Cashmere Sweaters Into Shawls

I make these huge cashmere shawls out of old sweaters, piecing them together and applying my little found fabric birds.  I've tried various stitches to make them look flat, professional and handsome.  But, never found the exact stitch.  There's been the zigzaging together, both butting each piece up to one another and overlapping slightly, the overlock, the cover stitch...non are satisfactory.

Really what I want is a flatlock machine but they are commercial and I don't think I want to get that serious about this.

But I do love the little birds and the shawls feel pretty good on a cold Capitola night!

Started with a favorite old tshirt

This is another garment I made after Diane Ericson's class on "making" your own fabric out of thrift clothes, favorite oldies and scraps of fabric.

I loved this top but it was too small.  I paired it with a black tshirt I had silkscreened at the 2012 Taos DOL.  I didn't like it all over one tshirt so I cut it up and have been using the parts.  The orange is a lightweight knit.  I needed to beef it up a bit to match the other fabrics so I sewed pin tucks which gave it some heft.  I like the lines, too.

The black drape cowl collar doesn't show up in the photo but it adds a little something to make this more than just a tshirt.  I needed to do something, it was just too low as it was.

Found Fabric Collars

I love making these collars.  I've sold many of them at a now shuttered boutique in Carmel named Findings.  It was a sweet little fabric, trim and what-not shop for sewists.  It was like going into another world when I entered and saw Nancy, the darling proprietor.  I was transported and never stayed less than an hour...just couldn't leave.  There were so many things to see...and buy.  Darn it, why do the good places always close?

Anyway, she sold my little collars.  They are made of found vintage scarves, clothes, kimonos, trims, beads and buttons.  Soft and supple, they feel great around your neck without adding the weight of a large necklace.

New Painted Canvas

Here's the beginning of a piece that is lighter weight canvas.  More suited to a vest or jacket.  I usually use heavy canvas and use it for purses.

I made the stripes using painter's tape and spray painted with Liquitex spray paint.  Then stenciled over that.  Liquetex has just come out with this great spray paint that is not made for fabric but works for this purpose.  It's not as refined as fabric paint but I like the slight stiffness with the canvas.  I'm aiming for a sturdy outer garment feel.

It may get more layers, not sure.  Or, I might leave it like this, cut out the pattern with the stripes going in different directions and see how it looks before adding anything.

New vest

I liked working on this vest from Katherine Tilton's new Butterick pattern

Painted Canvas

I'm having fun painting canvas from a class I took by Alisa Burke called Graffiti Chic.  This gal is a terrific artist and a really good teacher.  Check her out!

Dress made in Diane Ericson's remake clothing class

This class was so much fun.  Diane is a great teacher and I am really happy with this dress.  Old tshirts and fabric scraps.  Wore it out to dinner that night!