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wardrobe refashion: comfy shorts

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comfy shorts refashion

Does every guy have a pair of these? These are T’s comfy shorts. He has literally worn them threadbare. My attempts to replace them didn’t really work. They either didn’t fit right or didn’t have pockets. I think he bought these when we were dating. It is past time for letting them go.

comfy shorts refashion

I found this pair of really big sweatpants at a local church sale, and now that I’m refashioning, I figured I can make new comfy shorts! I tried to just trace around them, but the front and back panels were two very different sizes, so I had to deconstruct them. It was a very delicate operation.

comfy shorts refashion

I am really impressed with the results, if I do say so myself. They turned out much more professional looking that I would have thought. (Pat myself on the back!) They also fit well and T approves!

Sewing knits has always frustrated me, so to prepare for this project, I got Wendy Mullin’s Sew U Home Stretch from the library. I used an overlock foot for the inside seams and a walking foot for the hem. Both worked really well.

I think with the small amount of sewing with knits that I do, I really don’t need a serger. It’s not like I’m going to be making t-shirts and comfy shorts for the whole family. I am planning to make some sweats for Bella with the leftover pants legs, but will wait until closer to Fall to measure her.

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craft challenge creativity tote

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Remember when I won second place in Crafty Nation’s contest for Christina’s denim messenger bag? One of the prizes was a free month to Christy’s Craft Challenge. Our local Lincoln Handmade Team is sponsoring the prize and I’m donating my challenge entry to the gift package!

creativity tote

I made a tote bag, because that’s what I do best. There’s plenty of room to carry a crafty project, plus two small notebooks and a pen for recording creative inspirations. Here’s how I used the challenge items:

  • blue fabric and cute buttons used for the pockets (there’s a matching pocket on the other side)
  • flower paper used for the notebook covers
  • flower, leaf and wire used for the pen

creativity tote

I was excited to find the blue floral fabric in my stash. It matched the challenge fabric perfectly. The rest of the tote is made out of cotton I got at a garage sale, of course.

I’m excited to see what everyone else puts together with the same “ingredients.” Go check them out and vote for your favorite at ChristyNelson.net!

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sew, mama, sew may giveaway day

may giveaway day
I’m participating in Sew, Mama, Sew’s May Giveaway Day. Remember that beautiful tablecloth I was going to make into tote bags? Here’s the first one!

tablecloth tote bag

The top has a slight curve because the tablecloth is round. I love how the trim fabric contrasts with the floral print. The lace tape really pulls it together!

tablecloth tote bag

I’ll be making three more for my etsy shop, but I’m giving this one away! I’ll even ship internationally.

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post. Yep! That’s it! You have until midnight, May 31st to enter. I will choose a winner with a random number generator. After you leave a comment, check out Sew, Mama, Sew for more fabulous giveaways!

recycle: original tablecloth purchased from garage sale here

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recycling sweaters from my stash

I’ve had a shift in focus over the past few months. I’ve been slowly moving away from felted wool bags to try new things. I’m not completely abandoning them, but I need room for my new adventures. This hit me over the head on Saturday when I found some really nice things at a local church garage sale. I have a small amount of storage space, so whenever new stash comes in, other stash must go. I packed up three bags of sweaters, which I’m putting up on freecycle today if you are interested. Some are already felted!

recycled yarn

I’m spending most of the long weekend sewing and last night I needed something to help me unwind. Ha! I’ve always wanted to unravel a sweater, so I grabbed one from the giveaway pile and went to it. It was very relaxing. I find desconstructing  just as exciting as making. My mind starts racing with the possibilities: a baby blanket? matching scarf and hat? thick, wooly socks?

I have no idea what I am going to with this yarn. I certainly don’t need any more in my stash. There are knots at the end of every color change. I was thinking it would be cool to work them into the design. Something in seed stitch might be nice. What do you think?

recycle: There are so many beautiful wool sweaters that have been discarded. Try unraveling one for your next project. Where else can you get yarn to make an entire sweater for just a few bucks?

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wardrobe refashion: pants to skirt

I finished the refashion of those denim pants that made me look like I was waiting for a flood. It was much easier than I thought. I have a pair of khakis that are the same style. I think I’m going to to take some pics next time and write up a tutorial.

jeans

jeans

jeans

refashion: sewing a cute skirt is a great way to transform out-dated pants so you can continue to wear and enjoy them.

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coordinating cashmere box bag

box bag

I finished a box bag to go with the cashmere sweater tote. It’s the first time I’ve used part of a sweater for one of these. The handle is sewn out of the turtle neck portion of the sweater. I delivered both to their new owner last night and she loves them.

I’ve got a lot of project deadlines this weekend so I’m trying to get a little mending out of the way today. Mostly fixing ripped seams and a few holes. It’s the calm before the sewing storm!

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custom cashmere sweater bag

Remember the little peek I gave you of the custom cashmere bag? It’s finished!

drawstring sweater bag

It’s based off of Simplicity 3531. My friend gave me the pattern to let me know what she wanted. Problem with working with sweaters, though, is that the sweater dictates the pattern, not the other way around. I was worried that it might not turn out exactly how she wanted.

cashmere sweater tote

I think it looks better than ones pictured on the envelope. I was most concerned about the drawstring, but the cashmere ruffles up nicely.

sweater purse

I like it so much, I’m thinking about making a few more.

refashion: custom bag for a friend, sweater was thrifted, she provided the coordinating fabric

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wardrobe refashion: t-shirt to cardigan

A few days ago I went to straighten up downstairs for house guests and I found this shirt in the closet. I forgot that my mom had left it for me after her last visit. She wasn’t happy with how the v-neck looked. When I tried it on, I thought the same thing. It didn’t look bad; it just didn’t look great. It was a nice size on me, though. I liked the colors and it’s really soft.

t-shirt to cardigan

I decided to turn it into a cardigan. I’m always chilly in the summer when I’m inside in the air conditioning. I think this will be perfect to throw over a tank top or short sleeve shirt.

t-shirt to cardigan

How I Did It
• Made the bias tape out of some black cotton from my stash.
• Removed the buttons.
• Cut a straight line from the v-neck to the bottom.
• Sandwiched the raw edge in the bias tape and pinned.
• Sewed all the way around 1/8 inch from the inside edge of the tape.
• Sewed all the way around 1/8 inch from the outside edge of the tape.

I really like how it turned out. I did an ok job sandwiching the edges in the bias tape. I may fiddle with how I do that in the future. Overall, I think my first wardrobe refashion was a success!

refashion: If you have a shirt that you really like, but it doesn’t fit well, turn it into a cardigan. Cotton for bias tape from my stash, shirt from my mom.

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too many projects started…

…not enough finished.

I’ve been really busy lately, but don’t have many pictures to post. How does that happen? This week I worked on a custom sweater bag with coordinating box bag. It’s almost ready for pics. Here’s a peek.

cathy bag

Doesn’t it look soft? It’s cashmere and sewing up beautifully.

I also finished up a gift for a friend who is moving at the end of the month. She brought some yarn to knitting group to destash because she didn’t want to move it all back to NYC with her. The yarn was so pretty and soft I decided to knit a cowl for her. You can check out pics on her blog. I’ve been really bad with pics this week. I just realized I didn’t take one of another box bag I finished and mailed off. Oh, well.

I’ve also started some refashioning projects. The denim pants are halfway to becoming a skirt. The striped shirt is going to become a cardigan. The floral shirt and jacket were from my neighbor’s garage sale.* I wasn’t planning to buy anything at the neighborhood sales this weekend, but felt I should at least stop by and say hello. I’m not sure how these made it home with me. Oops! The jacket has a removable quilted lining! Both are a little too big, but should be easy to resize.

refashion

A tablecloth sort of kind of came home with me as well. I’m thinking it will make some really beautiful tote bags.

table cloth for tote bags

All right. Better stop writing and start sewing so I have something to post tomorrow!

*If you are looking for kids clothes and toys, come to our neighborhood this weekend. The garage sales are kid central around here!

recycle and refashion: sweater was thrifted, client provided coordinating fabric, box bags made from stash fabric, clothes are from my closet, my mom, and garage sales, tablecloth from garage sale