Pondered In My Heart

Thrifty Makeovers

Here's a peek at a few outfits I gave my big girls for Christmas. Finding modest looking and modestly priced clothing is no longer as simple as it was in their Lands End and Hannah Andersson dress days, but I've been having fun altering some finds from the thrift stores. It's amazing what nice things can be found for so little at these shops, and it's fun and easy to refashion things for a cute, trendy and unique look (okay, Josiah alters his stuff for a unique look that is cool, not cute). Thrifting, 'upcycling' and everything vintage are all very popular right now -it's a great way to save a ton of money, exercise creativity, and 'go green' as well by giving new life to old castoffs.

For example is this fun jumper-

This was one of those looong relatively straight jumpers, down to about ankle length and with a simple back vent. It's a pretty pattern and of quality fabric ('Woolrich' brand) so for a couple of dollars I thought I'd give it a try. I cut off the bottom twelve inches or so, cut the trimmed strip in half length wise, pieced the two parts together and gathered it along the long edge. I sewed it back on as a perky ruffle, and pinned on a flower made of felted sweater scraps for added flair. We both think it's super cute!

Next we have some wool skirts that I got for a song. Like my gray skirt seen here, these are 100% wool skirts in classic styles that cost just a few dollars each. I thought they would be perfect for a Betz White skirt trick.

We have quite the stash of felted sweater scraps, so I was able to pick out colors to match the skirts quite nicely. I followed Betz White's directions, bonding the flowers on and them embellishing them with buttons and a bit of embroidery. Again, we all think they are very cute!

 

You can tell how they love posing for these bloggy pictures! :-)

(Hoods and swords by Josiah, and that will have to be another post!)

Girls Skirt Tutorial

I made this sweet skirt as a birthday gift for Lydia. I've seen skirts with bows at the waist in several catalogs so it seems to be a bit trendy. It came out so cute and was so easy to make I naturally had to make more for my other big girls (I have two down, one to go).

 I often hear from mothers who say they would like to sew but can't find the time. I also hear from mothers who have difficulty finding modest clothing for their older girls. This skirt is very quick and easy to make - you don't need a pattern, there is minimal cutting, and I completed it in about an hour. The price is also very reasonable - using sale fabrics the skirt cost about seven dollars.

I made these for my ten and thirteen-year-old daughters. I purchased two yards of standard 45" wide cotton fabric. This allows for a little left over to play with, and it's easier than trying to remember exact measurements of what I need. You will also need a package of 'double fold bias tape' a.k.a. 'quilt binding', and one package of baby rick rack. (Okay, no one actually ever needs rick rack but it adds a nice touch.) Also needed is a length of 1/2" elastic and of course thread.

Anna chose bright lime green for her skirt, with accents of red (she like the Narnia movie 'CG' effect, hee). The first step is to cut two lengths of fabric as long as you want the skirt to be, plus four inches. Leave the pieces the full width (45"). For example, if you want a 24" length skirt you would cut two pieces of fabric 28" x 45". The 45" width makes for less cutting and a nice full, comfortable, easy-to-play-in skirt. Put the two pieces together, right sides together, and stitch up your side seams. Sew the whole length on one side.

On the other side, leave the top three inches open:

Press your seams open. By using the whole width of the fabric you have the selvages at the side seams, so they are already nicely finished and won't fray.

Now topstitch down along the part you left open as shown:

To make the hem, turn up 1/2 inch along the bottom and press:

Turn up another 3 1/2" and press again.

Now machine stitch your hem.

Next, place your rick rack over the hem stitching, and stitch it in place by machine (using a fairly small stitch length), covering up your hem stitching:

Now back to the top. Gather the fabric up at the top by pinning it into pleats. It will still be wider than the girl's waist, but you will add elastic later. Baste the pleats in place using a long stitch length on your machine.

Now you are going to add the seam binding at the top edge. The seam binding will be the waist band and casing for the elastic, and also the ties for the bow.  Starting at the open edge of your side seam, place the seam binding over the top pleated edge, covering up your basting. Leave approximately twenty inches extra on each end for the ties. Start sewing at the skirt edge, leaving the tie part open for now. Sew along the bottom of the seam binding, close to the edge:

Next you are going to insert the elastic into this casing that you just made. Cut a piece of elastic long enough to go around the girl's waist comfortably. I like to cut it a little big and try it on for size before I make the final adjustment to make sure it's a good, comfortable fit. (No girl wants to wear a skirt that pinches or that keeps slipping down, for sure.) Thread your elastic through the casing - a diaper pin is always handy for this.

When you have a good fit sew across the seam binding at the skirt edge, catching in the end of the elastic. Go over it a couple of times so it is nice and secure. Then continue on down the length of the ties, edge-stitching the seam binding closed. Turn in a bit on the ends to finish them off neatly before you sew them closed:

Here's another view of the waist:

That's it! You're all done. Iron- on cherries are optional but cute:

For Lydia, I made an elastic-backed headscarf with the extra fabric and seam binding:

Sew cute!

I hope these instructions were clear. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to email and I would love to see a picture if you make a skirt!

Happy sewing!

 

Show Your Skirts!

The lovely Suzanne at Gladdest Hours is hosting a Carnival of Everyday Summer Skirts and Dresses. She knows lots about feminine dress and modesty, as she is the mother of four beautiful daughters. It is delightful to see all of these other ladies going about their daily tasks while looking so very lovely and feminine.  It is a joy to be able to encourage each other in this matter, so here are a few photos of me in my skirts. Josiah had a great time taking pictures of me, while Jonathan muttered Why do they want pictures of you in skirts? Do they think you can't do things in skirts? If you look around my blog a bit you'll see my five girls in their dresses.

Skirts while baking-

Skirts while mulching-

Skirts while digging -

Skirts at daily Mass -

Dresses for exploring -

   

It's just what we wear!

Let's see your skirts! You can still join the fun via Mr. Linky at Suzanne's. Thanks, Suzanne!

Edited to add: I haven't written about the topic of modesty, though it is something I ponder often and is obviously near and dear to my heart as I am the mother of five daughters. If you are looking for further reading please visit the ever eloquent and charitable Helen and read her thought-provoking series of posts on the topic. I truly believe that if you've clicked on my 'Modesty' category than that is proof enough that the Lord is tugging at your heart in this area. May Mother Mary guide you and give you the courage to follow her lead.