How To: Sewing your own Shower Cap

I finally had to say farewell to my Hello Kitty shower cap as the elastic literally fell off and i noticed a hole at the top.  Now for someone with 2+ feet of hair i need a shower cap that is industrial strength and can handle the on/off, being slept in, and not develop a colony of mold.  So instead of heading off to the beauty supply store i went to the fabric store.  I mean seriously, it can’t be hard to just make a new shower cap, right?

Well turns out the answer is no, it’s not hard at all.  So not hard i can explain it to you here in just a few short steps, ready?

Step 0: Before you do anything … look for fabric.  It was a deal breaker for me if i couldn’t find a super cute vinyl to enjoy for years to come.  I found super awesome fabric, and had to compose myself at the $27 a yard price tag.  I mean it’s not even a costume!!!  Well when i did the math and realized i would only need 3/4 of a yard along with the plan to not have any elastic or trims it turned out the cost was still less then i’d have paid for a new one (especially since the last was from Japan and a plan ticket is a lot more than $25).  So, to cross this one off the list ensure you have the following supplies:

1. Fabric – I chose a vinyl coated fabric, you want something water proof … and CUTE!
2. Matching Thread – I chose upholestry thread as it’s thicker and will stand up to wear better than plain old poly
3. Snaps – Sticking with the desire to have less than zero % mold i went with metal snaps instead of elastic
4. Color Pencil – for Fabric Marking, i keep a couple of yellow ones around the house at all times
5. Twine/String/Yarn – Something to help you draw a perfect circle
6. Tape – Anything that will hold the yarn in place for a few minutes with moderate pressure
7. Scissors – To cut the fabric and thread, nothing fancy required
8. Measuring Tape – To keep your sewing honest, and so you only have to do things once

Step 1: Prep for Circle Time.  So what’s the easiest way to draft a circle?  unfortunately not what i found on most the internet when i did a couple of searches.  The super easy way to draft a circle is with a piece of twine/rope/yarn (i don’t even cut mine, afterwards i roll it back onto the ball).  As shown below, take the yarn and tie the end to the color pencil. From the tip of the color pencil measure out half of the desired diameter of the shower cap of yarn (10.5” for me so i’d have room for curlers or rags), take a piece of tape and secure the yarn at the desired length to the back of the fabric with enough room to allow you to draft the full circle.

Step 2: Draft your circle.  Now that we have everything setup, hold the color pencil up right without pulling too much on the yarn and draw your circle!  Watch that you hold the pencil upright to get a real circle, instead of an oval.

Step 3: Cut it out.  Now that you have a super awesome circle drawn on the back of the fabric grab your scissors and cut it from the rest of the fabric.

Step 4: Slit!  Since i decided to forgo the elastic and use snaps instead i need a slit that i will finish off with some self bias tape.  I cut a 3.5” slit with 45 degree angles to allow me easy access for setting the bias tape.

Step 5: Binding Off.  To clean off the slit i cut strips of the fabric 2” wide for a 1/2” finished width.  Once you have set the tape tack the top edge of the triangle to keep the tape flat (skipping the detailed bias tape instructions as there are about 2 million videos online :)

Step 6: Tuck, tuck, tuck.  Without elastic we still need to reduce the total head opening size.  Shirring is out as this is super stiff fabric, like shirring a fully lined corset – pass!  So i went with tucks!  I started off with 1” total reducing tucks every 1/2” and had to step it up a bit in the middle to hit my target head circumference of 21.5”.

Step 8: Bands and Snaps!  After the tucks i cut out a head band section measuring 23” long by 3” wide.  This allowed me to set the band like a bias tape with a 1/2” seam allowance and a finished 1” band.  I tucked in the ends before finishing off with the machine and then hand sewed the ends shut.  Final touch was a few snaps set at 1” to allow for adjustments

Step 9: Your Done!  And in my case it’s dark outside.  It amazing how time flies while hand sewing.  I have given it a whirl both right side out for a quick shower and wrong side out for an overnight conditioner treatment, both with fantastic success.  It sure is nice to not have to wear a towel and syran wrap for those anymore.  Also the bicycles and awesome dots make this dressy enough to totally go outside with … at least for the mail ; )

Winter is Finished … in Cardigan Form

Back, oh so long ago…March, i finished the cardigan i have been toting around since the end of the summer from place to place doing knit knit knit knit knit knit.  Yep Just knitting the sleeves in the round somehow took me forever.  But alas i have finally finished the Tea Leaves Cardigan!

Thank you Inder for the FANTABALOUS pictures of my Purple bundle of warmth!

   

Next … onto a re-do of my first sweater.  You remember the one, where i was wider than tall.  Yea, it’s been ripped out and i am nearly 50% done with the body!

Quick Sewing for a Baby Shower: Receiving Blankets

I didn't use to be such a procrastinator.  I swear!  Christmas presents use to be started in June, i was 2 minutes early for meetings, and i knew where the hammer was at all times.  Something since buying a house has put me on the late bus for the last few months, and unfortunately getting cute stuff for a friends baby shower was no different.  Thursday afternoon i decided that a handmade gift was required for baby shower that was starting in 72 hours and proceeded to poke my brain for suggestions that would be quick, practical, and reasonably priced.  Receiving blankets!  What could be better than, medium sized blankets that are super washable?  Nothing when you have about one hour to complete said handmade gift.

One of the reasons this gift only took 15 minutes to make was a beautifully dust covered item of mine ... the surger.  If you are surger-less do not fear!  This project could also be done using a single needle machine with a tight zig-zag stitch along the edge instead of the over-lock.


Receiving Blankets 101

Materials:

• 1 Yard of Light Weight Flannel, minimum width 36" (per blanket)
• Thread for sewing along the cut edge
• Scissors (for cutting said thread)
• Paper (for curve template)
• Radial cutter (could substitute scissors instead)
  

How to:

   1. Wash the fabric on hot.  This is critical to remove as much shrinkage as possible and to ensure the fabric is de-linted as much as possible.
   2. Dry the fabric on hot.  Same thinking as above with getting the shrinkage out.
   3. Cut out a square of fabric 36" x 36".  Here you can substitute any measurements as desired for the blanket.
       If using a radial cutter it's best to pair it with a metal ruler.
       (NOTE: There is no Seam Allowance for the blanket as we will be sewing along the edge)

   4. Cut a template for the curved corner out of paper by folding it in 8th's and cutting the folded corner off as shown below.
       Or ... find an object to use as the shape of the corner and cut following the shape.

   

   5. Sew!  If you have a serger, use it.  This took me about 2 minutes per blanket (3 in less than 10 minutes!!!)
       If no serger pull out the good 'ole single needle machine with a zig-zag setting.
       Set the stitch width to max and the length to one of the smaller settings to get good coverage along the edge
       To start pick a side near a corner, but not too close.  Since the seam overlap will be exposed we don't want to drag tons of attention to it.

   6. Sew around the entire blanket edge following the shape of the blanket edge.  Run over the beginning of the overlock (zig-zag) for approximately an inch before ending.
       This will help reinforce the stitching and keep it from unraveling in the near future.

   7. Clip the seams, fold up pretty, and gift away!  I staked the blankets together and tied with a bow, skipping the wrapping paper 'cause they're cute!

Sylvar is DONE!!!

I've finished my latest and definitely greatest sweater.  I couldn't be more pleased with how it turned out.  I did a lot of shaping to me work on the front and back panels and it fits of so fantastically!  I can't wait to start the next major project ... the Turtle Skirt ... in between my crocheting of wash washers mania.

So far the sweater has been worn twice to work and i truly would be wearing it more if the weather didn't turn to sunny and 70's the minute i finished it.  Sylvar is a perfect Berkeley sweater.  It has a tons of breathe-ability with the open knit leafy design on the body and sleeves letting me get the perfect amount of air while out riding my bike around town and along the bay.  The bands at the bottom and sleeve openings are just knit and purl opposite rows so it went super fast and they stay where they're put.  So no soaked sleeves while washing the dishes!

Lastly it is a tank top sweater, meaning that it needs one of my 500 different tank tops to be worn under it thus giving me an excuse to put on a tank top in the middle of January or any time it's raining without feeling like a So Cal freak!  I love my tank tops and can't wait to be able to cycle through them all year with the help of my new sweater.

New life for an old skirt

More outfit planning has been occurring for the Edwardian Ball this coming weekend.  While trying the dress i am going to wear on Saturday night the group consensus was it needed a petticoat to help with the fullness of the skirt.  Without one it wasn't wretched, but it wasn't it's best either.  A real fluff things up type petticoat is not something i own, i never really thought that i'd need one.  Oh well... so it seemed that I would need to come up with or make one in the coming week which isn't bad as i love to sew, but i was also sad that it meant buying something new when i already have so many things.  It's not a money thing as much as a being a responsible human and being a horrible consumer.  I am doing my best to not buy things i don't really need.  I've even scaled back my crafting as there is such a large waste generation.

With all of this in mind i set the petticoat project out of my mind and focused on my current sweater, even made some good progress on the sleeves!  I decided to do some purging of my wardrobe.  I really own a fair amount and i knew there had to be things in there i just wouldn't wear anymore.  In the process i stumbled on a super lightweight black corduroy skirt that falls about mid calf i bought at H&M a few years back and never really wore because black corduroy picks up everything.  I added it to the bye bye pile when my brain called it a petticoat!  It had all of the makings to be a fantastic "smooth" petticoat and was already all put together.

All it needed was some poof which was partially purchased in a trip to Stone Mountain for some netting and the some reclaimed light weight crinolin from an old Goth Ball Gown i hacked up years ago.  Sunday evening was spent overlocking and topstitching all of the pieces together to transform a flat skirt into super poofy i'll hold up the world undergarment!  I am super happy with how everything turned out and how awesomly easy it was to find a new use for an old skirt.

The Flat Skirt                  Hand Shirring Netting to the Lining                  Poof-tastic!!!

                                  

The dress with new petticoat

Recycle and Reuse

2010 is starting off on the right foot.  The first crafty night was held at my house on Saturday and i had a blast!  Fun movies, fun friends, and an overhaul project that only took one evening to complete!

In sticking with my desire this year to only make what i want married with my focus last year to waster less and re-use more produced a super fantastic project that came to mind at the perfect time.  I have been wresteling with what i am going to wear to the Edwardian Ball in a few weeks.  I finally settled on the Blue polonaise outfit for Friday night (Worlds Faire) and a good old goth dress for Saturday night (The Ball).  I had make a quick reticule to go with the polonaise.  Nothing fancy, nothing special...just a plain sewn bag with a drawcord closure.  Pretty plain, and very un-worthy of the grand event of the Edwardian Ball!  I needed a better, prettier, shiny purse.

The crafting evening began at Lacis with some corset boning purchased (not me, but one is coming soon...) to re-bone a good corset that someone had the nerve to put nasty plastic boning into...evil!  While in Lacis i remembered the purse closures and thought about the first true purse i made to go with the Checked Wool Costume in Red Velveteen.  I could totally take what i had, remove the drawcord, re-shape it, add a metal frame/closure, and trim it up for a fantastic purse that would take no more than a frame and some digging through the trimming scraps box.  I found a super cute frame with flowers that remind me of Daisies.

After Lacis and a brief Stone Mountain run thought we stopped at my house and let the crafting begin.  Movies, a bit of wine, and a fun project is an awesome Saturday night.  I worked on my purse while friends worked on attaching new buttons to jackets and sewing new deeper darts into beautiful blue velvet dresses.  We all worked on things for the Ball, it felt so Victorian!

After a couple of hours i had finished the purse using some beaded trim and lace left overs from other projects.  The purse is now totally spruced up!  I love it and can't wait to take it to the Edwardian Ball!  What to work on next week?!??!?!?!

Finally Complete with the Holiday Treats

Starting late also means finishing late, i was reminded of this year unfortunately.  Alas i have finally finished the last of the holiday giftyness and am ready to pass them onto the parental units!  A scarf for each of the parents as they plan this year to start building a house in a cooler climate then where they live today.  Really i think anywhere is cooler than where they are in the Southern California area ... yep, another 80 degree Christmas this year.  So i decided to help build their non-existent winter wardrobes up with some cute scarves.  I am super pleased with how each turned out and it was only my third time blocking lace!  My first time blocking anything so wide (other blocking adventures were for Lace trim only a couple inches wide).

Green/Tan Crochet for Dad
  

Soft Rose Lace Knit for Mom
  

A Snowy Vintage Spring Dress

So i have this filing cabinet, which i have owned since i was 10.  It's a legal width 4 drawer filing cabinet.  I have never had that many papers but when i was offered one i knew it would all be put to use someday. Nearly 20 years later as i try to find room in it for just *one* more sewing/knitting pattern or cooking recipe I noticed too many things over the years have been purchased and promptly been filed away.  Since i am working from home over the winter holidays this year i saw it as an opportunity to make some of the things i have set off to the side for years.

My first project was an adorable Vintage Vogue Sewing Pattern - 1954 Bolero & Dress (#2267) ... i decided on just the dress for now as i have TONS of adorable sweaters to coordinate back i would like to wear more often.  I purchased this pattern years ago at a sale for a dollar.  It has a super cute fitted shape and a goregous square neckline.  What i did not notice until closer inspection yesteray morning were the bust darts and the side zipper.  Now i get that it might need bust darts if i was looking to make the dress in a stripe or some other type of vertical pattern to help keep the pattern straight at both the skirt and the upper body.  Since i was using a ditzy floral repeat i really didn't want the evil darts nor was i too thrill about a side zip since this meant an invisible zipper as no one needs extra giant zipper sticking out along the side of an extremely fitted dress making them look at least one size larger.

Saturday morning i traced off a copy of the original pattern and began to work out the problems.  First off i added to the bust circumference at the side front panels as when i measured the bust it was an inch small.  I played with working out the dart on the front side panel, but it wasn't cooperating.  The dart was stubborn and looked awful when i would release it into the body of the dress, oh well!

I cut out a muslin of the dress of the dress, did a quick sew up job, and got it on the form to see the damage.  Not bad Vintage Vogue!  I ended up tripling the dart depth at the bust, not suprising as i am much deeper than i am wide.  Also there was absolutley no shape at the back waist so a fair amount of scooping out there was also pinned out.  Lastely the shoulders were a bit too long.  After a bit of truing on the neck/armhole facings i felt i was ready for the real fabric as most of the change were pretty minor.

     

Pattern was adjusted by the evening and luckily i had already washed and ironed the fabric so i was ready to go.  I went with a medium weight brushed twill to flat line the dress as the base fabric was a quilting print cotton.  Normally i would not think to line something like this, but i wanted to ensure that the sweep really looked full and didn't just hang lifeless when worn.  I wanted a stiffer, more rigid 50's look to the dress then the recommended single layer of poplin.  After cutting everything out the serger made an appearance going around the edges of all size dress panels to secure the twill to the fashion fabric.  I love you serger!!!  If you don't have one and do a lot of knits or flat lining i highly recommend one as they add tremendously to your sanity levels, especially when you are trying to power through a project.  After an entire day of sewing i had finished nearly the entire dress, got it back on the form, and was totally in love.  It's so cute!  AND the invisible zipper went in on the sewing machine without any complaints. Either the zippers have gotten better or sewing for 20 years is starting to pay off.  This morning i awoke, popped in a movie, and began ironing the last portion of the dress, the hem.  After a couple hours i had a completed beautifully hemmed dress.

     

With a whole other week of the holiday break i am hoping to keep up the momentum and complete another project or two.  Some Christmas scarves and many even a button front shirt or two?  Also i have some fantastic White/Black printed Geisha fabric that is totally calling to me Goth Lolita with giant black satin bows...

FIlling the need for somewhere to put my phone for dickens - AND - Making a VIctorian Purse

Dickens Faire!!!  Finally the time of year to dress up in your best walking costume and go stroll the fantastic streets of a time long ago.  Well it is super hard to look good while strolling if you're holding a camera and an iPhone.  So today as the costume was pulled out and accessories were gathered all together a gaping hole in my ensemble was discovered...i have no purse for the Checked Wool Costume!  It does have a couple of welt pockets on the front of the jacket, but not enough for all the goodies required for a day out.  The brain started thinking and decided that it would the perfect rainy day activity to whip up a Victorian Purse for all my strolling needs.

A dig through the fabric bin of things long since past produced more than enough of the Red Velveteen used on the Checked Wool Costume saving me the headache of having to try to match it.  Next a trip to Lacis to procoure a Metal Purse Frame and Chain.  I found a super cute Antique Nickle color frame with Rhinestones in the clasps that was adorable.

If you have ever sewn a reticule...this is even easier depending upon your Metal Frame type.  I went with a "Sew-on" type frame so i would not have to mess with trying to crimp down a frame.  There are also frames that will screw together to hold the fabric in place.  Another great method, but sewing was going to be the least intense for me and with trying to make this a couple hour project i was all about easy.  I found a fantastic website with simple instructions and pictures where appropriate for putting together the bag.  I opted against super cute trimmings and lace as the walking costume is on the clean side with very little trim.

i LOVE how it turned out and can't wait for Dickens tomorrow to show it off.  It was so quick i've already pulled out some bags to buy frames for and convert from drawstring and reticule type bags in the future.  I really enjoyed attaching the bag to the frame and prefer the clean and structured look of having the bag attached to a metal frame.

   

Bustle Appropiate Petticoat and Traveling Bustle Complete

This week was all about getting the under garments for the Checked Wool Costume complete and ready for me to begin fitting the garments next week...and i did it!  I finished the petticoat that has the extra length for the bustle to be worn underneath as the over garments require a bustle.  I again used the Truly Victorian pattern for Victorian Petticoats #TV170 selecting view B (small bustle back, flat front).  For the outer fabric i found a plaid weave linen in unbleached cotton.  The entire petticoat is lined with a heavy unbleached muslin.  And again all clean finished seams.  It will be great to have a petticoat that works with a bustle!

      

Also i drafted a pattern for a "traveling bustle".  An under garment to help with the bustle effect on the back and be completely fold-able.  I did some rough math and then went for it.  I am very pleased with how the traveling bustle came out (Full instructions to follow in separate post).  The petticoat above is shown with the traveling bustle underneath.  It gave it a perfect 2 1/2" extra length in the back.  Some pretty pictures!

   

   

A Headband for all Time

I have a queue in Ravelry that every now again begs for attention. After two weeks of hiking and mostly reading (with a bit of sock knitting) I found my queue calling to me for a quick project. Nothing fancy, but something quick and easy and practical...a headband!!! I have tons of hair and love head bands so it's perfect. I pulled out the recycled cotton yarn that i used for the star stitch skirt last year and grabbed a pattern from the queue. After two days of tv/podcast knitting i was done!

It felt great to pull something out and finish it, quick and easy.  This was a great reminder that not all projects need to be giant epic projects that span decades of time and sanity.  More lite projects here and there to come.