Dress Of The Day with Angela

My trousers are too long and tripping me up. Whatever can go wrong will do so. This is sometimes known as Murphy's law. What could go wrong? My over-long trousers could get dirty or trip me up. I could make mistakes when trying to alter them. Temporary Solution Indoors - Tuck In trouser Leg Hem  I had a pair of black trousers (pants) which I wore regularly although they were too long. I managed to wear them around the house by tucking them into socks or into my boots.  Trouble Running In the Rain With Over-Long Trouser Legs However, when I went out in the rain and they got dirty I know they needed altering. As I searched for alternatives the right length, all I could find was a similar pair in brown. I needed to alter two pairs of over long trousers.  One pair was brown, the other black. I started with the black ones which I wear more frequently since they co-ordinate with all my black skirt. Why did trouser legs need altering?  Not only did they flop about in the mu...

Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright. Paperclips  I was sewing a wide neck strap onto the neck of an apron. The strap had become detached. I needed to fix it on.  I used a paperclip. The material of the apron was plastic backed. I did not want to make holes in it and risk tearing with a pin or safety pin. The paperclip worked well at first. No risk of leaving a pin on the neck of a garment.  Then the paperclip fell off.  I put it back on, the small part of the paperclip on the front. The little paperclip held onto the fabric just long enough for me to make my first stitch. What other alternatives could you use instead of pins? Glue. Staples. I shall definitely remember this paperclip trick for when I don't have a pin nearby. I shall take care to tighten the paperclip. I could also use a hairclip, or the clip fastener for plastic bags. Please share links to your favourite posts.

  Pink Night dress with infinity scarf made from hem cut off. Selfie photo by Angela Lansbury. Cut night dress. I now see my feet. Photo by Angela Lansbury. My pink night dress from Marks & Spencer which I have worn for years was too long.. I pinned up the hem with large safety pins. The Problem With The Long Skirt i had to cut it. I didn't bother looking for my pinking sheers. I didn't wait to measure it up. I didn't wait until somebody else was around to help me.  I thought, 'I want this done now. I have been meaning to do it for years. The hem is trailing on the ground, threatening to trip me up. The hem gets dirty and permanently stained. 'I just spent hours of my time putting it through soap and nailbrush treatment. That was only partially successful. So I ended up soaking the hem in bleach in a bucket. I don't want it to get dirty again.' The Spare Material I was going to cut the ex-hem to make a belt. Instead, I put the circle around my neck like ...

  I took an existing dress as my template. I had an oblong piece of lovely fabric, black background. Shiny pattern. Evening-y.  "Where did it come from?" my husband asked. Fabric I wish I could remember. Maybe an offcut from Spotlight in Singapore. I went out to buy when I bought my sewing machine. Or the Oxfam shop or another charity shop in the UK. I wish I had listed the source. Not that it would help. I could not go back and get more fabric. The patterns and even the fabrics, the opportunities for offcuts, change all the time. But it would be interesting to know. Now I am wearing it, I find that it is stretchy. Maybe I bought it to make a wrap to go with a swimsuit.  My husband raises his eyebrows and shakes his head, "I don't have oblongs of fabric lying around."  He does. Shirts he has thrown away because the collars got frayed. I rescued them. You can cut off the collar and have a large piece of usable fabric. What To Make With Oblong Fabric? What could I...