Bell bottoms: handmade/DIY ; Bralette: Spell Designs ; Flannel: Shaun White for Target
A few weeks ago I rode my bike over to Art Scraps, a little store on Saint Clair jammed pack with weird trinkets and things verging on trash. I used to go there all the time when I was very young and much more crafty, but I popped in the other day to bring in some donations, and ended up buying quite a lot of stuff. One of the things I bought was an old lace curtain for $2. It was in good condition (or so it appeared in the store) and I thought it'd be great for sewing either a maxi skirt or bell bottoms - and it was as you can see above!
Lace bell bottoms seem to be really in right now and since I cannot afford a $90 pair from Miracle Eye, much less one of Spell Designs beautiful $200 pairs, I decided to just make my own.
When I brought the curtain home, I realized that it was way dirtier than it looked in the store, and also had a few holes. After some research, I decided on what seemed like a proper way to clean the curtain - I think it had come from a smoking home, as it was pretty smelly and very very yellow. I put baking soda and detergent with OxyClean in a big vat of boiling water and then, intending to let the water cool but completely forgetting, I put the curtain in the still boiling water. I completely fried all of the elastic (as the curtain was extremely stretchy) but I think it ended up making it easier to sew as the lace melded together a little bit. I washed the lace this way two or three times and they're finally a nice creamy color, free of the terrible stains from before. I managed to cut the pattern out around any major holes and oh yeah did I mention that the curtain only cost me TWO DOLLARS?!?!?!
The bell bottoms pattern I used was an old one from the '70s (Butterick, I believe) that I bought for like 25 cents at a garage sale. I didn't have to make many adjustments to the pattern other than taking out the darts & fitted waistband to use elastic instead. The pants were also really weird in that the pattern wanted you to make both of the legs in four pieces each (?!?!?!?!) so I just taped the pattern together into two pieces for each leg. I lined the pants with little silky shorts (which was like $17/yard, unfortunately, but I made by with only a third of a yard). The shorts ended up - surprisingly - being the most difficult thing to sew. I fought with the fabric forever. Sewing the lace was surprisingly easy! I searched a little bit online and in sewing books for tips on sewing lace, but didn't find anything. I ended up using a needle for delicate fabrics and had about 24 stitches per inch (excessive, I know!), hoping not to miss any of the fabric. The seams seem very solid and I'm still amazed at how simple lace was to sew. This project would have only taken me about half an hour if it wasn't for the bastard shorts. That fabric frayed and slipped so badly! But now I have some rad bell bottoms at a fraction of the price of what you can find in stores.
I've kind of talked myself out after such a long-winded explanation of making these bells. In a meeting at work yesterday, I was talking about how I'm not good with using Twitter because nothing I say is short, I'm a very long-winded person, to which my boss smirked in agreement (you should hear the long explanations I bring to him - I have no shame!). I think it's why I do so well with blogging. I'm definitely not one of those person style bloggers who just lists what they're wearing and maybe add a witty blurb or two.
I'm sort of stuck between knowing if these bell bottoms are so totally rad, or if they're pretty horrific and I just want them to be cool because I'm weird. I have this problem a lot. One of my volunteers at work the other day mentioned a photo of me in overalls that he saw on Facebook - I can't remember if he said he liked the overalls or not, but he got this huge mocking grin on his face, obviously indicating how out of date overalls are. I grinned back at him and said, "I wear really ugly things sometimes because they make me feel beautiful." So that is why I am wearing these perhaps very terrible bell bottoms - but they make me feel as rad as ever, so who really cares?
I honestly would've had no idea that you made those pants yourself (and out of curtains, no less!) if you hadn't said so. You're obviously more adept at sewing than I am. ;P They're fab and they look lovely on you. Also, I've been meaning to say so for awhile so it's funny that you made that point, but I love that you wear whatever you want regardless of what's "in trend" or whatever. You've inspired me to wear more things I like regardless of what other people would think. I even snagged a pair of overall-shorts for ONE DOLLAR (!!!!!!!) at a thrift shop recently and am loving the heck outta them. People who mock overalls obviously don't understand how comfy they are. I mean, really, people, get with it.
ReplyDeleteGood! I hope that no one thinks I'm wearing a curtain :p That curtain was a lucky find, and just the right size for a pair of pants! You rock those one dollar overalls! As long as you feel great, that's all that matters (;
DeleteI think that's the important thing - whether something makes you feel good. If it does, and you don't mind people looking at you, then by all means you should feel good about wearing it, because life's too short to not wear things that make you feel good. For me, this pair of pants is something that I might buy to wear at home because they'd make me feel awesome, but I would lack the confidence to wear them in public because they'd be eye-catching (and I don't like all eyes on me). If I were to see someone out and about wearing them, I would think she was AMAAAZING and I'd probably tell her that. I am majorly envious of your sewing skills! Enjoy your pants and enjoy feeling rad as ever.
ReplyDeleteTrust me, if you put these bell bottoms on, you would have all the confidence in the world. They make me feel so rad, I couldn't even care less what other people said! Confidence (;
DeleteThese bell bottoms are so amazing, and you look really really good in them. I can't believe you sewed them yourself, from a curtain! They look like they come from a shop, and they look like they cost you a lot more! I hate sewing with satin. It's the worst. Even worse than sewing with stretchy fabrics! I really should make myself some bell bottoms. I think your volunteer at work is weird. Overalls and bell bottoms are objectively the best things ever. And definitely, if something makes you feel rad then that's all that mattters! xx
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I can't believe that you haven't made bell bottoms before! I thought you were probably whipping those babies out left & right. Give em a try - super super simple, especially with an elastic waist!
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