Tuesday 26 February 2013

One Renfrew, Two Renfrews...

Warning: this post contains sloppy slobby sewing errors and poor photography.  What would be the collective noun for Renfrews?  A clutch of renfrews, a stitch of renfrews?  I don't know what it could be. 
Any suggestions?
In line with my sewing plans I completed my purple Renfrew a few weeks ago. I cut it out before Christmas and then went back to it in January.   It sewed up really quickly.  The purple fabric was a gift from the lovely Scruffybadger via Birmingham Rag Market.  I am guessing it came from the stallholder whose byline is "Best Marks and Spencer fabric".
Then I got a bit carried away and made a second Renfrew.  This was enabled by Tors who had  mentioned the Backstitch sale.  I looked and found yellow polka dot cotton jesey from Oliver + S, half price.  I bought it as I find it very hard to find good quality jersey fabric.  Well, that's my excuse, and I am sticking with it.  This impulse online buying is dan-ger-ous! 


It's renfrew o'clock!  heee-heee




Obligatory looking for lost object on floor pose

I cut out short sleeves on the yellow top, having cut the purple one with full length sleeves which proved too long for me so I chopped them shorter.  Those long  sleeves are loooooong.  Like Donna, I think I will go down a size next time.  I don't like clinging tops but the neckline is a bit too big. 

 
So now time to 'fess up.  The purple Renfrew may look okay hanging up in the picture but when cutting it out I made such a rookie error.  I was rushing the cutting out, of course, trying to complete it before RG woke up.  When laying out and cutting the back piece I stupidly laid it so the two sides of the folded piece of fabric didn't match up and upon opening up the back piece realised a chunk of one shoulder simply wasn't there.  I didn't have enough fabric to cut the back out again so I opted for the slobby sewing route and simply sewed up the shirt with a big hole on the back beneath the shoulder seam.  Then when it was finished, I er, er, slobbily I know, I just wore it with a big old hole in it and made sure it was always covered by a cardigan.  This worked fine till I got hot one day!  Slowly my sewing pride took precedence and I decided to act. 
I had a very small piece of a lovely vintage pink nautical fabric
in my stash.  I t came from my bin bags of fabric a couple of years ago.  I used it to make shoulder patches, squared on the back and curved on the front.  I think the pink and purple colours really sing together and I am much happier with my non holey Renfrew.  I think it is brighter and prettier now with shoulder patches than it was before.

Back view
 
Front view

So, if there is a moral to this story, it would be that it doesn't matter if you make a mistake.  It's what you do afterwards to fix the mistake that counts.  Anyone else made a mistake into something good? 

12 comments:

  1. mistakes, yes, plenty. Into something good? Sadly, no!!

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  2. I quite like the patch!! I find that the sleeves are too long also on the long-sleeve version (and I normally have the opposite problem w/ my monkey arms). And we definitely need to come up with a collective noun for the Renfrews! ;)

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    1. I am glad it's not just me who found the sleeves long. xx

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  3. Yay well done you, Renfrew city! You've been pining to make them so long, and now you've got two ( well, one and 19/20ths ) under your belt!! The patch is cute, I think it should be designed in for future versions, and much regretting not following your yellow polka dot lead, as it looks so cheery and perfect with denim.

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    1. Thank you - the shoulder patches give the purple a little brightening lift I think. I agree the yellow polka dot is so cheery and I love how it goes with denim. :)

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  4. I love the way you fixed your mistake! :) Very encouraging, and it's a lovely little detail!

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    1. Thank you - I am hoping the shoulder patches now look like a deliberate design detail!! xx

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  5. Well done in fixing your mistake! I'm good at making mistakes, not so good at fixing them :( xx

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  6. Debbie! Those Renfrews look lovely, what cheerful, beautiful colors you have chosen. That shoulder patch is genius, always love when mistakes turn into our favorite parts of garments. The pink with purple is genius. BTW, love the fabrics you highlight in your last post, there's something about pairing a feminine pattern with those strong linear architectural lines that is just plain inspired!

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  7. Hello there hope you ok and you found the lost object!
    It's award time if you care to take a look xx

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  8. Hey, these are both cute! Great colors! And way to turn the mistake into a design detail! I have a hard time recovering from mistakes calmly and graciously-- I probably would've thrown the whole thing away in a fit of rage!

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