Thread: can you make a silk purse from a sow's ear?

the sow's ear being one of those horrendous butterfly tie top/belt combos. yes, i bought one ... before i had the wisdom of bhuz! so, i've been pondering trying to attach it to a bra with actual support. i've already removed all the coins and dangling beads, they were going to fall off anyway. the belt is not so bad, minor changes would make it fit better. any bhuzzers tried this? i hate the thought of tossing it. and i hate even worse the thought of passing it on to someone else!..l;,

I have seen this done, badly. When I was thinner, I actually wore butterfly tops with my saris. I have two thoughts, one: make a flesh coloured choli and wear the top over that, or two, build a real bra into the top (I did this with my whiting and davis mesh halter) so that you have real support underneath. You obviously take the straps off BUT you attache gros grain ribbon to the bra, extending it to the side where the grommets are (mine has grommets.) When you lace the top up, it will then support you.

If that makes sense.

{{{HUGS}}}

I thought you were going to try to make a purse out of it because of the title. Doesn't seem like a bad idea. ;)

Originally Posted by andalee-oriental

I thought you were going to try to make a purse out of it because of the title. Doesn't seem like a bad idea. ;)

lol that would probably be easier! you don't have to worry about boob spillage with a purse!

tahira-i like the second idea better. i just wonder how 'professional' it will look when its done? i mean, i know bders will identify that its a crap costume right away. but what about the gp?

Originally Posted by emtink

tahira-i like the second idea better. i just wonder how 'professional' it will look when its done? i mean, i know bders will identify that its a crap costume right away. but what about the gp?

Might be good for a hafla, or if you're teaching a mini-class for a bachelorette party where you don't want to go the bedlah route, but cute practice wear is required. Think of it as our equivalent of "business casual" attire.

My Fashion Nazi opinion, however, is that one shouldn't wear a butterfly top at a venue where a bedlah or a Lycra skirt is to be expected. My philosophy is that it's even more of a liability to wear a "crap costume" in front of the GP, because their brains are blank slates. If they see one crap costume, then most likely, they'll think we all wear crap costumes!

I don't mean you any disrespect. Just giving a bit of brutal advice that could potentially save you some discomfort in the long run!

totally agree satin! i love your "business casual" analogy. mostly, i just thinks its wasteful to toss it in the garbage! but i also don't want to waste a ton of time trying to make it wearable, and then have it fall apart, look like crap, etc.

eta-when i said gp above, i was thinking more of hafla type events (we have a lot around here), not restaurant/private party gigs.

Wondering if there is a way to cut it apart and make appliques for a skirt?

Originally Posted by tink

Wondering if there is a way to cut it apart and make appliques for a skirt?

That's what I was going to say. Cut up the top and cover a bra with it. Then add new trim

if its the kind i'm imagining i wouldn't waste the time. it will take so much time and effort to make it semi-workable you might as well start something professional from scratch. the beading is probably not strong enough to hold up to pro level wear and tear anyway.

i wouldn't try to cut into that stuff and expect it to hold up very well.

what you can do, not to waste it, is use it to tie on to the goh over their clothers, in addition to a loaner hip scarf. if you do the mini lesson after a show thing. people love that stuff and you wont be risking a pro pice

Find someone else with one they wants to just give you, sew them back to back, add a strap...purse for your next hafla!

Originally Posted by ozma

Find someone else with one they wants to just give you, sew them back to back, add a strap...purse for your next hafla!

lol, well it would be much less of a conversation piece than the "lady parts" purses

I totally dig the idea of making a purse/bag!

while i really don't need another bag, the idea is interesting...

the applique idea is neat, but i think the beading would probably unravel. i'll have to take a closer look this weekend.

oh, and i did i mention i am teaching myself how to sew? i just bought my first sewing machine and it took a good 15 minutes for me to figure out what a bobbin is. ..l;, so, yea, this will be an interesting project!

My grandmother meaning her best bought one of these for my niece. She is super skinny and it was way to small so I tried to alter it for her and the stupid thing just vomited beads all over my house. Cutting is not a good idea. I do (what ever number we are on) the bag/purse idea. Fun to take to BD shows and what not and then it isn't a total waste of money.

No..but you can make a smaller sows ear from a bigger one.... ;-)

Zill bags? Wrist cuffs? Head bands? Oh yeah, fray-check the heck out of the hip scarf of it will be a hazard every time you dance in it. I fray check all my hip scarves and have minimal coin and bead loss.

Originally Posted by emtink

oh, and i did i mention i am teaching myself how to sew? i just bought my first sewing machine and it took a good 15 minutes for me to figure out what a bobbin is. ..l;, so, yea, this will be an interesting project!

Don't feel too bad - I just figured out 2 nights ago that I've been threading mine wrong ever since I got it - a year and a half ago! The "book of brains" for the machine was of no help - misleading me down the posie path!

As for your costume question, ask Lana - she can fix anything (including sow's ears)...

I would do an arm band/piece with it.

Although for a sec there when I read the title of this post, I thought we were talking about converting animal body parts into purses. (We used to boil pigs bladders to make novelty purses. And the end product was looking a and feeling a lot like silk - and had zero odor if that's what you're wondering *g*. Mind you, back in the day, the only useful thing I could think of doing with it was to stuff it with my collection of RPG dice. *sigh* Am I the only one here who ever derived joy out of yelling "Natural twenty!" at a master?)

I've seen them attached to bras on more "curvy" gals.
It was in a beginner class student show - and everyone had matching outfits. The young slim ones wore their tops as-is, as for the others:

They used matching colored fabric to cover the cups, sides and back of the bra then tacked the top in place. Can't remember if it was halter style bra but that would be easier! Honestly, it didn't look all that bad.

Originally Posted by kemintiri

Am I the only one here who ever derived joy out of yelling "Natural twenty!" at a master?)

lol probably not! there's quite a few nerds on bhuz!

Originally Posted by caasious

They used matching colored fabric to cover the cups, sides and back of the bra then tacked the top in place. Can't remember if it was halter style bra but that would be easier! Honestly, it didn't look all that bad.

this is my first idea, but wasn't sure if it would look like a top tacked to a bra ..l;,

Originally Posted by zorba

Don't feel too bad - I just figured out 2 nights ago that I've been threading mine wrong ever since I got it - a year and a half ago! The "book of brains" for the machine was of no help - misleading me down the posie path!

i actually managed to thread it right the first time, the instructions were pretty clear on that. but the manual seems to assume you have a minimal knowledge of sewing theory (which i don't) so they did not have a picture of the bobbin. i thought it was a part that was permanenty attached to the machine ..l;, maybe i should have had a little less wine while trying figure that out for the first time

Originally Posted by emtink

lol probably not! there's quite a few nerds on bhuz!

Oh good. I'm in good company, then Not that we're nerds or anything... ..l;,

Originally Posted by kemintiri

Oh good. I'm in good company, then Not that we're nerds or anything... ..l;,

i say nerds with affection! we need to reclaim the word nerd! nerds unite!

I kind of like the idea of cutting it up for use as appliques. i do that all the time, always on the lok out for scary 80's overly beaded dressed to cut up for bras and belts, but maybe I'm being tacky.

Originally Posted by emtink

lol that would probably be easier! you don't have to worry about boob spillage with a purse!

You could aslo try making a sandwich.

http://www.roadfood.com/photos/9219.jpg

Originally Posted by emtink

i actually managed to thread it right the first time, the instructions were pretty clear on that. but the manual seems to assume you have a minimal knowledge of sewing theory (which i don't) so they did not have a picture of the bobbin. i thought it was a part that was permanenty attached to the machine ..l;, maybe i should have had a little less wine while trying figure that out for the first time

*boggles*

They didn't have manual training at your schools? OK, my mother sewed, so I knew about bobbins and things before the horror of manual, but sewing and cooking were compulsory when I was 11, 12. (Later they expanded it to include woodwork and metalwork! And let the boys also learn how to load a bobbin and make beef olives.)

Originally Posted by elljay

You could aslo try making a sandwich.

http://www.roadfood.com/photos/9219.jpg

eeeewwww! is that really a sow's ear sandwich???

Originally Posted by zumarrad

*boggles*

They didn't have manual training at your schools? OK, my mother sewed, so I knew about bobbins and things before the horror of manual, but sewing and cooking were compulsory when I was 11, 12. (Later they expanded it to include woodwork and metalwork! And let the boys also learn how to load a bobbin and make beef olives.)

i went to catholic schools, which had (oddly) less extra-curricular than the public schools. we didn't have home-economics, but we did have ceramics. so, glazing yes. bobbins no.