ladybug for me (even though the blue skirt was going into my stash until I tried it on and realised I loved it, i just have to fix the waist at 1" less probably), those shoes were NEW, never used before. Snail goes into refashion and the bee is for S. They had so little to his size for boys. 

Sewing from my Stash and Refashioning

NOTE: long post, I made this mostly for myself, so I can keep track of what I have, but it might inspire someone.

Just a little more than a year ago, I joined a challenge of sewing from my stash. Actually I had started doing it before,  but by the time I blogged it, I shared some photos from the stash I had. I am pretty sure I forgot to take photos to some things I already had, but not much. 

Yesterday I thought I would take some photos of the fabric I have right now, after I've spent an entire year buying as little fabric as I could. The first thing I can tell from one year to another is how much more organized I got, and how much better my fabric piles look right now. I've been organizing it bit by bit and some of the fabric is still out of place, but I will get there.

To start, I have moved my fabric from one place to another over and over for the last year. In the photo above you can see my smaller pieces of fabric shelves. They are three of them, I was using the first one for my Burda, Patrones and Manequim pattern magazines. The pile grew and I moved them somewhere else. The two shelves below held my scraps. I can spot a few from there that I no longer have, they have been used already.

Right now, in the next photo, is the same three shelves. They still hold smaller pieces of fabric, but I have fold them properly (or at least much better) and have been trying to organize them by colours. White and black on the top one (and a bit messy right now) and the two below holding the other colours. I think this is the pile that looks much smaller than the one from the previous year. I was able to use a lot of them for my duvet cover.

The next 2 photos below are 1. refashioning clothes and 2. boxes of small scraps, and all the large pieces of fabric I had last time I photographed them. 

When looking at the refashioning pile I can spot at least 9 pieces that were already turned into something else. But they weren't that organized either. There was much more underneath. 

As for the bigger pieces of fabric, I was able to return some to that business partner I had, and I know I used some of them... not as much as I'd like though. Since they are big pieces, they were used, but I still have some left. 

Anyway, if you've missed it, by the end of 2013 I've put up a post with pictures of everything I made using my faric stash and everything I made that was refashioned. Find it HERE. 

 

I'm now determined to keep my fabric organized and visible at all times. Bigger, medium and smaller pieces of fabric, all have to be quickly found when it comes to start a new project. I have been saving card boxes of different sizes so I can store the different sizes of fabric in them. So far, here's what I got:

1. Bigger pieces of fabric - the ones on the vertical are the ones that are already wrapped in the card, the ones on the horizontal are waiting for card for their own. I am trying to keep them by colours. 

2. This used to be a CD case, but when destashing my cds, I threw the covers away, saved them in folders and saved myself A LOT of space. I was going to either give away or try to sell the case, but then I looked at it with different eyes and since it has do many small shelves, I thought it'd be perfect to keeo those very small pieces of fabric that I find hard to part with. It isn't organized yet. I just started there, but it will be in time. Right now you can see medium pieces of fabric in that bigger shelf on the side, refashioning items I bought this year already and are waiting to be put in the right place and if you look to the bottom shelf of the photo, you can spot a yellow fabric, already folded, together with a few others of blue tones. That is what I plan to do all over here. 

3. A box of refashioning potencial items. Most of it, is a fur jacket older than I am that belonged to my mother. 

4. The biggest pile. Underneath (lower shelf), there are clothes for refashion... I got a lot (donated) by the end of the year, so I have even more than I had before. On the top shelf, I have - for now - the very small scraps in the boxes and then there are left overs from previous refashions. Yes, it's a huge pile, but I have a problem of getting to attached to fabric... I always believe I will need them in the future. Eventually I did use some in other projects but most just stay there. 

I did manage to fill a fabric bag with lots of scraps and fabrics I didn't want anymore last year and donated too. And I've tried to put some away as I organized them this time, but not much was out. I am trying to work on this and see if it gets easier to part from those fabrics I don't need or won't use. 

Oh, and I realised as I organized my fabric stash, that most of my bigger pieces are of solid colours. Maybe that's something I should point when it is time to mention my signature style for Project Run and Play & Project Sewn sew alongs... right?!

January Refashion Month with Desarae from Gladness of Heart

Happy to be back for another week of Refashion Month! Have you guys been enjoying all the guest's posts so far? There's more goodness, and great inspiration to come. 

Today, we're starting a new week with Desarae from the blog Gladness of Heart. I met her when competing in the Refashion Runway II, I was always amazed at how great her refashions were , especially when knowing she had started sewing that same year.  I was so happy she made it to the final week and I was able to see her sewing through all themes. And of course I never stoped following her to see what else she has stored. 

...

Refashioning is an amazing skill that makes you feel empowered and liberated

when it comes to clothes and fashion!

No longer are you limited to the style and fit of dingy thrift store cast offs,
 now you can create your own fashionable pieces with a little time, effort, and some imagination.

But for some, the freedom of 'sewing outside the lines'
affectionately known as refashioning, can be pretty intimidating.

Maybe you are a great seamstress, but without your patterns,
you feel lost.

Sewing from a pattern and refashioning have similar overtones, but are very different.

I like to compare it to baking and cooking; one requires exact amounts and recipes

while the other involves a lot of improvisation based on what you have and what you need.
The basics are the same, you just have to trust your instincts and rely on personal taste.

Now, say you have never sewn before...in your life.
Then refashioning is the perfect place to start!
 Take it from someone who learned how to sew by refashioning.

Here are some steps to help you get started!

1. Start Small

Don't overextend yourself and try to tackle a project that is too involved on your first try.
Start with a simple project, like shortening long sleeves,
chopping the length off a dress or skirt, or turning pants into shorts.
Once you feel comfortable, work your way into more challenging projects.

Never despise small beginnings!

One of my first refashions was very simple.
I turned a long sleeve button-up into a scoop neck tank top.

 

Here, I turned a too-small skirt into a top!

2. No Attachment Issues 

Sometimes it can be hard to cut into a piece of your own clothing
that has memories attached to it and has been in your wardrobe for a while.

When starting out, a great idea is to pick out a piece from your local thrift store,
this makes it much easier to cut apart!

3. Check it Over 

 One sure fire way to disrupt a project
is realizing there is a stain or hole in an obvious spot on your garment.
This isn't always a deal breaker, if the problem area is located at a spot
you intend to take in or cut off, then it can be worked around.
 But if they are front and center, it can ruin the whole piece.
Always check it over first.

4. Pay Attention to Fabric
Keep in mind the type of fabric you are working with.
For beginners, cotton or linen are the best choices.
They won't stretch on you like knits, making them easiest to work with.
If you plan on combining two different fabric types,
take into consideration whether they will work well together.

 

This silky refashioned top turned out beautiful in the end,
but working with this slippery fabric almost did me in!

Make fabric choices according to your skill level,
and be sure you have the correct needle to accompany it.

5. Copy Cat

Here is a no brainer!
When you are just starting out,
nothing makes it easier than following in the footsteps of someone who has gone before you!
Find an easy refashion tutorial from one of your favorite refashionistas and sew along!
When they have it all laid out for you, it is hard to go wrong!

My two very first refashions were copy cats
from some tutorials I found on Pinterest.
I would highly recommend them.
You can read about them here. 

6. Fit is Everything

 Sometimes all it takes to bring your piece up a notch is the proper fit.

Fitting the shoulders, sides, and arms can make all the difference.

Here, a few fitting tweaks like pleats at the shoulders,
and a pleat at the back, was all I needed to make this piece great!

 

In this refashion,
I address how to fix gaping arm holes as well as fixing the neckline that was too wide.

7. Try on First, Cut After

 After following all of these great tips, you might whip up the perfect refashion,

only to ruin it all by cutting too soon.

Once you have made adjustments,
always try on your garment before you cut off the excess material from you new seams. 

If the fit is as you want it, then proceed with trimming off the bulk.

8. Bigger is Better

If you are planning a major refashion overhaul,

or any project really that is more than basic fitting changes, then bigger is always better! 

The more fabric you have to work with, the more you can do!

 A great example of a 'big' refashion is this coral blazer.
From all that excess fabric, I was able to make a peplum jacket! 

9. Sew Inspired

You know that adorable skirt you have been drooling over?

Use it as inspiration for your next refashion!
Start thinking in terms of "could I make that?"

I recommend starting a board on Pinterest, or just a folder on your computer.
If you see a piece of clothing you really like, with some great details,

pin it on your board so you can revisit it later for inspiration.
You would be surprised how much you can replicate from mainstream fashion!

I refashioned this peplum top based off the above inspiration piece!

Turned out pretty similar, didn't it?

and finally,

10. Don't Be Afraid!

  Sometimes making the first cut can be scary...
you might not know exactly what to do...
but don't be afraid!
Remember.
They are just clothes.
If you ruin something, it won't be the first time
(remember that Pinterest recipe that bombed?? Yeah...we all have 'em.)
and it isn't the end of the world.

Don't be intimidated.
  You don't need a sewing studio,
with all the special gadgets and do-hickeys, in order to refashion. 

You don't need a dress form (the floor works great),
a serger (zig-zag or pinking shears can do that job fine),
or any special classes.

Oh, and some bonus advice...

Each piece has a life of its own.
Sometimes what you want to do just won't work on a particular style.

Play with it, see how it falls, see what works-
eventually it will take on its own flare and become what it wants to.

So go on...pick up those scissors...

Ready?
Set...
Refashion!