Adjusted Webbing On Chacos Sandals

 My well-worn Teva sports sandals needed to be replaced this year, I was ready to try other brands, and I was lucky to find one pair of Chacos that fit at a large discount shoe store this winter. I had not previously worn Chacos sandals and was perplexed by how the webbing "tails" hang down to the ground at the back after adjusting the straps on my feet, but while still in the store I figured it could be fixed. A quick google search found that the company intentionally does that to allow for variation in foot volume and to make sure people can safely get the shoes on and off, though they will shorten the strap on request. After assessing, I decided to adjust them myself. Instead of cutting off length on the webbing tails, I carefully unpicked the stitching on the webbing that holds the tabler hardware, adjusted the tabler webbing to have one additional inch of an overlap, and resewed that webbing. I think this will be more comfortable to have the tablers more on the side of my feet instead of under the ankle bones, though will have to see with wearing them when the weather warms up. I used grey thread in case I need to unpick and resew at some point; tight stitches in black thread on black webbing is most difficult to unpick without accidentally picking out some of the webbing threads. Typically, I have footwear adjustments/repairs done at a licensed shoe store or through the manufacturer, including having my old made-in-Italy leather Vasque hiking boots resoled, and new soles and footbeds on leather Birkenstock sandals, but I have sewn and resewn so many webbing straps for bags/belts/etc over the years that I decided to try this adjustment myself. The most difficult part was fitting the webbing under my sewing machine presser foot, since I have regular sewing machines that are not made for footwear. 

With my assistant:

Summer Hiking Gaiters

These summer hiking gaiters were quick to make. Cut off the lower portion of an old long-sleeve knit top. Hemmed the cut edges to become the new lower edges of the gaiters. Added gaiter hooks with elastic. Sewed small tucks at the upper center back (the old sleeve hem) for a just-right snug fit above footwear. Keeps trail debris out of hiking boots or trail runners.  

Linen Summer Tops Sewn From Repurposed Textiles

Three new linen summer sleeveless tops and one 1/2 zip pullover with collar. Sewn from a thrifted linen tablecloth, a too-small dress, two short sleeve button-up shirts, and one repurposed lightweight zipper. The arm and neck edges were finished with bias tape made from the same textiles. Embracing the wrinkles because... linen.

Back side of two tops serger-pieced to have enough fabric:

The three old garments:

Zero Waste Clothing and Accessory Inspiration

Fabric scrap waste is a large problem of mass-produced clothing. Zero Waste Daniel creates new fabric from the scraps and is an inspiration for those who strive to create less waste from sewing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qqiKNzwHMg

https://zerowastedaniel.com

Temporary Twist Tie For Broken Zipper Pull Tab

Do you need a temporary fix for a broken zipper pull tab on a garment? The metal tab on this proprietary zipper caught in the holes in a clothes dryer drum and broke off. The locking tab will not move up or down without a piece within the pull being engaged, and this small, sturdy zip tie is a functional, temporary fix.

Wool Boot Inserts From A Felted Wool Sweater

Sometimes I find a dense wool sweater that felts up so much during the washing and drying process that it is too thick to sew on my non-industrial machines for my sweater mittens and hats. I had a couple of these sweaters in stash and finally discovered a use for them: wool inserts for winter boots. This lovely Dale of Norway sweater was gifted several years ago from a friend and it made toasty inserts for two pairs of my winter boots. 

For one pair, the new inserts replaced the removable insole in my insulated hiking/snowshoeing boots, so as to still have enough space for my wool hiking socks. I wore them for a snowy, cold-weather event that required a lot of standing around and they kept my feet warmer. 

For the second pair, the wool inserts went over the insole to be able to wear a dressier pair of winter boots with tights and no socks. Worked perfectly. 

Down Jacket Zipper Replacement

Do you have a garment with a zipper that is not performing well? Contact me to inspect it and to provide a repair or replacement estimate. 

This hip-length down jacket was a good candidate for a new front zipper, as the old, one-way separating coil zipper would frequently split open from the bottom and in general was not working well. YKK-brand zippers sometimes just need a new zipper pull, but as with this jacket, many coat manufacturers use their own proprietary or cheap generic zippers, which do not have replacement pulls available. 

The easiest and most economical way to remove an old front zipper in a down jacket is to carefully cut out the portion of the tape that is exposed. Opening up seams that might release down is always avoided.

The new zipper is a YKK-brand 2-way separating molded-tooth zipper. With jackets longer than waist-length, 2-way separating zippers are usually a better option than 1-way separating.

Pinned the new zipper in flat under the front edges.

New 2-way separating zipper sewn in.