fitzfabulous

This Minna #6007 (shortened to a top) is an ancient refashion. It’s my first completion of a BurdaStyle pattern, and I like it a whole lot. I cut it short, and changed the neck trim to a lined fabric facing.

To cut the dress into a top, I pretty much used the double lines marked on the pattern around the hipline for lengthening or shortening. And instead of using a fancy trim to finish the neck, I used the cutting guide to make bias strips. The print is already so fabulous it doesn’t need any sparkly help.

I had bought a fluorescent print maxidress at the Salvy during my later high school years. Think 1993. I wanted to chop off the skirt and the top of a pair of thrifted overalls and make a kind dress the kids were wearing then (I promise!). Chopped the overalls, chopped the dress, got caught up in something else, and then realized what a ridiculous trend it was. My sister (10 years my junior) then raided my sewing stash and pilfered a strip of the skirt. I remember throwing a fit, but not what she made, it was that long ago.

It took some doing, but I managed to cut out the front and back so the pattern goes the same way, and the back pieces nearly match. Only enough fabric remained for one set of bias strips, so I cut another set to line the neck piece out of plain black synthetic fabric. Sewed the fabric pieces together to form a V, ditto for lining, sewed them together along the top, right sides together. Then I popped in a movie to handsew the bottom side of the lining invisibly.

When I make another Minna - and I certainly will - I’ll gather the front and back tighter to leave more room in the armholes. I’ll also copy the neckline since I liked the smooth, neat finish inside. (Will post the steps on BurdaStyle - this time was too trial-and-error to photograph.)

Next on the list: Ellinor #8516, using brown clearance cotton from a Joann sale, and brown sparkly eyelet from the Hobby Lobby clearance wall. Not too late, I think, to Sew Along With Nikkishell on the BurdaStyle site.

First wrote about this on Wardrobe Refashion. Now that my brain is wired to constantly think this way, time to move some of those refashions over here.
Bought a lovely gray angora wrap sweater at the best Salvation Army in Chicago for $1. Wore it to work a few times, couldn’t figure out why it pooched out so much in the gut no matter how tightly I pulled the strings. Finally read tags, and discovered (duh) it’s a maternity size.

Since the front and back are only one piece, the alterations were pretty simple. You too can pull in maternity stuff to make it fit you if you love the fabric or after you actually give birth. And sewing a sweater isn’t hard; you just have to sew the seams before making any cuts, and then it doesn’t unravel.

1. Flip the sweater inside out, try it on, and measure how much needs to be trimmed. Pin the seam.

2. Lay the sweater (still inside out) flat on a table, and mark the lines you want to sew. I like chalk, and I use a ruler on alterations like this one to keep the seam as straight as possible.

3. Sew the seam. If your sweater stretches, use a wide strip of newspaper underneath to keep it from pulling or puckering. Once perforated with the seam, the newspaper tears right off.

4. Flip the sweater back out and try it on. If it fits, sew a wide zig zag on the outer edge of your seam to bind the edges. Trim close to the zig zagging. If it doesn’t fit, make the necessary adjustments and go to it. Zig zag, then trim.

5. Beautiful! Now the pooching is your lovely own gut, instead of bunchy fabric.