So-So Sewing

Over the weekend, a friend offered me a bag of random fabric she no longer wanted. I accepted because this is what the women in my family, and my best friend, do: we hoard fabric, claiming that we have a plan, or at the very least an idea, of what it could become. Up to this point, my collection could be contained in a copy paper box. Not any more. I may have passed the point of no return.

As I looked through the bag, I did see an interesting piece that I would describe as a very open knit, a teal cousin to a fishnet. That may not make much sense but bear with me. Immediately, I thought of a swimsuit cover-up. Maybe because I was, at that moment, wearing my favorite red knit t-shirt dress that has occasionally doubled as a cover-up.

Here is the really impressive part, at least to me. The fabric was in my house less than 48 hours before I decided to do something with it. Namely, make that cover-up. No pattern, a minimum of pins, one sewing machine jam, and about 45 minutes later, it was done.

I started out by laying the fabric on the table, doubled over. Then I laid my red dress on top.

Then I simply cut around it, leaving about 1" for the seam.

I briefly considered attempting to engineer some cute, ruffly sleeves before decided I wasn't really up to the task. So I forged ahead, putting pins where I wanted the arm holes so that I didn't blindly stitch up the entire side. I set my sewing machine to a zig-zag stitch, figuring with how hole-y the fabric is, that might work best. And I even tested it on a scrap of the fabric, which is about the most planning I did on the whole project. I stitched up the sides and shoulders, leaving the arm and neck holes open. Then I hemmed the sleeves, neck, and bottom to finish it off.

Voila! Project Runway won't be knocking down my door, but I'm pretty stoked about having completed a project, and it didn't cost me a thing!

And I wasn't kidding about the teal fishnet-ish knit, now was I?