Here’s the line up:
Two skivvies to chop up. I don’t like the gathers at the neck, so the collars have to go. I’m thinking of shortening the sleeves and then finishing them and the neckline with herringbone stitch – perhaps with coloured thread.
Two long summer skirts. Both too sheer to wear on their own, so I wear the plain one under the patterned. Main problem is the gathered waists. They’re unflatteringly bulky. I’m going to cut off the waistbands (which will shorten them so I stop tripping up stairs), add darts to reduce bulk, then redo the waistband with both skirts sewn together.
I had another pair of winter weight skirts lined up for shortening, but now that I think about it, no amount of shortening will make up for the fact that they’re too tight at the waist. No, these are going to the op shop.
On the other hand, there’s a skirt and a dress that don’t need altering, but I think I can update them by changing the colour. Looks like there’ll be a dyeing post to write here some time in the future.
I have a wool winter coat that I am thinking of dying black. It’s hunter green right now. Any suggestions?
Hmm, a wool coat? Sounds like an expensive loss if you get it wrong. Large items are really hard to dye evenly. You need a HUGE pot and then it’s hard to keep the temp right. Also, there’s a danger of shrinkage – which might be okay but if there’s lining it may not shrink, or shrink to the same degree, and then you get saggy lining.
You could try cold dyeing in the bath (though there’s a risk it’ll dye the bath). It may not come out a deep black, but a darker green might be nice.
Can you get it done professionally? Dyeing a garment that big will cost a lot in dye anyway.
I’m thinking professionally.