Here’s a picture of myself and some of the other people that enjoy playing dress up

My outfit was a reproduction of this 1915 Beaded Blue Silk Satin & Black Lace dress from Past Perfect Vintage

The hairband, smock, belt, and purse were made from a skirt and blouse I acquired.  The skirt came to me from my mom.  The only purchases were a black blouse, a bracelet (which was turned into earrings and a ring), and a necklace.  In total I spent under $10.  I didn’t get a full shot of the outfit in the photobooth but I have been chatting with a few people about reshooting the garments I have made for Vintage Vivant over the last year.

I think socks, shoes, and underwear are the only things I buy new. The rest is thrifted, gifted or made from scratch (most of it with fabric that I’ve had or was gifted).

This can be fixed

As a power thrifter and recipient of a ton of free clothes, I have come across my fair share of broken zippers.  Broken zippers will land something on the clearance rack of most stores faster than a snag or a hole.   Why?  They can be costly for a store to repair. As a seamstress, I charge $30/hr.  Depending on the type and length of zipper it can take almost an hour to remove the existing zipper and install the new one properly.  I  replaced  22″ invisible zipper in a lined Betsey Johnson dress (My friend picked it up at a clothing swap)  $22.  If you do it yourself,  it’s the cost of the zipper (under $5) and your time.

Not all zipper repairs involve replacement.  Sometimes the zipper is just off track or just stuck and needs wax.

For those of you interested in learning to repair, replace, or install zippers, I am teaching a zipper clinic.  One day, four students, four hours $65.  The plan is to learn how to put them into a garment along with a few tips on replacing them when they break. We will make samples for you to take home in addition to giving students assistance on projects or mending brought in from home.

There are two ways to register for class. 1) head over to Brown Paper Tickets and register online.  2) stop by Fabricker and the lovely April can sign you up.

You are cordially invited to join us in celebrating the Clothing Hospital’s move to Fabricker, the launch of a new class series, and Earth Day.

We all have clothes in the closet that we don’t wear for one reason or another. Wrong fit, wrong style, you name it. But why are they still in there? Bring in those neglected clothes for mending or alterations, or drop them off for someone in need.

Apparel Surgeon, Jen Delk  (aka Spinsta) will be available for consultations. Clothing donations will be sent to ARC of Texas and will get you $5 off of mending/alterations at Clothing Hospital.

Don’t forget to LIKE us at:
http://www.facebook.com/clothinghospital

So mark your planners, visit for a bit or enjoy the entire event. We look forward to visiting with you all.

Click here for the link to the Facebook event

Click here to view the Official Press Release

Sewing Machine Cover

Sewing machines can get dusty if you leave them out in the open, and some electronic machines can seize up if they get too cold (true story).  Most machines come with a plastic cover that is good for keeping the dust out, but you can do better than that (the box doesn’t count as a cover either).  Don’t throw the plastic cover away, it can be used to make a pattern for your new cover (if you don’t have a cover to copy, there are plenty of patterns online).

For those of you interested in learning to sew, I am teaching a class in the Austin area geared towards new sewers.  Two days, four students, $100.  The plan is to unbox the machine, learn what it can do, and make it a cover.

There are two ways to register for class. 1) head over to Brown Paper Tickets and register online.  2) stop by Fabricker and the lovely April can sign you up.

Clothing Hospital is hosting clinics!

Thanks to Fabricker, I am back in business.  I will be teaching classes when the shop is closed ( Not to worry, fabric will still be available for purchase by students).

So, what are these clinics?

Clothing Hospital Clinics were developed for the person who wants to develop/improve upon their sewing skills but doesn’t have time to commit to a multi-week class. Classes are small and will take place over the course of one weekend. Day one will be devoted to learning new skills. Day two will involve putting them to use.  In addition to full weekend courses, there will be rounds offered at each level. Rounds are one day projects that will allow you apply what you learned in previous classes in addition to picking up new skills along the way.

You can view the Class Descriptions and Schedule on the Classes page.  For now, I have developed a few beginner and intermediate classes.  If you would like me to offer a class on a specific topic/project let me know.  If I can’t teach it I will point you in the direction of someone who will.

Class Descriptions

Important!! Before enrolling in a class, please make sure you read our Cancellation Policy thoroughly, and make certain that you meet the required prerequisites (if any) for the class that you are enrolling in. Thanks.

	Beginner Sewing Clinic (Two Day Class- 6hr) Did you buy a sewing machine with the intentions that you would mend and hem your clothing? You might make some things around the house? You might make your own clothes? Over the course of a weekend we will un-box that machine and start with the basics. This month we will make a sewing machine cover using the plastic one your machine came with or a downloadable pattern.   Download full class description and materials list Upcoming Dates for this Class
	Zipper Clinic (One Day Class-4hr) Stuck on zippers? Learn how to put them into a garment along with a few tips on replacing them when they break. We will make samples for you to take home in addition to giving students assistance on projects or mending brought in from home. Download full class description and materials list Upcoming Dates for this Class
	Beginner/Intermediate Rounds (One Day Class-4hr) So, you have taken a sewing class or two and you want a little help making a project from a pattern. This time will be using Kwik Sew 3028 for Sweatshirts or Lounge Pants. Sweatshirts – Download full class description and materials list Upcoming Dates for this Class Lounge Pants - Download full class description and materials list Upcoming Dates for this Class

Class Schedule

Cancellation Policy

Class fees are non-refundable. Please check your calendar carefully before committing to a class enrollment. We appreciate as much notice as possible for cancellations. Cancellations must be made no later than 3 business days BEFORE the date of your class, in order to maintain a class credit. Failure to do so means forfeiture of your class fee. If arrangements are made before the deadline, students may transfer fees, as a credit, to another class (subject to availability). There are no make-up classes for any classes missed. If you miss one class in a series you may not be able to continue with the series without first scheduling a private lesson ($30 per hour) to get caught up. Please keep in mind that Private Lessons are not always available.

We know that’s a strict policy, but it helps us get wait-listers into cancelled spots in a timely fashion. We’re happy to discuss your dilemma on a case to case basis.

In the unlikely event that class is canceled, you can either opt to keep a credit for a future class with us, or choose to receive a full refund.

Most of the materials were sourced from the lingerie aisle at Savers and my closet and I spent $20 max on this.

The Dress: constructed from two slips, ~$3 each.  I used a solid black slip made out of polyester that feels like sandwashed silk for the base (When making reproductions I try to mimic the look and feel of the original garment).  Then I took a printed rayon slip that looked like burn-out, and cut it to add a flounce to the bottom,and appliqued what seemed like a million flowers all over the slip.

The Jacket: Constructed from a robe I bought at Savers ~$3 and some fringe I took off a poorly constructed shawl that I acquired (Note: fringe is not cheap.  It’s worth the time to pull it off of another garment).  Somehow I didn’t have a tie for the robe so I made one out of blanket binding and more fringe (Note: Blanket binding is cheaper than ribbon).

The Turban: Constructed from some “satin” pajama bottoms ~1.70.  Because time is money, I decided it was worth my time to make a hat to avoid the hours spent on fingerwaves.  My internet search brought me to The Rantings of a Mad Hatter’s post Making a 1920′s turban from the book “Manuel de Modes Sunlight” Between her thorough account of making the turban and my vague memories of French in college, I was able to finish the project in a few hour.

The Purse: I had just enough scraps to make a fringed flapper purse.

Visit  flickr for the rest of the photos.

Velvet Coat with Fur Trim

I had the pleasure of restoring a coat for Ms. Riley Do Right.  The silk lining was desperately in need of repair.  Luckily there was enough lining and underlining left to make a pattern.  [Pro Tip:  Don't throw away a shredded lining. Having a replacement made will be much cheaper if you have something, even shreds of something to make a pattern from.]

This restoration project was rather time consuming because the lining had to be hand stitched to the jacket (From start to finish, the project took 5 hours).  I didn’t want to chance ruining the velvet.  Other than the lining this jacket was in near mint condition.

One of the most interesting parts of the jacket was the inside pocket.  My friend Krista coined the term pocketry (best if pronounced in a British accent) when we worked together. I will define it as the craftsmanship involved involved in the construction and installation of pockets. I’ve never seen a pocket that was shaped like this before.  I had come across the featherstitch-like hand work in other garments from that era.

Check out flickr for the rest of the photos from the reconstruction.

Reproduction and Original Pockets

Starting this week, you can find me inside The Fabricker’s shop at 4631 Airport Blvd #119 on Fridays and Saturdays from 12-7pm. I am available by appointment on Sundays and Mondays.

Feel free to contact me via email clothinghospital [at] spinsta [dot] net or you can call me at (512-693-7553)

or to keep up with sales and other happenings.

I was looking back at previous posts and I realized that I hadn’t put up a picture of my jacket from 2009.  It’s the same pattern as my “Winterized Jacket” .  The outer is a poly-cotton blend and the lining is a wool blend.

The buttons down the front are more than decorative.  There are tabs that go across.  The jacket ended up looking a little “Sgt. Pepper” with them on so I decided to take them off.

The front facing isn’t attached to the lining.  One of these days I intend to add an extra lining that zips or buttons to the facing.