Day 6 - Monica Cecilie Herredsvela

My name is Monica C Herredsvela, finalist in the Norwegian “Sewing bee” 2017,
and author of the book “ Fra drøm til søm”
(From having a dream, until making it a seam).
The book is all about redesign/ refashion, step by step inspiration.

I’m 44 years old, mother of 3, married and living in the countryside in Norway.
I really love sewing, and normally sew daily.
My favorite projects are different colorful dresses with happy pattern and bold combinations.
Sewing is my happy place, not my work or “have to do” and that’s what making it perfect.

You need a sweater, and if it is a little big, it's even better.

Now you need a fabric you can use together with the sweater. 

I’m using jersey, but you can use wool or other fabrics as well.
Remember that the biggest problem will be when you wash it.
I have chosen to place the jersey-fabric where it doesn’t need so much washing,
and wool is self-cleaning, which makes it usable for a longer time without washing.

Find a pattern that you like or want to use, and make sure it’s made for jersey /knitwear.
Put your front peace on the sweater, find the center line, and make sure it follows it. 

Cut through the front part, and let the shoulder-edge be uncut. Be very careful with the knitted fabric, it will normally stay in place until you sew, but not if you pull to much in it. 

If you want to be extra safe, you can overlock it straight away. 

Place the pattern over to the other side, and repeat.

Lift up the cut-out front part, and use the backside pattern the same way as you did in the front. 

Now you can see that you don’t need a new shoulder-seam.

If you have an arm-pattern that is equal on both sides of the “bow”, you can fold it in to, 

and place it over the arm. Cut around it. 

I really enjoy this picture, it’s  a kind of old and new at the same time.

Use needles to get the arms in the right place, and then overlock it together.

It’s really important that you won’t pull in the fabric while sewing. If you do, the result will be wavy. It’s much better if you do almost the opposite.

The top is finished sewn together. 

Now I can sew the skirt, and then sew top and skirt together afterwards.

This is how I’m planning this dress to become. 

I’m choosing a black edge hoping it will make the dress even better.

I’m carefully while making the seams match, and sewing a stitching, to give it a nice look.

I’m extremely found of glitter and glam, hand stitching small diamonds different places on the top, 

and a little “flower” on the black line at the skirt.

I’m sewing a diamond cross in the back as well.

Finished refashioned dress 😊

  

The long zipper gives the dress possibilities for a different look, 

and will be perfect in wintertime.

I really hope this can be inspiration for some of you reading this blog today.

Maybe you or someone you know has some hidden knitted treasures that can get a new life,

perhaps a dress like this! 

You can see more of what I’m sewing on Instagram😉