Me, Myself & I: Days 21 - 29

Day 21: a sunny morning

Day 22: summer

Day 23: the smell of grass

Day 24: a happy moment

Day 25: reflected

Day 26: quiet

Day 27: let the sunlight in

Day 28: contrasts

Day 29: half & whole

I'm slowly getting to the end of the self-photography challenge. Only 1 more day. The further I get, the more I like it. I'd love to take on a challenge of photographing someone else once this is over. But, we'll see if I get round to it.

Simple summer maxi strap dress

I have a confession to make - I'm a fabric hoarder. I know, I know, you're probably saying that all seamstresses are. And maybe you're right, but sometimes I feel that I just can't let a fabric go. I'll second guess every project I have in mind for that fabric and hesitate whether it's the right one. And so it sits sadly in my fabric pile for years.  This fabric is one of those sad ones. Although it's been sitting on my shelf for only a little over a year, it's really at least 2 decades old, probably 3+. I got it from my Grandma.

There were so many times I wanted to use this fabric. I love the colors and the print, and I always thought it'd make a great dress, but I couldn't decide on the design. Every once in a while I'd take it out and looked at it, and put it back.  I didn't dare make anything from it, because then that would have been it. Sounds ridiculous, right? But, some fabrics simply are more special than others.

I took it out once more about 3 weeks ago and decided that it was time to let go. I knew I wanted to make another maxi dress because I love wearing them during the summer, and I thought this fabric would be perfect for summer, but also great for layering during fall. I didn't even use any pattern, although the Saltspring dress from Sewaholic was a big inspiration. So, if you want to great a similar look, that's a great pattern to use.

I used bias binding to bind the neckline and create the straps. And I used elastic to define the waistline. It was a real quick sew, only took me a few hours to complete, and I've been wearing it a lot these past weeks. I love it so much that I seemed to have forgotten I also own other dresses. But, I guess that's how you know the project is a success.

Refashionista: Color cuffed pants

Sometimes an old garment just needs a colorful twist. At least, that's what I thought when I stumbled upon these pair of my Mom's old pants when cleaning my refashion closet at home. They were a funny length and unflatteringly wide at the bottom, but they fit perfectly at the top. So, of course, a remake was in order.

If you ever want to give this refashion a try, here's how:

1. Put the pants on backwards and pin the legs taking them in either from both seams or just the one that hasn't been top stitched.
2. Sew along the pins, cut off the excess fabric and go over the seam either with a serger/overlocker or a zig-zag stitch to prevent fraying.
3. Measure the circumference of the pant leg ends and the length you want to add to the pants. Now cut out two rectangles that are the width of the pant leg circumference + seam allowances, and the length of the added part x2.
4. Fold those rectangles and sew the shorter ends together (shows with white lines on the picture above). Turn them over and press.
5. Pin the cuffs to the pant legs right sides together, making sure that the ends meet and there's no big gap.
6. Sew the cuffs to the pant legs, cover the seam edges with a zig-zag stitch or use a serger. You could also top stitch the cuffs.
7. Give it a good press and steam, and you're all done!

I think the makeover gives these pants an infinitely more modern look. I just love how they turned out! It's funny how some things sit in my refashion closet for years before that little lightbulb goes on in my head. That's why I keep most of the worn clothes my family has. You never know what sparks my creativity next time.

Lighthouse style & new lace back tank top

I visited Estonia's second largest island last weekend. It was a fun trip full of beautiful shorelines, lighthouses and sights worth seeing. I shared a few pictures in my last refashionista post, but since the tank top I was wearing is also a recent make, I thought it deserved it's own post along with the whole outfit I was wearing that day.

This tank top is my umpteenth make of the Burda tank top pattern (find details of the pattern and similar patterns in this post). I've used it so many times I've lost count (see here, here, here, and here for previous makes). It's by far the most useful pattern I have. This time I used only the front pattern piece just like I did when making the maxi dress, only I lowered the neckline in the back and raised it in the front. I didn't dare to lower it in the back more in the fear of exposing my bra, although now I know I could have.

This top is also a stash buster. I used the last of the stretchy lace and also all the remnants of the white jersey I got from a thrift shop (both previously used in the making of this t-shirt). I'm really happy with the way this top came out! Happy weekend, my friends!

Outfit details:

Skirt - refashioned

Tank top - made by me

Jacket - H&M from 8 years ago

Purse - thrifted

Earrings - made by me
Necklace - vintage from my Grandma

Me, Myself & I: Days 15 - 20

Day 15: details

Day 16: the naked truth

Day 17: sand between my toes 

Day 18: in the shadows 

Day 19: feelings

Day 20: alone

It's been a hard week. Change is not easy. The further I get with my self-portrait challenge (you can see the previous posts here), the more I want my pictures to tell a story, to have meaning. That's why it's hard to take pictures every day. Some days I just don't feel like it. Some days are harder than others. And some days I just don't have anything to say. I love that my pictures are getting more truthful, although it means making myself more vulnerable. Sometimes you just have to let go.

Refashionista: Granny skirt makeover (and Giveaway winner announced!)

I feel it's been ages since I last did a refashionista post. I've sewn a lot from scratch this summer, so there hasn't been much to share. But then, one night I had an itch to refashion something. So, I went through my stash and found this skirt my Granny gave to me. It's her's from way back when, and I really loved the detailing at the waistline and also the fabric. Perfect for the summer.

The refashion was pretty simple, should have taken me no more than an hour, but I managed to screw up the back pleats like 4 times - arghtnf (insert grunting here). The skirt was way too big at the waist at first, sitting more on my hips. I wanted it to be a high-waisted skirt, since that would guarantee that it won't start making circles when I wear it. So, I added pleats to the back of the skirt, to the places where there was already a dart, taking in 5 cm from both sides. Since there were already 2 pleats on either side on the front, I thought adding a pleat on both sides to the back would fit perfectly with the style of the skirt.

The second thing I did was to shorten it. Here I managed to screw up again. This time with the measurements. I cut off too much, which meant I had to add some lace to make it a little longer. I don't know what the hell was I thinking when I made that cut. It looked way too short. But, all is well that ends well, right? Anyway, I really love the skirt!

I'm longer overdo with announcing the giveaway winner, so here goes. Congratulations to T! Please contact me at hanna@pearlsandscissors.com to claim your prize.

Have a wonderful week!

Me, myself & I: days 9 - 14

Day 9: Road trip

Day 10: Taking a nap

Day 11: It's all in the eyes

Day 12: Childhood memories

Day 13: The evening sun

Day 14: Mirror, mirror on the wall..

This self-portrait challenge is really fun! Now, if I could only take all my project photos as selfies, there would be a lot more posts here on the blog. But, I'm working on getting some of the stuff I've made photographed. Oh, and don't forget to enter the blogiversary giveaway!