Alabama Chanin Stitchin'

Over the summer, when my sewing studio was nothing but a mountain of boxes, I spent most of my sewing time doing hand stitching.  For a while now it has been obvious to me that what I need in my wardrobe is more basic pieces that I can mix and match.  Not only would this increase the items in my closet, it would decrease the items in my stash, namely the large collection of recycled t-shirts I am storing.  I have been very fortunate over the years to find many matching shirts at thrift stores, and these shirts are perfect for creating basic tops and skirts, as well as smaller accessories, Alabama Chanin style.

It is pretty amazing to me how quickly you can hand stitch a garment, though the binding of the neckline and armholes takes a fair amount of time.  This single-layer corset top was created from a couple of recycled t-shirts.  The hem was left unfinished, as is typical of AC garments, but I am considering binding it with leftover binding to keep it from rolling so much.  Double-layer garments seem to lie better at the hem.

I used the herringbone stitch for the binding and employed my homemade Tiger Tape to keep my stitches evenly spaced.  I am hoping to make several more garments along this line before summer arrives.

I also finished up a project that I started last year, and that I alluded to in this post.  The fingerless gloves were made from two t-shirts; the underlayer is black, the outer layer chocolate brown.  The pattern is available in Alabama Studio Sewing + Design.  I stenciled them with the Bloomers pattern from Alabama Stitch Book in black paint and stitched them in reverse applique.  These gloves only require two t-shirts, one of each color, and are a great project to get you started in upcycling.

I'm in the preparation phase for my annual sewing retreat which is happening in a couple of weeks.  I have quite an ambitious list of projects for this year.  I am very much looking forward to seeing my sewing friends and to having some "quiet" time away to get some sewing finished.  Wish me luck getting everything cut out and packed.

Stars and Stripes Tank

Over the last several weeks I have been inspired by some posts I've read on Alabama Chanin's site about their version of Old Glory.  It just so happened that I had been working on some pattern fitting based on the fitted top/dress pattern in Alabama Studio Sewing + Design.  I had just finished making a muslin from some inexpensive knit fabric and tweaking it to fit me well.  A real benefit of this was that I was able to mark directly on the almost-floor length dress where I wanted certain seam or hem lines to land (empire, skirt waist, short, mid- and full length dresses) and then transfer these markings to my pattern, resulting in a master pattern that will eventually make any number of garments.  After this exercise I wanted to test the pattern in real life.  With the July 4th holiday coming up it seemed the perfect time to make a top that I could celebrate in while testing out my pattern alterations.

The top consists of four upper bodice pieces and four lower bodice pieces.  I decided to applique the red stripes onto a white foundation.  It took a little math to figure out the stripe widths and general proportions.  Here are the lower bodice portions:

I used a water-soluble marker to mark the grainline on the fabric (recycled t-shirts) and then drew perpendicular lines for placement of the red stripes.

I used a straight stitch to applique the stripes onto the foundation and then trimmed them even with the underlying fabric.

About halfway through this project I realized that sewing the stripes on with a straight stitch would eliminate most of the stretch from the shirt.  I decided I would have to add a closure.  I have a small collection of vintage metal zippers and thought this might be a good project to use one on.  I found one in a Copenhagen blue:

and inserted it into the side seam leaving the tape exposed:

I chose to applique one star on the blue portion using a parallel whipstitch:

Binding the neck and armholes on projects like this is the most time consuming part for me.  I have learned a few things over time and will share some tips with you here.

My favorite stitch for binding is the Cretan stitch (used here) but it is a very slow stitch for me to accomplish.  I am VERY right handed and in order to make this stitch I have to turn the garment 180o for each stitch which really slows me down.  So recently I decided to try the herringbone stitch which works up really, really fast.  My first attempts at this stitch, however, left something to be desired.  The stitches were all very uneven and unattractive.  That's when I remembered a little trick I learned from my sewing mentor years ago:  homemade Tiger Tape.

Tiger Tape has been used by hand quilters for years as a guide to keep their stitches uniform.  The 1/4-inch tape is marked in small increments, and it is very easy to make your own version.

I typically use paper adhesive tape (from the first aid section of the drug store).  Use caution when applying the tape to fabrics with a surface that might be easily marred by tape.  I usually stick the tape to my t-shirt and pull it off several times to reduce the tackiness.  Using a Sharpie or other permanent marker, mark the tape with whatever increment you choose; I used 1/2 inch for mine.

I then cut the tape in two pieces as I find a thinner width allows more flexibility around curves.

You can now apply this tape wherever you need some help in keeping your stitches even.  It is a great application for hand-picked zippers.

Here you can see that I have aligned the tape with the cut edge of the binding.  I take one stitch in line with a marking and the next stitch halfway between two marks.

(One reason I like this stitch (and the Cretan) so much is that the stitches formed on the back of the binding securely hold the binding in place.  In the background above you can see the little pick stitches along the inside of the binding, one row along the top edge of the binding and the other row along the bottom edge.)

Another hint for the herringbone stitch is a little mnemonic I use to remember where to lay my thread when I am taking a stitch.  It goes like this:  when you're down, you're up and when you're up you're down.  This means that when you are taking the stitch along the bottom you will hold your thread to the top and vice versa.  Here are some pictures:

In this picture I am taking a stitch along the bottom edge of the binding so my thread is laid above.

In the picture above I am taking a stitch along the top edge of the binding so my thread is held below.  An additional tip is to always place your knots in the bottom row of stitching.  This puts the knots and their thread tails on the inner edge which will prevent the thread tails from peeking out of the neckline or armhole.

Here's a shot of the completed top, finished just in time to wear for July 4th.  This project reminded me that last year I had the idea of making a flag bunting to hang from my porch for Independence day.  I think I have enough scraps left to give me a good head start.  Wishing all of my US friends a happy and safe holiday weekend.

Thrifty Finds

Ask Natalie Chanin about the early days of her business and she will recount how she used to purchase recycled t-shirts by the pound in huge boxes, shirts that then had to be sorted, cleaned and, in many cases, over-dyed to achieve enough matching fabric for a garment.  This process somewhat reduced the “green” value of using recycled clothing for her garments.  Eventually she made the business decision to source her own organic cotton yardage and gave up on using recycled shirts.  She does admit that using easily attained used clothing that needs minimal processing may be just as green an option as the organic cotton route (for more on the organic cotton industry read Natalie’s article for EcoSalon here).  I was pleased to hear this since the thrill of the hunt is part of the fun for me.

My love of thrifting goes way back, probably to my childhood when I loved going to yard sales in my neighborhood and when we visited my brother and sister-in-law each summer (my sister-in-law Sue is a pro at yard sale-ing).  One of the first things I do when settling in a new town is to search out the various thrift stores in the area.  Over the years I have found some truly amazing buys (though the prize probably goes to the store in Charlottesville that periodically provided shoppers with a black plastic trash bag, the entire contents of which was a mere $5).  Over time I also started seeing used clothing as raw material to create new designs. 

Today I visited one of my favorite thrift stores (a Salvation Army) looking for t-shirts for a number of projects I’ve been planning and journaling about.   I hit the jackpot.  Here’s a look at my finds, what I hope to use them for, and some hints to help with your own thrift shopping.

I don’t know who Rick is but I’m grateful he didn’t show up for his new job and that he wore a size 3XL.  These five, new, long-sleeved t-shirts will yield a lot of yardage – the back is free from any design and the lower part of the front (even the sleeves!) can be used.  These shirts will probably ultimately become a dress.

As with the previous shirts, these are identical, new 3XL shirts with lots of useable material (eleven of them).  This stack will provide me with lots of projects, and I will probably overdye some of them. They were $0.99 each.

These are all long sleeved neutral colored shirts.  I will use the navy, brown and white for a t-shirt project I’ve got planned.  The two black shirts will be cut up for a skirt.  These shirts are all without designs or logos. 

My rainbow assortment of short- and long-sleeved shirts.  Some of these have logos or designs on them, others are plain.  All of my projects will consist of a double layer of fabric.  Sometimes the top layer is cut away to reveal the inside layer, other times not.  I’m planning to use the logoed part of the shirts in areas where the top layer won’t get cut away, like the back of a t-shirt.  Some of these shirts will be used as-is and appliquéd or embroidered on, others will become “raw materials” for other projects or appliqué fabric.

I also came across these two t-shirts today.  The name Ruehl No. 925 did not mean anything to me but I sensed that these were not your run-of-the-mill t-shirt.  They are very well made, and the texture of the cotton is really striking.  I’ll put an appliqué over the text on the front.

So, what do I look for when shopping?

• Heavy-weight, 100% cotton t-shirts
• One side with no design or logo
• Multiples of the same shirt which ensures matched dye lot and plenty of fabric to work with.  Oftentimes a batch of shirts has been donated from an event or business.  If you find a batch of shirts in a light color you can always overdye them.
• Shop for the largest size you can find.  3XL shirts are great.  Even the sleeves, if long, can provide you with enough fabric to cut a skirt panel at times.
• Consider buying a shirt in your size if you want a simple project that only needs embellishing.
• Good quality shirts in a color you don’t care for can always be used for the underlining of a project.
• It goes without saying to check for stains and holes, though sometimes they can be worked around.
• Garment-dyed shirts are particularly lovely.  They usually have a soft, muted look, and often the tag has been dyed the same color as the shirt.  Watch for these gems.

Embrace the “reduce, reuse, recycle” mantra and give new life to some old clothes.  Your pocketbook and your design sense will thank you.

Wrapping Myself in Style

The very first Alabama Chanin project that I attempted was a shawl from their book Alabama Stitch.  I used two coordinating recycled t-shirts for this project, navy and periwinkle blue.  The shawl consisted of three panels, two layers thick; the panels on either end were stenciled and appliquéd while the center panel was left plain.  I also added fringe on both ends as well.

After cutting the pieces to size, I used a paisley design stencil and silver paint to transfer the design to the two navy panels.  I also stenciled the periwinkle piece with the reverse of the design.  These would become the pieces I would cut out and appliqué to the shawl.

Here are pictures of the painted fabric.

I then spent the next 8 months working on this project.  I appliquéd the various shapes onto the background using a parallel whipstitch.  I then added beads and sequins, leaving the paint to show on several of the bits.  I used a variety of glass beads including bugels and seed beads.  I also included a bit of hand embroidery.

I had completed all of the appliqué and beading when it was time to go to my workshop in Alabama, and I took this project on the plane with me to complete by hand stitching the panels together and adding the fringe.  I put the last stitch in in my hotel room the first night in Alabama.

I’m really pleased with the way this turned out and would like to make another.  I think the next version won’t have any beads so I can use it to snuggle up with on an airplane trip, like a wearable blanket.  I’ve already got an idea for the design, too.  A shawl is a great way to get started on hand stitching projects.  Give it a try!

My Silhouette Bag

I'm leaving this morning for three days away by myself.  I'm heading off to a workshop with the folks at Alabama Chanin where I'll have the chance to make my own AC-inspired garment under their tutelage.  I'll be traveling with a new friend who I met through our shared admiration for Natalie Chanin and her creations.  To say I am excited would be an understatment.

But I'm also a little sad about leaving my sweet boys behind so I'm taking them with me, figuratively speaking.  I've made a little tote bag with their silhouettes on it to use as my carry-on bag (out of old t-shirts, no less). 

This was a fun and easy project (the hardest part was getting the kids to hold still long enough to get a good picture).  I'll share the details of how I did this when I get back.

I'm hoping to have a chance to post pictures from the workshop while I'm there.  Stay tuned!