Most worn - Least worn and alterations

I've really been trying to create clothes that I will wear more often this year, and I was inspired by #alteritAugust to have a closer look at what I don't wear from my makes to see if I could move them out of the category of 'least - or even never worn'. (From this challenge I ended up with my Stella Hoodie which I absolutely love so that spurred me on to other projects.) I have, like many dressmakers, had mixed success with projects. Sometimes the fit is completely wrong, or the material I picked doesn't quite match the pattern, or it just plain doesn't suit me. Some of these you may have seen, some you may not, partly because it's much easier to post and share the things that have gone well. However, sometimes I find it helpful to see the things that didn't go so well because there's a lot that can be learned and it's nice to know you aren't the only one! Here's a few of the pieces that I don't wear and what I have done, or plan to do to get them into more use.







Molly top and dress 

Though I have worn both my Molly top and dress quite a few times, I couldn't get away from the feeling that they weren't quite right. For me, the dropped shoulder sleeve wasn't the most flattering and ran a little tight around my biceps. I didn't really do anything until the washing machine put a hole at the elbow of my Molly top and I decided to take the plunge and just chop off the sleeves at the seam line. I gave the edge a little turn up and hey presto - fabulous comfy t-shirt that looks great with jeans.


Seeing that the top alteration was successful led me to have a go at something different for the dress. I still wanted long sleeves so instead turned to my faithful longline Astoria to help. I knew that the sleeves and shoulders suited me on this so got brave and franken - patterned them on to the bodice of the Molly dress. I traced off the shape of the armhole at the bodice in alignment with the neckline and shoulders of the Molly, straight onto the fabric and cut. Luckily I had enough Molly fabric left over to squeeze out some long sleeves from the Astoria pattern and could attach these on. I find this a much more comfortable fit for my frame now as well so it's moved its way into Most Worn for snuggly Sundays!

The Never Worns


Next I'm thinking about other projects that have had no love at all! This Camas blouse is lovely and looks quite elegant but is a little too bulky down the front to sit really well, and being ivory it's not the most practical of colours to wear to work either. So I can either adjust the front do that the placket (which is sewn shut anyway) isn't required, or use it to help out another never worn item, my Camille jumpsuit. I loved this pattern in the Sew Over It eBook and spent a good deal of time getting it to fit nicely as well, but the fabric choice is causing issues. I used a stretch suiting, which looks great on the bottom half, but is far too bulky for the top. If I cut off the top part of the jumpsuit, I can keep the trousers and replace the bodice with a lighter material. This could potentially be harvested from the Camas blouse into the Camille top, or I could also use some other lighter weight fabric from the stash - I do have a metre of rayon and crepe here and there which might work. I'm also considering another style of bodice, such as the Anna dress to get the best look. Watch this space - there's a lot on the list before this!

Next up, the Kwik Sew K4215 that came free with Sew Now magazine. I was really looking forward to this make, especially as it has nice waist ties that mean that you don't have to pay too much attention to fit in this area. I did have some fit issues at the back neckline that in the end led me to creating a V neck at the back, which wasn't the best choice if I'm honest. However, I think it's the bell sleeves that put me off. Ironically I had been pinning this look for ages but now I have it, it's not really me. I think for starters I'll be chopping those off and then I'll see how it looks!

My Clemence skirt was made as part of the #wardrobebuilder2017 skirts month and though I did enjoy making it, again, it's just not something that I reach for. There's a fair amount of Atelier Brunette cotton in this as the skirt is basically two rectangles, so I'm going to try and salvage the fabric for other purposes. Potentially pyjamas.

And finally, a dress that I've already hacked to pieces is the Sew Over It Ultimate Wrap Dress. The wrap front just does not sit right on me. I do have a tiny bit of this fabric left over so I'm going to try and turn this into something close to a Moneta dress, with waist ties instead though. It needs a lot of thinking through so again, might not be appearing any time soon!

So there's a few of my fails and intentions for getting the most out of what I have already made. I'm not sure how they will fare, but wish me luck!
All suggestions welcome!
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Welcome to Sewing and Other Stories; my journeys with sewing and knitting; pattern reviews, tips and guides for beginners. I'm also the designer behind West Beach Knits knitting patterns and I host a Knitting and Sewing channel on YouTube where you can see all of this in person. Come have a look!

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