6 Top Tips for Wrapping Up Your Sewing Alterations on Lockdown

Altered plum top by A Howse

Altered plum top by A Howse

Tip 1

Find some of your family's clothes that need basic mending and only simple repairs and tackle them sewing by hand in the garden. Alternatively enjoy some hand stitching in front of your favourite comedy or drama series. We recommend downloading the first episode in the new series of The Great British Sewing Bee which is on BBC1 on Wednesdays at 21:00 and has already just landed on BBC iplayer catchup, for some entertaining inspiration to get you in the mood.

    
A Howse's 'quick'win' alterations basket

A Howse's 'quick'win' alterations basket

Tip 2

Most people keep a box of wearable items to 'do on a rainy day' in a storage area or loft at home. These pieces to be altered can be split into two piles. Allocate a 'quick win' pile and also a more 'substantial project' stack. Pop the ones that won't take much time into a pretty basket or box like this vintage shopper. Find a small space in your work room or dining room or wherever you will find them when you have some time to catchup on 'things you have been meaning to do for ages'. Improving the fast to finish items first will feel satisfying and allow you to 'clear the decks' swiftly, spurring you on to attempt the bigger fashion challenges later.

Gather everything you need for your 'quick win' box in advance. Include your basic sewing tools and threads, small offcuts for making patches and haberdashery, edging and bindings as required. If possible keep these in your basket so you are ready to go when you have some quiet time to craft. Think about colours you want for your trimmings and order anything you need to complete your speedy fixes smoothly.

Blue top makeover by A Howse

Blue top makeover by A Howse

Tip 3

My dark ultramarine blue polo neck from Target in Florida, USA was damaged after being worn under overalls when I was painting recently. I chopped the sleeves short and re-cut the neckline to make it into a T-shirt instead. As the fabric is very fine 'tissue T viscose cotton mix' I hand rolled the edges and hemmed with small stitching. Then I went over the top with my sewing machine on a 'zig-zag' setting. If you have an overlocker (mine is inaccessible due to restrictions on movement at this time) that would work perfectly too.

I have also simply snipped off the 'neck' and made it into a stretchy 'Alice band' to wear with this cool navy under-layer.

Tip 4

If your tops and bottoms are tired, transform your natural fibre garments with machine washable dyes to give them a new lease of life. Or why not experiment with natural dyes such as indigo for a completely individual result. This purple patterned silk shirt originally from Monsoon was black and white and I customised it with a grape colour wash using 'plum' by Dylon. Then I finished it with deep violet lace around the neck and black stretch lace around the sleeves and bottom edges.

Pink T shirt mended by A Howse

Pink T shirt mended by A Howse

Tip 5

Turn black marks into a feature. This pink top had a dark mark after I had been taking care of some car maintenance. I added a little purple lace off-cut and some white cotton wool thread. Then I embroidered a little flower embellishment to an otherwise plain top and this only took a few minutes. It doesn't matter if it is not perfectly executed as casual clothes like this look fine with a hand finished flourish that adds a bit of character.

Plum silk top after alterations by A Howse

Plum silk top after alterations by A Howse

Tip 6

The 'kimono' shaped blouse originally had a long bow tie on the front. The underarm seams were split in places from wear and tear so I used the now unattached ribbon trimming it into small rectangles and then neatly taking the patches in place with lavender thread to reinforce the fine shirt at the armholes. Happily I still have enough matching length left for a headband or hair tie.
 

Social distancing is here to stay and many people will have more time than usual due to their normal meetings and events being postponed. If there is time try a decorative running stitch or 'sashiko' or 'boro' which are Japanese embroidery techniques for fine sewing work that mends the fibres of broken and torn garments and in turn adds to their beauty by forming something unique. It could be just what you old ripped jeans are waiting for.

 

Monsoon fashion website, 24 April 2020 https://uk.monsoon.co.uk/uk/women

Dylon machine dye website, 24 April 2020 https://www.dylon.co.uk/en/home.html

'About Sashiko' Japan Crafts website, 24 April 2020 https://www.japancrafts.co.uk/sashiko.html

'Three Easy ways to Mend Fabric Inspire by japanese Textiles' by Jessica Marquez, 24 April 2020 https://www.designsponge.com/2015/05/three-easy-ways-to-mend-fabric-inspired-by-japanese-fabric.html

'The Great British Sewing Bee' BBC1 website https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03myqj2