fitzfabulous

Disgusting. I’m so sick of all this cashing in on what should be simplification.

The Phila Inquirer had a bit about the local design school’s trashion show — clothes from shower curtains and magazine pages — the same weekend the silly NYT ran some ridiculous magazine blurb about eco fashion. Now I’m getting better about considering the total cost of food and clothing nowadays, but that doesn’t mean unbleached “green” cotton should cost thousands of dollars. How insulting!

Anybody besides me sick to death of the commercialization and mass marketing of projects like this one we’re all in?

On that note, tomorrow, I renew a pledge:

“I still pledge that I shall refashion, renovate, recycle preloved items for myself for 6 more months. I pledge that I shall create and craft items of clothing for myself with my own hands in fabric, yarn or other medium.”

I first pledged the Wardrobe Refashion mantra Aug. 1, 2007, hoping to get through the Christmas season without buying new crap. Now it’s just a way of life that’s so second nature. I spend a lot of time thinking about crafting, and really, I should be using more of that time to exercise. But I love looking like noone else around, I love that I spend time making my clothes fit my body not the other way around and I love thumbing my nose at mass produced crap. I also love seeing the creative potential in everything around me.

Life is good.

My Mister’s sister is crazy for pink. I suspect it’s to prove her tacit credos that redheads can wear whatever they like, and so can tough broads.

She also teaches at a Chicago Public School, and hates mixing her ‘normal’ wardrobe with her teacher clothes. So she has a sort of double wardrobe.

I don’t know where this vintage handmade blouse will end up, but I spotted it at a suburban Salvy and plunked down the $.75, thinking if she doesn’t like it, she’ll donate it back. Or she’ll hand it back and we’ll put it up for a few $ on etsy. It has a wide, trapeze shape, and the sleeves were sewn on in three pieces.

Plus, the pink circles are mesmerizing. I had to repair the sleeve and bottom hems.

I think it worked.

Card by Rar Rar Press, Chicago.

My mister has a fantastic auburn stash growing under his nose. And I have a fabric stash growing under a terrarium (it sits atop a bookcase, stuffed with folded fabric).

Totally just added to it. 70 degree weather (!) inspires all kinds of growing. And whenever the Joann has a 50% off the clearance fabrics sale, I totally stock up on basics and stuff for baby gifts. Some sewers advocate a five yard minimum when buying fabric for unknown purposes, but I’m more of a two-yard sewer. I don’t wear big dresses or full skirts, so two yards - esp. 60-inch fabric- is usually enough for pants, A-line skirts and most tops for me.

Too bad they didn’t have any plain denim. I’ve been itching to make a warm weather denim wrap dress using the BurdaStyle Desira pattern I’d lengthen like this one I already made for my favorite little girl.

Jojo did have:

Weird white cotton with red print of pheasants and old-timey looking couples. Will line something. Or turn into a blouse.

Gray lightweight twill for a Desira wrap dress.

Wine colored polished cotton. Some kind of summer dress.

Brown cotton with subtle black stripes and little dots for a spring top - the Ellinor Sew Along with Nikkishell.

Eggplant crepe backed satin. I really have a purple dress problem.

And this black stretch terry for one of these outfits, thrifted in a ratty Chicago spot:

Also bought this McCall’s pattern because of the hats.

I’ve been wanting to use two angora sweaters I managed to shrink to copy my favorite Kangol furgora jeff cap but have had zero luck finding a pattern. This little cap (E) is sweet and close enough for now. Will try it out using a chunk of heavy denim from this Freecycled bag of scraps.

Anyone know where to find great hat patterns?

Home tonight on a Friday. Sort of weary and uninterested in dealing with the outside world. My Minna top is coming along nicely, but I’ve reached the point where I’ll wreck something if I push this fatigue. The fabric looks spectacular. I added a lining to the placket and will post the steps once the top is finished. So exciting to finish a pattern enough to love the fit!

Instead of more sewing tonight, I’m planning what to do next.

This little number was going to up for sale in my etsy store. But then I tried it on and it looks like it was made for me. Super flattering cut for my shape. Time to learn to copy clothing with muslin patterns. I’ve been reading here and here about how to do it. I’m scared is the problem - scared of wasting precious spare sewing time on something that won’t work. But I have a few fabrics made for this dress style and I hate pulling together work ensembles once the weather gets warm. Easier to toss on a dress and go.

Think the best way to process is to start a list of crafty things I keep thinking about.

That list is now here.

I’ve gotten the hang of etsy after getting sick of ebay. True, I once sold a thifted pink jumpsuit w stirrups on ebay for $153 after a fierce bidding war, but then I got stuck with big listing bills and zero sales too many times. I’m too cheap (or too small-potatoes?) for America’s favorite auction site.

So I’m on the etsy bandwagon. Better late than never. I’ve had some luck selling fun stuff I found thrifting that didn’t fit me right or is pink or doesn’t fit my narrow reporter uniform standards of everyday dress. And I love the hunt for fantastic design, weird details and anything made in countries that don’t exist anymore.

A happy pair of metallic shoes (too small!) is going out in the mail.

So is a bluebird dress (blue not in uniform).

And some Wrangler jeans (too wrong for short legs).

Proceeds will send me to P-h-i-l-a this summer to see the rest of the Fitzs. And that love of Fitzs overcomes my shame at the thought of self-promotion, so take a look at the old fitzfabulous.etsy.com and see what’s been hiding among Chicago’s overlooked thrifting gems. Some are already listed; some are coming soon.

That’s fabulous.

I love coupons. I love playing the coupon game, shuffling around the little buggers around until the toothpaste we need at home ends up costing pennies. Really I love the idea that I’ve somehow outsmarted The Man, because I beelined past all the impulse items to buy just those two boxes of tampons that will be free after rebate, and yes, the coupon I hold, will pay for the rebate stamp. Score!

So when I read a blurb about old ladies cutting coupons for military families overseas, I read more. And I learned from the peeps at the Overseas Coupon Project that stores on military bases accept coupons up to 6 months past their printed expiration date. And since I spend a chunk of Sunday morning in front of the talk shows cutting out coupons anyway, I might as well sit until the credits cutting out the rest of them instead of giving them the toss.

I’ll try not to think about promoting consumerism and absurd household products (will continue to throw out anything with Glade) and instead will remember what it was like living overseas to find a taste of home, even if that taste was something disgusting called Kraft Macaroni and Cheese or Tang.

Will find a widget to track my progress. First mailing = $200.36 in printed savings.

Little lilac cardigan from the Salvy is the right color for spring and the right kind of soft. But the “Before” was too big and awful.

Screamed out for a refit; big sleeves made me think about trying a leg of mutton experiment on them. I think it worked; See what you think.

1. FIX BODICE Pin bodice, fit until right, then baste and sew. Neatly trim edges. Finish as you like, or leave them alone (Most knits won’t unravel).

2. DEAL WITH SLEEVES Cut sleeves off by slicing through shoulder seam, or by trimming all the way off. See where armholes fall - they’ll need to start right on the top of the shoulder for the puff to pouf up. I had to take a good inch off the top of the armhole. Now gather the top of the sleeve by sewing a long running stitch about 2 inches on either side of the top center, and pulling the underthreads.

3. SEW SLEEVES BACK ON Pin sleeve bottom to armhole bottom, right sides together. Pin sleeve top center to armhole top center. Gather the big part of the sleeve until it fits in the armhole. Pin well, baste, fit, stitch.**

** Here’s a little trick to make the sleeves puff up more.

Make a booster out of the edges.

Take the edges you cut off, and fold the short edge under. Sew with a wide zigzag. Fold that whole thing over and sew again. Trim. Take that little rectangle of stiff fabric and pin it into the gathered part of the sleeve seam so it pokes the pouf up. Sew it into the seam allowance, close to the sleeve seam.

4. MAKE THE LEG OF MUTTON (optional) If you like puffy long sleeves, stop. If you want to try the leg, lay the sweater flat and smooth it out. Figure out how long you want the pouf to be, and cut straight across sleeve at that point.

I did about 7 inches. Use one sleeve to measure the other sleeve.

Flip the bottom part inside out and sew a straight seam up from the cuff up to straighten out the lower sleeve.

Pin the top sleeve to the bottom sleeve at the underseam seams, right sides facing. Pin at the top centers, too. Gather the upper sleeve to it fits the lower sleeve, pin well, fit, baste and stitch.

Atta girl!