Easy fixes for four jackets

I have always had a lot of jackets, coats and blazer. Some of them have been my favourites for decades, like the Mao jacket signed by Chris Isaac or the vintage coat in blue wool.
Others need  professional help, otherwise they get overlooked and forgotten.
Sometimes is just the case of mending a tear or change the buttons, small changes really goes a long way.

Here are some minor repairs/styling first aid conducted on four of my jackets.

Every piece of clothing I work on goes through the same process of :

• Identifying the problem (Too long, too wide, too boring, wrong colour....
• Figure out how to improve it ( Take it in, cut it up, make it in to something else, dye it....)

Once those to steps have been thought through, I sit down with the sewing machine. 

1. First jacket is nice, but I'm not quite ready to dress like Hilary Clinton. Problem: Too boxy and the bow is flimsy and out of place. Solution: Take it in and get rid of the bow. See the difference? Super cool with jeans and a little tank top. It's a keeper!

2.   This I'm going out riding, but will be back in time for High Tea blazer is p e r f e c t. Perfect fit,     perfect style, but there is one flaw. Problem: There is a small whole in the fabric. Solution: Old fashioned mending with needle and tread. No machine needed. 

I'm not good enough for it not to show at all, but at least it is less obvious. 

3. I fell for this jacket back in 2008. I think I have worn it 3 times since then. Problem: It's lacking something, but I don't want to change too much either. Solution: Attach velvet bows on the pocket. 

The bows are made from the ribbon I cut off from jacket number 1. 

4. I have two black velvet jackets, almost identical, so I wanted to set them apart. 

Problem: Too similar to other jacket. Solution: Change the cuffs and add roses to the collar. 

The roses came from a headband. 

There you have it. Four jackets with four easy-fix solutions. I can't wait for the snow to melt and temperature to rise again so I can actually wear them. 

Spring, I'm ready for you. 

No more bobbles

This is a little How to...segment:

How to take care of your winter sweaters. 

It's the season for wool, cashmere, angora; anything that keeps you warm and cosy.
Most of my sweaters and cardigans are well behaved and look nice as long as I wash them right and lovingly put them back in the closet at the end of the day. Some sweaters get covered in fuzz and bobbles regardless of TLC. The nicest Jackie O cardigan will look raggedy and unbecoming once bobbles have taken over and infested the entire surface.

I'm sure there are numerous reasons why this happen (friction on the wool mix, washing powder maybe, rubbing up against other fabrics...) and there must be just as many ways to deal with it. 

My personal weapon of choice against any unwanted bobbles is a simple Gillette razor. 

You simply shave the sweater. The only trick is to stretch the fabric nice and tight so that the razor blades only rake over the surface and don't get stuck on the fabric and accidentally create a hole or a tear. 

And the result: 

Look how nice that is! Soft and smooth, I love how it looks just like new. And that is the whole point, isn't it? To take care of the things we already have and don't cast it aside the second it develops a flaw or needs a little help. Also, it takes less time to shave a sweater than it takes to earn the cash it takes to buy a new one. 

Now it's time to make some brownies and hang out with Panda. 

Simple Start

Happy New Year! I know better than to embark on a gigantic project first thing in the new year. It's better to build it up gradually.

What could be more easy than transforming that soft, but unusable, turtle neck into rags? Yes, we are going the other way around with this one. Instead of from rags to amazing outfit, we take an unused t-shirt or cotton sweater and cut it up into cleaning rags. Simple, easy, and actually quite useful. Also, I don't like spending money on boring things, so this is a perfect post Christmas project.

I secured the borders with my beloved overlock machine, but regular zig-zag seam will do.

OK, just so you don't loose all faith in me and think I'm totally boring, I have to show off my new Killing sweater. You know, the kind Sarah Lund wears in the 3rd season of The Killing? 

I just finished knitting my own!

It's not totally the same, but similar enough that I get a few curious glances when I walk down the street. 

Recently at a party I was telling someone that I was knitting a Killing sweater; and his comment was:

" I can only hope you are referring to the Danish series The Killing, not a sweater you wear on killing sprees." Funny guy:)