Completion

I have spent the first few days of my winter break taking stock - and repairing/refashioning - my sewing projects.

I have

• taken up the hem on a pair of MaxMara black trousers, so they worked with the flats I wear for work.  I wore them during the week before I broke up, and they were great.
• lightly felted and cut the fingers off a pair of lilac Ralph Lauren lambswool gloves, which were wearing through but too good quality to throw away.  They are now thick fingerless gloves, and again working very well.
• Refinished the seams on my handmade gold top:

This is a great xmas favourite from last year, and I plan to wear it on xmas day this year, but the slippy viscose doesn't hold stitches well and it needed tidying up.  Done!

• I also refinished the seams on my first, practice, pair of wide-leg, elastic-waisted lounge pants.  They also do not hold stitches well and need much tidying.  I am wearing them today, but the stitches are already slipping again, so their future might not be bright!

• I attempted to address the fastenings on a lined wrap skirt I made some time ago.  Not sure if this will have worked, but I will road test it sometime soon.


• I refashioned a vintage dress bought by my sister and I at a antiques market some years ago - when we got it home we found it was tight in the bodice for both of us, and it languished for a while in my closet until I saw an idea on Pinterest and did this with it:

I slashed the back with a stanley knife, and then hemmed both sides (after this picture was taken).  I will either wear as is with a lightweight shrug, or sew some netting or lace into the back panel.  Here is the front view:

Sorry about the poor pic, bobby socks and messy spare room, readers!  But you get the idea I'm sure.

• After these somewhat successes, I had a go at putting in elastic to cinch in the waist of an old (but much loved) snow parka I bought in Copenhagen years ago - but couldn't really get it to work.  I have left it to think and do more research and in the meantime will cinch with a belt a la Michelle Obama...

Still to do sewing-wise:  Final touches on the two bags I did earlier this year, and buttons onto the second Battleboro hat I have done for a xmas gift for a friend.  Then I will start the new year fresh, with fresh projects to sew!  A feeling of completion reigns.