On the first holiday season after retiring from teaching, I got “crafting fever.” I wanted to sew somenting festive. I was browsing through Pinterest when I came across a video with directions for making a simple pillow case, complete with contrasting trim, by using the burrito method. Yes, the burrito method. NO, not this kind of burrito:
It was the perfect project to help me revive my sewing skills that had been dormant for most of my teaching years. Off to the fabric store I went with the exact measurements in hand eager to get started. I found the perfect holiday themed flannel on sale and bought several different prints. The first pillowcase, a candy-cane print with a snowflake border, stitched together in a flash. I ran to show my husband the finished product, eager to impress him with my talent.
Every year, on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, people take time to kick off the holiday season by giving back to their community. Whether it is donating money to a charitable cause or volunteering, Giving Tuesday is a day set to benefit the community. For me, the opportunity to give back came a bit early this year.
On November 6, 2021, hundreds of people gathered at church in my community to sew dresses for the Dress A Girl Around the World organization. Founder Rachel Eggum Cinader describes the organization this way: “Dedicated volunteers throughout the United States and around the world gather to sew and distribute dresses to girls in need around the world because we believe every girl deserves at least one dress…” https://dressagirlaroundthe world.com
The Life and Times of my Vintage Sears-Kenmore Sewing Machine
This post is going to show my age, but it’s time to tell the story of an old friend.
It was 1975. I’d just graduated from college when my in-laws gifted me the latest in sewing machines. A Sears Kenmore, Model 1320, ZIG ZAG Machine. I was ecstatic! It’s been with me through all the stages of my adult life.
Young Teacher
I brought my new Kenmore into my first classroom in 1975 to make curtains for the classroom windows and the windows of the “housekeeping corner” my grandpa helped me to build. A few years later, when teachers were no longer required to wear skirts or dresses, I made 1970s style tunics and tops to go with my slacks. (dress codes prohibited jeans)
1977…I’m a second year teacher, ready to face the world! My hand-sewn clothing helped to stretch my tiny salary.
When schools shut down for weeks after the blizzard of 1976, I occupied my time by piecing together a quilt. Interestingly enough, we were not required to make up the days we’d missed. To my knowledge, no one was permanently damaged from missing a few weeks of school. (The quilt is still unfinished. I’m waiting for another blizzard. Now that I live in Arizona, that’s not likely to happen.)
The unfinished quilt
First Home
With more creativity than money, our first home brought lots of opportunities for sewing. I was glad my mom had taught me how to make curtains. Nothing fancy, just café-style, hem the sides and bottom edge, create a casing at the top for the rod to go through. I even attempted to make slipcovers and pillows for our hand-me-down furniture.
New Mom
During my stay-at-home-Mom years, I enjoyed making a few dresses for Kelli and curtains and a window shade for Matt’s room when he came along. My specialty was Halloween costumes. I discovered I could make almost anything using a “onesie” sleeper or a sweat suit. From lions, to raccoons, to a western vest for Pioneer Days, the Kenmore never let me down.
School Days
I returned to teaching when Kelli started kindergarten and Matt was two. Being a mom and teacher left little time for sewing. Though I’d made a little sewing area in the corner of our basement. It was dark and damp and the Kenmore sat idle for long periods of time. It made a spectacular appearance years later. When Kelli was in college, I sewed the dress she wore as she pledged to a sorority.
Retirement
When I retired, I became interested in sewing again. I now had space in our new home in Arizona to make a proper sewing “studio.” Far from its basement days, the Kenmore now sits on a stylish Ikea drop-leaf table, and when in use, moves to a small desk that overlooks our desert garden and the Catalina Mountains. I became obsessed with Christmas pillowcases that first year of retirement, then moved on to aprons, and ventured out into making clothing for myself.
I was obsessed with sewing Christmas pillowcases for awhile…
The Kenmore was happy to be back in regular use, but I could tell it was struggling to keep up. The bobbin winder quit working, and the machine became sluggish. One day, while working on a thick piece of fabric, I heard a clunk. My machine was in trouble. We had worked together for 45 years. I couldn’t give up on it now, yet it was old. In today’s world of computerized super-star machines, would they even have parts for my 1975 Kenmore?
Rehab
I phoned a local sewing and vacuum cleaner shop and found out they could repair it. During its six-week stay at the sewing machine spa, they cleaned and oiled the Kenmore, fixed the bobbin winder, and replaced the belts.
I’m happy to have my old machine back. Over the years, we’ve learned each other’s quirks, and know each other’s limits. Kenmore and I will never do more than the basic straight stitch, zig-zag, or the occasional button hole, but that’s enough. Besides, we’ve been through a lifetime together.
I’m thinking about giving the old, yellowed plastic cover a makeover. What do you think?
Threads of Thought
Should I…..
Make a fabric cover to fit over the plastic one.
Paint the plastic cover.
Clean the original cover and rusty hinges as best as I can and keep it as is.
One of the first things I did when I retired from teaching three years ago (after sleeping for about a month) was to convert a spare room in my home from a teacher’s office to a writing/sewing studio. https://seamslikeastory.com/creating-a-space-to-sew-and-write/ After thirty-seven years of teaching, I needed a different way to occupy my time and engage my mind. I rekindled passions I had put on the back burner and began to sew and write again.
I find the work to be satisfying and inherently different from teaching. After spending a morning working on a poem, story, or sewing project, I have something tangible to show for my efforts. In my teaching profession, though the goals were noble and the rewards great, it often took weeks, months, or even years to see progress.
If I make a mistake sewing a garment or am not happy with the way a story is going, I can rip out seams and rewrite paragraphs. Struggling students were much harder to figure out. Many times solutions weren’t obvious, and it took many tries to succeed. There were times I wasn’t able to unravel their tangled threads or smooth out their life stories.
The Mindfulness corner in my room was a place where students could go to collect their thoughts, reflect, calm themselves.
Reap what you sew
So why did I stick with teaching for all those years? Because sometimes, sometimes, a spark ignites, a plan works, a struggling student smiles and succeeds, I made a difference; I reaped what I’d sewn.
These moments, brief as they may be, are the rocket fuel that drives those of us who were, and are fortunate enough to be educators. That passion drives me still. I’m finding new ways to channel it.
Threads of Thought
Transitioning to retirement has been a three-year journey for me.
In a former life, this women’s jacket was a pin-striped, button-down men’s shirt.
Inspiration for this men’s shirt upcycle
How did a men’s shirt upcycle to a woman’s jacket? It had been several months since I’d sewn and the creativity bug was nudging me. Though still blazing hot where I live, cooler days would be coming. I wanted to make a lightweight wrap, cardigan, or jacket to wear over a T-shirt and jeans. My initial inspiration came from the All Well Cardigan Coat pattern https://allwellworkshop.com/cardigan-coat
Materials
The All Well Cardigan can be made in a variety of fabrics. The pattern guide also suggested experimenting with vintage or recycled fabrics for a unique look. I was about to head to the local thrift shop when I remembered I had a sack of clothing recently purged from the closet. Here I found two pin-striped, button down shirts my husband was discarding. They were in good shape and made from a sturdy, wrinkle-resistant oxford cloth. Could I use these? Searching through my sewing closet, I found this unusual print and some antique buttons my sister had sent me. Could I make this work?
Button down shirts, fabric remnant, and antique buttons. Hmm…
The Process:
I decided to upcycle the blue pin-striped shirt into a woman’s jacket. At first I was planning to cut the shirt apart and try to salvage enough fabric for the pattern. On second thought, I decided to keep the existing structure in tact. The sleeves, side seams, and front placket remained unchanged. I removed parts that made it look like a man’s shirt…the chest pocket, collar, and buttons.
This pocket could be used on another project.
I carefully cut off the collar, leaving the band. The attached band was later turned under and stitched to make the neck facing.
Next, I used the All Well Cardigan pattern to mark the cropped hemline on the shirt. This cut off enough fabric from the bottom of the men’s large-tall-sized shirt to turn the short sleeves into long sleeves. I pieced them together, then stitched the pieces onto the existing short sleeves. This took some starts and stops, as I was making it up as I went along. The stripes for the “added on ” part of the sleeve runs opposite to the stripes on the existing sleeve, but I like the effect!
I like the effect of the banded sleeve and directional stripes.
Finishing touches:
Edges and hem
To finish the front edges of the shirt, I folded under the front plackets where the buttons and buttonholes had been and stitched them in place. Remember the collar band that I had NOT cut off of the neck edge of the shirt? That was folded under (after I removed some of the bulk) and stitched down to form the neck edge facing. This resulted in a clean, collarless look in keeping with the All Well Cardigan style. I hemmed the lower edge of the garment with a double-fold-and – stitch.
Pocket and back pleat detail
To add a touch of whimsy, I cut out a panel from the fabric remnant, lined it with a complimentary print from my stash, and sewed it to form a pocket. I cut a small square from the same remnant and stitched it onto the back pleat to make an interesting detail and take away the “men’s shirt” look.
It’s the small details like this pocket that really turn this from a men’s shirt to a unique woman’s jacket.
Coming or going, this jacket makes an impression!
Button and Buttonhole
From the beginning, I knew I wanted to use one of the oversized antique buttons on this project. (Remember, the existing buttonholes had been turned under and no longer visible). The addition of the button was challenging. This one-and-a-half-inch- diameter button needed a buttonhole that was too large for my machine’s buttonhole attachment. I googled “how to make custom buttonholes” and figured out (with a great deal of practice) how to make one using a zig-zag stitch.
I was determined to make this button work even though I needed a custom buttonhole.
The End Result
I’m happy with my new jacket. It was fun to play around with what I already had. I started with a basic idea or plan, but in the end, the materials themselves dictated the final look. I think it looks cute with the gold-linen, wide-legged pants I made this spring.
I think it would be nice with boyfriend jeans as well.
Speaking of boyfriend…my husband walked in as I was cutting off the collar of the shirt. “What are you doing to my shirt?!” he exclaimed. I had to remind him that the shirt had been in the “Goodwill” pile for more than a year. Still he eyed me suspiciously. Now he keeps a close watch on his closet.
Threads of Thought
Upcycling is “creatively repurposing old materials while maintaining some of their original characteristics.”
That perfectly describes this project, but the term doesn’t only apply to sewing. Many things could be upcycled: wood scraps, furniture, jewelry, dishes…the possibilities are endless!
Have you tried your hand at upcycling? I’d love to hear about it!
When I’m not sewing, I’m writing! Look for Out of the Crayon Box: Thoughts on Teaching, Retirement, and Life at amazon.com/author.debravandeventer
