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The great closet renewal project

Rebekah Harmon

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posted 1 year ago

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Hello, Permies!!

There are a few reasons I've not remade my closet with natural fiber clothes. One is the price. The other is my favorites I don't want to give up.

But, since JoAnns went out of business this month, I've got a whole bunch of new fabrics and colors to pick from! So, an inventory of my wardrobe shows that I'd need to replace:

Underwear,
Bras,
Shirts,
Skirts,
Pants,
Shorts,
And socks

Almost everything, lol. Anyways! One project at a time

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Rebekah Harmon

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posted 1 year ago

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This is one of my favorites shirts. I use it as an athletic layer under other things, like jerseys and sweaters if it's cold. It's recycled plastic fiber and spandex....

I'm going to cut it apart and use the pattern to make at least one copycat new shirt from lightweight, woven merino wool and a breathable cotton mesh layer for the underarms and sides.

Can't wait!!

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Being weird is easy. Making it mainstream is hard. Be brave! https://www.youtube.com/@healthygreenbrave

Rebekah Harmon

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posted 1 year ago

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Yesterday, I dyed the wool fabric (and cotton underarm strip) with sumac! The berry like clumps on a staghorn sumac from my friends' front yard. Sumac has natural tannins in it and doesn't need a mordent to hold color. Surprisingly, the cotton turned light pink while the wool pulled a darker mauve. I am quite happy with it!! I may have to hunt down more sumac with which to dye more before spring hits and the clumps fall off.

Today I washed and dried it. Tomorrow, I will put the pieces together ❤️

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Rebekah Harmon

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posted 11 months ago

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You know, it takes FOREVER to unpick squirrely knits.

I had to unpick and redo the underarm seams, seeing as how the "pattern" didn't come with instructions and I have trouble seeing things 3d in my head. Got it done eventually, including the awesome thumb holes in the long sleeves.

The pink in the underarm slits faded almost entirely as I ironed the pieces for seams. 😥 Cotton and sumac aren't a great combo, it seems.

The neckline was the biggest trouble. I wanted a bias tape, like the original garment had, but the fabric wanted to roll and it was squirrely to get two rolling edges to match evenly. The homeade bias tape I attempted turned out with a horribly lumpy neckline. It worked when I tried this with linnen on another project! Bummer. Anyways, I unpicked it all and let it roll and sewed it in place. Much better.

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Rebekah Harmon

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posted 11 months ago

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I spend a lot of days in yoga pants. So ive been dreaming of how to make yoga pants that are natural fiber and stretchy. Possible? Here's my first attempt:

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Rebekah Harmon

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posted 11 months ago

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I love the pocket placement!! The waist fits me just right, too. I did a doubled-over fabric piece for the waist front and back. The legs werent doubled, and honestly, they are too thin. I'd love to try this same pattern with a slightly heavier-weight knit. This pair will have to stay more like long johns.

The finished pants don't stretch nearly as much as the originals. That makes them tight in the thighs. I should have added extra seam allowance AND a little extra for the less-stretch-factor. But alas... I thought I would be losing weight and slimming down, so I erred on the size of too small. These are now my 4th garment that I made too small.

Anyone else ever shop thinking "when I'm down pounds down, these will fit like a dream!" Oy. Why do I do that to myself!?

Anyways, final analysis is that the yoga pants failed to be good yoga pants. I will try again!

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Carla Burke

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posted 11 months ago

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Nice pants! If you open the center seam, and put in a strip of the same fabric, it would loosen up the legs, for you. The width of the strip would (of course) have to include both the seam allowances and the amount to loosen them to achieve the fit you're looking for. But, at least it would make them fit comfortably.

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Rebekah Harmon

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posted 11 months ago

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This is a big step I've been planning for awhile! I ordered new underwear 😄 since I wear special underwear that reminds me of promises I made, it's a bit more complicated than just buying new ones.

These are the most natural fiber variety availible, I believe. 95% cotton. Since I was wearing straight-up polyester mesh before, I consider this a big step up. Now the fibers touching my skin all day has improved. Wonder if I'll notice any changes?

What changes have you noticed from switching undies?

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Dian Green

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posted 11 months ago

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I have been all 100% cotton on the undies forever. I have tried a few with some or most poly and just didn't like it.
Bamboo is okay but I still like cotton best. You should find it feels softer, drier and more "clean". (That is harder one to nail down, but that is the best way to describe how it feels to me)
I hope you enjoy your new stuff!

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Rebekah Harmon

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posted 10 months ago

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Thanks, Dian! Next up, I've got a skirt to replace. It's a grey, stretchy pencil skirt. I used the wool knit fabric I had, but I doubled it up so it would hold up better and not be see-through! ;)

I then dyed the fabric, which has been my most favorite, successful color fastness so far! I used sumac, like I did for the yoga pants, but I only picked the more reddish bunches this time. I also added avocado pits and skins. It stayed a lovely dark purple-grey after washing!

I used my server this time for most of the seams, to which I had added a half inch seam allowance after last times' experience.

This is the first article of clothing with which I'm really happy. This skirt will probably get a lot of use!

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Rebekah Harmon

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posted 1 month ago

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More purple!! This jacket has been a LONG time in the making. I decoded i dont love pulling natural fiber sweaters over my head. Maybe because they don't stretch? And my arms are always sore from massages.

Anyways! I used wool from the dogfood factory sheep. The factory just throws the hides away! I saved 6 or so and spun the wool. I used a thermal stich, single crochet stich.
I have a favorite jacket from Costco thars absolutely plastic. Its also wearing out and all the stuffing is bunching up inside the coat. So I pattern every piece into a crochet "recipe".
Then I dyed the pieces in a logwood bark bath. The lodwood bark came from Walnut Design Farms. I near-boiled it over my fireplace for a few days. Dyeing is so interresting! I didn't get exactly the same shade on any one piece. But I like it.
I love it!! It fits me so much better than my last sweater. And its local yarn, spun at my own hand. Dyed by my own hand! Sewn by my own hand with Idaho-spun lightweight yarn I also dyed. The zipper was ordered in. 25inches, kinda a strange length.
I didnt put in pockets, and that needs to change. Its also just a bit droopy around the armpit/breast. Maybe i can felt it a bit to shrink just right? If that works, I'll repost!

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Being weird is easy. Making it mainstream is hard. Be brave! https://www.youtube.com/@healthygreenbrave

Rebekah Harmon

Apprentice Rocket Scientist

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Location: 4a, high mountain dessert

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posted 1 month ago

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Thank heavens the sleeves dyed the same color. After a couple attempts! They were originally lighter. They are 1-ply yarn (singles), while the rest of the garment is 3-ply. The single ply in the sleeves took on a WAY darker color after a second bath. The front pieces were dyed twice as well, but didnt go that dark.

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Nancy Reading

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posted 1 month ago

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This is just great Rebekah! I've never got the hang of sewing, so am really impressed with what you have achieved - love the cosy coat! If you can make and dye more of the wool, you could make a couple of patch pockets and sew them on the front perhaps?

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Jay Angler

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posted 1 month ago

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Rebekah Harmon wrote: Now the fibers touching my skin all day has improved. Wonder if I'll notice any changes?
What changes have you noticed from switching undies?

I was forced years ago due to allergies, to switch to all cotton underwear. Eventually, I had to swap out bras for "A" shirts. Recently, so much of the cotton has spandex in it, that I've started sewing my own out of stained 100% cotton T-shirts. Some I hand sewed for the practice, but most I machine sew for efficiency.

I started making a cotton bra, but the pattern I was following didn't allow for the normal size difference between right and left breasts (it is normal for left breasts to be larger because they have a better blood supply). I got busy with other projects and haven't tried to unpick and resew, but I suspect I will do so at some point.

Did you notice any changes by switching to at least "mostly" cotton?

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Rebekah Harmon

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posted 1 month ago

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Nancy Reading wrote:This is just great Rebekah! could make a couple of patch pockets and sew them on the front perhaps?

Thank you, Nancy! 😁 I dont thinkni woyld like the look of one on the front. But maybe the side panel!

Being weird is easy. Making it mainstream is hard. Be brave! https://www.youtube.com/@healthygreenbrave

Rebekah Harmon

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posted 1 month ago

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Jay Angler wrote:

Did you notice any changes by switching to at least "mostly" cotton?

Hey Jay. I havent noticed much. But I'm still wearing a lot of clothes with synthetics in them. Im not sensitive to them as long as I dont use name-brand laundry soap, so it hasn't been a priority.

Its also not a priority because my sewing skills are bland and all the clothes I've made so far aren't comfortable for one reason or another, especially for working out. Yoga pants still feel way better to me!

I also keep thinking I'm going to lose the last of the baby weight, and need to size down. So I keep making them too small to comfortably wear right now. 🫣

Life is also just--crazy busy! I have all the fabric and patterns and I saved them for this winter when I thought I'd have so much more time. But with kids in basketball in high school, Jr high, and elementary school, I've had 6 games a week for the last three weeks! I'm so burnt out.

However! This project was so rejuvenating to finish!!! I'm working in a jeans quilt for my last kid right now, but I noticed Wazoodle now has natural fiber stretch-fabrics, specifically made for exercise gear. Can't wait to make some easy sports bras! Then maybe I'll feel a difference.

Being weird is easy. Making it mainstream is hard. Be brave! https://www.youtube.com/@healthygreenbrave

Tess Misch

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posted 1 month ago

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Rebekah!! You are incredible!!! LOVE every project you shared with us. Sadly, I am late coming into the sewing. I was mid-30s when I got serious with hand sewing. I tinkered since I was about 12, darts, buttons, more simple fixes & projects.

I can machine sew & love it. But hand sewing gets me to slow down & be intentional. I need that now & again. I tried doing a pattern sew like you did, and I just messed it up. But I also worked with fabric that I probably should not have worked with at my level of expertise (low). I think I may try again, with a fabric more tender to a newbie. A ton of inspiration from you! Thank you for sharing all your projects AND progress. --Tess

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Love the crocheted jacket, nicely done. Another way to do it is to dye the yarn first, which is what I have done in the past (in my younger days I really enjoyed dying wool yarn with kool aid! Really fun colors, though maybe not what you're aiming for). I've been doing some sewing and knitting recently too, somewhat inspired by your first post

I look forward to what you do next.

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Nancy Reading

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Rebekah Harmon wrote:

Nancy Reading wrote:could make a couple of patch pockets and sew them on the front perhaps?

I dont thinkni woyld like the look of one on the front. But maybe the side panel!

I suggest you check the placement before you do them there - you may find them a bit far back on the sides....Alternatively you could unpick a section of seam and have them hidden behind like the original jacket- any fabric might do then.

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Rebekah Harmon

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I totally will, Nancy! Because its driving me nuts to not have pockets!! 😉

At first I hesitated because I was out of yarn. So whatever I choose to sew them on will likely be visible with a slightly off color. Oh well! Doing it anyways

Being weird is easy. Making it mainstream is hard. Be brave! https://www.youtube.com/@healthygreenbrave

Rebekah Harmon

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posted 1 week ago

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Sweat pants have been on my list for awhile! I used a pattern for yoga pants i tried making last year. And gave them a little more seam allowance.

I used bamboo fleece. I know some folks here are prejudiced against bamboo. But I'm using up a fabric in my stash, and its a step in the right direction from polyester.

My only complaint with it was rhe lack of tensile strength. So as I sewed the seams, even with a stretch stich, it lost most of the stretch the fabric had on the bolt. This made me have to unpick and adjust the top of the pants.

After achieving a workable fit for the waist (ill have to install elastic if I lose weight!) I dyed them next. With black walnuts. The bamboo didnt take on the color very darkly. The result is a light beige. But they're not white!

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Jay Angler

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Rebekah Harmon wrote: My only complaint with it was rhe lack of tensile strength. So as I sewed the seams, even with a stretch stich, it lost most of the stretch the fabric had on the bolt. This made me have to unpick and adjust the top of the pants.

I have never personally met a "home machine" that does a stretch stitch as well as an industrial machine - they may exist, and I know people who swear by their "serger", but the one friend that bought one, got rid of it... hmmm... not a close friend, so I don't feel I got a full explanation on what happened.

However, with all the fabric upcycling I've been doing the last few years, I have noticed that the thread used for industrial stretch outfits, is *much* stretchier than typical thread available in my local fabric shop.

So I get what you're saying about loosing most of the stretch of the fabric. I have a Janome machine and it has something called a "darning stitch" which is a zigzag stitch with three smaller stitches in each "zig" and "zag" - so 3 tiny stitches to the advance right, followed by 3 tiny stitches to the advance left. The overall width is adjustable, so if I need a lot of stretch, I need to take it wide, and keep the stitch length lower. If your machine, or any friend's machines, have such a feature, you might want to experiment with some scrap fabrics and see if it is helpful.

Yes, larger seam allowances are generally helpful from my experience - they can always be trimmed narrower, but the reverse is not true!

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