This week was dedicated to transforming something old into something new. I decided to explore patterns that I had never used before and pair them with fabric that had been sitting unused in my stash for a long time. Armed with a list of patterns I wanted to try, I embarked on a quest to find suitable fabric. A lot of the fabric I own that sits unused does so because it is made from small pieces. Things I used for other projects and had a tiny bit left over or fabric my mom gifted me after she cut into it. Elated by last week’s successful sweater romper creations, I hoped to uncover hidden gems in my stash. Unfortunately, my sewing adventures this week encountered numerous obstacles at every turn.
In addition to venturing into uncharted pattern territory, I decided to experiment with my Cricut Maker to cut out patterns for the first time. Once I got the hang of it, the cutting process went smoothly. Among the patterns I cut were two pink shirts in size 12m. The first one was made from a lovely bubble gum pink sweater knit that I had been saving for a perfect little girl sweater. I used the free Reine sweater pattern from Little Lizard King.
Although the Cricut did a great job cutting the sweater, it left behind hundreds of little fuzzies on the mat, hinting at the challenges to come. Sewing the sweater coincided with the onset of a bad cold, leaving me lacking the energy required to tackle the project. Nevertheless, with determination, I managed to easily sew the gathered sleeves and felt a surge of excitement as the sweater began to take shape.
However, my happiness quickly turned to disappointment when I encountered difficulties attaching the cuffs. After carefully clipping the cuffs, neckband, and waistband in place, I discovered that the loosely knitted fabric started to unravel when stretched to match the sleeve’s end. It was disheartening to see a large run in one of the cuffs, and I felt frustrated knowing I didn’t have much fabric left for another attempt. I felt very frustrated. I stepped back, feeling incredibly frustrated, and realized that it was too late and my fatigued brain couldn’t think clearly.
Over the next 24 hours, I contemplated the problem and potential solutions. Could I use different fabric for the cuffs? Perhaps, but I didn’t have anything suitable, and purchasing fabric solely to finish a scrap buster project didn’t feel right. Could I baste the end of the fabric to hold it together while sewing it on? It was a possibility, but a straight stitch wouldn’t provide the necessary stretch, and cuffs need to stretch to fit the end of the sleeve. What about a zigzag stitch? That could work! It offers both stretch and enough security to hold the fabric together.
I decided to give it a try. Starting with the cuff I hadn’t ruined already, I zigzagged the ends together and gently tugged on it. To my relief, the fabric held together! Encouraged by this discovery, I proceeded to apply it to the sweater, and it looked great. I managed to find a large enough scrap piece to cut a new cuff and followed the same process for the neckband and waistband. Finally, the shirt was completed! I felt incredibly excited—the sweater looked sweet, and the gathered detail on the sleeves added the perfect touch of femininity to complement the color and pattern of the knit fabric. However, as I ran my hand over the sweater to admire its soft coziness, I realized with horror that despite its soft appearance, the fabric was actually quite scratchy. It bewildered me how I had managed to cut and sew the entire sweater without considering how the fabric felt. Fabric texture is usually something I notice right away. I think being sick messed with my senses processing or reasoning skills.
I proceeded to make a matching hat, but it became evident that this set was not something any child would be willing to wear due to the scratchy fabric. It would serve as a reminder to me that the quality of fabric should be evaluated before crafting an outfit from it.
Undeterred by the challenges faced, I moved on to the next project, another pink shirt. This time, I knew I was starting with quality fabric—beautiful pink chambray from Raspberry Creek Fabrics. I adored the look and feel of chambray, and my oldest child had a beloved button-up shirt made from the same pink chambray that had been worn until it no longer fit, now passed down to his little brother. I had carried the leftover fabric across the country when we moved, knowing it had great potential, but inspiration had yet to strike. I decided to pair it with a retired pattern from Little Lizard King called Florence—a simple, classy, and elegant dress with 3/4 sleeves and a keyhole opening on the front.
The chambray fabric cut beautifully on the Cricut, leaving only a few threads behind. Since I didn’t have enough fabric for a full dress, I opted for a peplum-style shirt. However, troubles soon arose when I attempted to turn the fabric tubes for the ties by hand. I struggled considerably and even worked up a sweat. Having already faced a challenging day due to unrelated reasons, I had hoped for a fun and fulfilling project to bring some joy to my day. Unfortunately, the ties became increasingly difficult, and I started spiraling into negative thoughts, viewing them as symbolic of the struggles I encountered in life. Eventually, the fabric began to split at the seams under the tremendous pressure of trying to force the bunched-up fabric to turn right side out. Overwhelmed, tears streamed down my face.
Left with insufficient fabric to try again, I had inadvertently ruined a crucial part of the pattern. I needed to step away and allow myself to cry, not just over the ties but also as an outlet for my larger frustrations. Once I had finished crying, I mustered the strength to give it another try. I found some pink ribbon that would make a beautiful replacement for the broken ties.
Next, I moved on to the sleeves. I wanted to try a new technique I had learned, which involved sandwiching the sleeve between the main fabric and the lining of the bodice, using the burrito method. Although the sewing process went smoothly, I encountered a hurdle when unrolling the “burrito.” It got stuck and required considerable effort to unravel. Given the previous tie mishap, I feared that a seam might come undone, but miraculously, everything held together, and I successfully unrolled it.
As I progressed to sewing the sleeve seams, I decided to utilize French seams for durability and a clean finish. However, I encountered a peculiar issue with the yarn-dyed chambray fabric—it lacked a discernible right or wrong side. Despite my best efforts, the seams ended up on the outside of the sleeve. I had to unpick the seams, flip the fabric around, and attempt it again. Astonishingly, even on subsequent tries, I couldn’t seem to get it right. I lost count of how many times I sewed, unpicked, and resewed, as if trapped in a feverish dream where nothing I did worked correctly.
After finally completeing the sleeves, I proceeded to work on the skirt. Hemming and gathering went smoothly, but another hiccup awaited me as I attempted to attach the skirt. Despite ensuring that every other seam was enclosed up to this point, I realized that the pattern didn’t incorporate a placket in the skirt. While the keyhole opening in the front eliminated the need for a placket, it was essential for enclosing the waist seam on this type of bodice. Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough scraps to create the size of placket I typically used, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted a placket on the skirt at all. I had to set it aside temporarily to cool down while I contemplated potential solutions.
After several hours of avoiding the shirt out of frustration, I mustered the courage to tackle it once again. I decided to create a much smaller placket that would facilitate the enclosed waist seam without extending too far down the skirt. Surprisingly, the placket came together flawlessly on my first attempt, with no unsightly puckering. I hand-sewed the bodice closed and opted for metal ring snaps for convenience and comfort.
Sometimes projects come together smoothly and sometimes I have to fight for the result I want. This week was definitely a fighting week, but I think this peplum shirt was worth it. The result is elegant and as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside. It is available for a limited time here in my shop.