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.
refashion: sewing a cute skirt is a great way to transform out-dated pants so you can continue to wear and enjoy them.
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.
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.
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.
I found this cute Orla Kiely placemat at Target a few weeks ago and wanted to make something quick and easy for my knitting. Because the edges are already finished, I only needed to sew four seams. If you want a gusseted pouch, you can sew two more seams. Either way, it’s a very fast and easy project.
Materials
a placemat (mine was 14 x 17 inches)
a zipper that’s at least 14 inches
coordinating thread
heavy duty sewing needle
zipper foot
Using your zipper foot, stitch each 14 inch side to the zipper, beginning and ending 1/2 inch from each side.
With the zipper halfway open, turn the placemat inside out. Sew your side seams while holding the zipper out of the way. (This is why you left 1/2 inch unsewn on each side.)
Turn the placemat right side out and you’re done! If your zipper was longer than 14 inches, you can trim the extra.
Optional Gussets
Box your corners, but don’t trim. The triangles are small and won’t take up much room. Plus, you’ll have no raw edges that might unravel.
Want to see more projects using Orla Kiely placemats? Thimbly Things made a cute purse with hers and linked to a bunch more adorable bags.
refashion: Using finished items like placemats make your projects fast and easy because your edges are already finished.
Thanks to Whip Up, Craft Gossip and One Pretty Thing for linking to my tutorial. Subscribe to my RSS for more crafty goodness!
When I go to Neat Repeatz, I check the girls clothing first, then head over to the boys clothing. Why? Most of the time the boys stuff is a lot cooler. A girl can only have so many pink shirts with flowers and hearts. What about dinosaurs? Cars? Trains? I never see those in the girls section. It’s always Dora, Dora, Dora. My daughter doesn’t even watch Dora. She likes Thomas the Tank Engine, Lightening McQueen and Mickey Mouse.
On my last trip, I found two shirts I knew Bella would love. They were 3T, but a little too short for my tall toddler. I was afraid they wouldn’t last until the end of the season. Inspired by Rachel’s tutorial for lengthening pants, I added a few inches to the shirts with some ruffle trim.
Both were iTalk shirts, so I removed the big patch on the front and tossed the little computer chip thingie, which didn’t work in either shirt. Then I washed them so the holes from the patch stitches would close up a bit.
I used about a yard of ruffle trim for each shirt. After a few attempts to pin the ruffle to the hem, I just put it in the machine and aligned it as I went.
I’m really happy with how these turned out. Both shirts took less than an hour to sew up. Bella was a little worried when she saw them in the machine. “What are you doing with my Lightening McQueen shirt, mom?” When I showed her the finished shirt, she loved it.
refashion: Adding trim is a great way to freshen up an old t-shirt, especially one that’s too short.
Remember when I mentioned that some of that stash flannel was going to become a faux Burberry scarf? It was a really easy project and great for some instant sewing gratification.
That’s it! Here are some online tutorials for a french seam (via Hoppo Bumpo) and mitered corners (via CraftStylish).
recycle: This would be a great way to save a flannel shirt from the landfill. If you have smaller scraps of flannel, just add a few more french seams.
Hey all you knitters and crocheters! Vickie Howell has posted some creative ideas on how to keep those needles and hooks going in this crazy economy. My favorite suggestion is recycling sweaters for the yarn. I tried this once, but had a tough time picking the seams. I wound up giving it away to someone with more patience. Next time, I’ll check out the seams more carefully. You can read her entire list of ideas here.
resource: Vickie has lots of eco-friendly project ideas. I’m saving my Amy’s burrito wrappers to make this cute purse.
Bean bag update: I finished these, but it’s too late for a photo shoot. I wound up making little change purse zipper pouches. They are so cute! Details after I get some pics.
A few months ago, I signed Bella up for music class. It was a very basic introduction to different kinds of music and dance. One of the activities was making a shaker egg. The kids had so much fun with them that I decided to make a bunch more with our leftover plastic Easter eggs.
I dug through the pantry and my craft supplies to get a range of items that would make different sounds: rice, lentils, chick peas, buttons, beads and bells. I put a teaspoon of each item in a separate egg. I applied crazy glue to the inside edge of the egg and snapped it shut. Then I wiped the excess off the outside of the egg and let it dry overnight. I made enough for Bella and her friends and sewed up some cotton bags stamped with each child’s name.
I learned the hard way that you really need a super, duper bonding glue for these. My first attempt was a non-toxic plastic model cement. It didn’t keep the eggs shut, so I opted for the heavy duty crazy glue instead.
These are great for kids ages three and up. If they eggs do come open (say, perhaps, if a toddler were to step on one, ahem) the inside items could be a choking hazard.
reuse: Instead of throwing out little containers that aren’t recyclable, turn them into something musical and fun.
UPDATE: Thanks to the Craft Magazine blog for their link to my tutorial!
March is Mending Month over at Craftzine. I’ve been doing a lot of mending lately. I keep a bag next to my desk for whenever I have a little time for sewing a button or fixing a hem. Mending is good for the soul, at least mine anyway.
Last week I posted a scarf I made out of sweater scraps from resizing my brother-in-law’s ’80s style sweaters. It was super easy. I probably wouldn’t try this with an heirloom sweater, but it’s great for all those oversized sweaters you may have collecting dust in the back of your closet.
Step 1
Try on the sweater inside out and pin along the sides and under the arms for a more fitted shape. (I used safety pins for this step.)
Step 2
Lay the sweater flat and adjust the pins make sure your seams are straight and equal in size. (I changed to straight pins at this point.)
Step 3
Machine stitch the new side seams with a straight stitch. Then repeat with zigzag stitch to catch the frayed ends. (A serger would be perfect for this.)
Step 4
Your seams might be a little wobbly after stitching. Press with a warm steam iron. Use a press cloth if your sweater isn’t 100% wool. Trim excess.
Step 5
Turn sweater right side out and press open the seams. That’s it!
refashion: Extend the life of your clothes by resizing baggy pieces with a more modern fit.
