Shoe-Inspired Jeans

I have been lusting after a pair of shoes for months. I had a coupon, and it was available to use today, finally.

[Cue angel choir]

Rock & Candy "Jackrabbit" in black

They come with cotton lace shoelaces... which are adorable... and fragile... so I replaced them. 

Woven laces tutorial here: http://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/angledcheckerlacing.htm

I've been wanting to do a pair of embellished jeans for a while, and this pair of shoes has inspired me. After I bought my shoes (and the new shoelaces), I headed to the nearest Goodwill. There I found a pair of black jeans that fit well and were in good condition, and also found a floral print knit shirt that has a pattern than nearly matches the floral pattern on the shoes. From there, I went to Joann's, and bought some fabric spray paint, dimensional paint, heat-set rhinestones, paisley-print felt, ribbon roses and lace trims. After I got home, I laced up the shoes (tricky, but it sure looks nifty), then went down to my stash of fabric to gather anything purple that looked like it might work. I also grabbed a couple of sequin appliqués that I really want to use somewhere. Gathered all together, this is what I have:

Now I'm not sure how I'm going to use all of that stuff, IF I will use it all, but this way I can play with the pieces together and see how they might work. I'm kind of kicking around the idea of making my own paisley appliqués. One thing I know I want to do is to lay the jeans flat and cover them with an old lace curtain, then use the spray paint to paint through the lace. I thought I'd freehand paisleys with the metallic black paint writer... but now I'm not sure I want to do something so simple. If I make my own appliqués, I can sew them on the machine, maybe do some embroidery and beading.

Brainstorming on paper: The sketch on the left shows the side seam of the leg opened up and a
lace insert added, with the sequin appliqué at the top of the split.

So many options!

In addition to the jeans, I want to make a Metropolitan Hat (from Folkwear patterns) to match. It's a very similar style to a velvet hat I had years ago that I loved, then donated to Goodwill because I never wore it. The Folkwear hat has a wider brim than the one I had, but that's an easy thing to alter.



And maybe if this goes well, I can make another pair of jeans to go with these...

"Jackrabbit" in mint green (looks aqua to me)

Fits & Starts

HATS

I haven't forgotten about my February Hat! I've been working on it -- "them" actually -- but I've run into a few issues here and there that have impeded progress. I hope to have them finished today or tomorrow. They need to be done in time for Valentine's Day.

ALTERATIONS

In other news, I've decided to alter some clothes my mother made for me years ago. The jumpers that I so loved at the time are too young a style for me, and no longer fit. I'm removing the bodice to remake them as skirts. The next part is a bit trickier. I could roll the new waistband and sew in elastic, or I could make and sew on a waistband that. Easier by far to roll it, but I don't know if that's going to put too much bulk around the waist when it's gathered. The other issue with making a new waistband is that I'll have to cut material off the hem to make the casing, and I'm not sure if that will make the skirt too short. The best way (for me, YMMV) is to do one with the rolled waist and see if it works. If it does, I'm good to go on the others; if not, I'll need to look at my options. I'm also toying with dyeing one and embellishing others. I think I'll take the berets with me when I go to the store so I'll have the material with me in case I need to check colors.

MORE HATS

Two of the berets I made recently were made without a headband. For whatever reason, Mom and I decided that they didn't need them when she made the for me (to match the jumpers), so that was how I made the once I made. On a whim the other day, I cut out the band piece and sewed it on the rose beret, and what do you know, it does look better. So, I think I need to do the same for the other berets, including the ones Mom made. I can use the material from the bodices to get the band, with some creative placing of the pattern piece.

I'm planning a couple more hats, but not sure where they're going to fit into the monthly lineup. They may be bonus hats, because I'm crazy that way. I bought the material for one this morning, and in my obsessive plunder of the remnants, found some pleather... and I'm dying to dig into it. Remnants seriously rock. Not only are they discounted from what you'd pay off the bolt, but they're usually just the right amount for making a hat. A beret only takes about a half-yard, and the other hats I've made -- the toque and pillboxes -- use even less. Anyway, I didn't find much that tickled my fancy as far as embellishing the remade skirts, but it's not like I have a deadline, and I can double-check my stash.