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my creative space

side zipper creative space

This space hasn’t been very creative in the past week. I’ve been sick since last Saturday. I’ve spent a lot of time sleeping and not much else.

Right before that I had made a trip to the thrift store and started work on some summer refashioning. I also drafted a skirt pattern from scratch and made this muslin. Notice what’s on the side? A zipper! I’m not sure why I’m so intimidated by these buggers, but I’m going to conquer that fear this summer. So long elastic waistbands!

pattern: I used the a-line skirt formula in Sew What! Skirts. Muslin fabric is a floral sheet.

More creative spaces here.

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heading back into the closet

wardrobe refashion linen skirts

The Thrifting Fairies must have been on Easter vacation last weekend. I did a lot of trying on and left with a lot of nothing. It made me think that refashioning what’s in my closet might be a better way to spend my time. So, on a trip up to Omaha, I grabbed two skirts and my seam ripper.

First to come out were the bulky pockets. Then I unpicked the waist and elastic casing. This week I’m going to take in the sides and insert a zipper (yikes!). Currently on the chopping block are these two linen skirts. Stay tuned!

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finished: lots of waistbands

princess and the pea

I’ve been going through skirts and adjusting elastic waistbands today. It doesn’t make for interesting blog or picture opportunities. However, I did adjust the waistband in one of my daughter’s new twirly skirts and it is pretty darn cute. Don’t you love the fabric?

princess and the pea

Yesterday we spent some time at the library and I found an Easy-to-Read version of The Princess and the Pea. I have a feeling it’s going to become a favorite around here.

What did you finish this week?

skirt: My friend made this for her daughter and it turned out too small. We are very lucky and grateful that she passes these cute things on to us.

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wardrobe refashion: simple knit jersey skirt hem

wardrobe refashion hem jersey skirt easy

So far this has been the easiest refashion ever. The original skirt was ankle length and had these weird suspender-like ties sewn inside the waist. I’m leaving the bottom edge unfinished to see if it adds a little interest to the plainness of the solid, straight style.

wardrobe refashion hem jersey skirt easy

Just in case it doesn’t turn out as I hope, I left myself an inch at the bottom to clean up and hem. So the top chalk line is where I want it to hit my leg and the bottom chalk line is my cut line. I simply cut at the bottom line and put it on to wear. That’s it. Oh, and I snipped those silly suspender things off.

I’ll keep you posted how the edge turns out after a few washes and if I decide to do a clean hem instead.

thrifted: another 99 cent sale skirt transformation

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wardrobe refashion: red linen skirt

So, what was I doing Friday evening instead of writing a blog post? Sewing! Unfortunately, I didn’t finish until it was too dark to take pictures. But to make up for it, I’ve got a before pic for this one!

red linen skirt

Another long skirt — this one I originally bought to use for tote bags. That was before I started refashioning. But there were a few nit picky things that bugged me about it, so I had to weigh my options.

Pros

  • Pockets!
  • Beautiful red color.
  • Linen/rayon blend.

Cons

  • Really wide elastic waistband.
  • Drawstring.
  • Faux zipper flap. (Seriously? What the heck?)

red linen skirt

I figured I could fix two out of three and live with the wide elastic, so out came the scissors! First I cut about 10 inches off the bottom and finished it with a 1/2 inch double hem. I removed the drawstring and closed up the holes with a slip stitch. Then I tacked down that weird faux zipper flap with a slip stitch, too.

red linen skirt

This skirt comes with a bonus matching top. I plan on using the leftover fabric from the skirt to make this a little longer. I think it might also need some shaping. Any other suggestions?

thrifted: Both of these were garage sale finds. I think it’s kind of funny that I bought them to make totes and now I’m going to wear them!

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wardrobe refashion: white cotton skirt

Three skirts down! I really wish I would have taken a before picture of this one. When I cut off the waist and flattened out the fabric, there was so much!

refashioned white cotton skirt

I used an a-line pattern I drafted for myself from Sew What! Skirts. I took about 5/8 inch off of each side after trying it on and will be adjusting my pattern for the next one. Aside from that, this was super easy. I cut it out a few weeks ago and sewed it up today in about an hour.

Usually I shy away from white of any kind on my lower half, but I fell in love with the detail at the bottom. Isn’t it lovely? (Yep, I kept the original bottom hem, which made this project go really fast.)

refashioned white cotton skirt

The skirt is a little sheer, but I’m thinking slip instead of lining. Any suggestions for fabric type? I worry that a traditional polyester slip might be too hot in the summer.

thrifted: I think this might be my last skirt from the Goodwill 99 sale. I can’t remember! Time to dive back into the stash.

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wardrobe refashion: linen skirts

It’s no secret that shopping for pants drives me nuts. And the capri pants I complained about last year didn’t even make it through the season. So, I’ve decided to make a bunch of skirts for this summer and yesterday I started with these two linen lovelies by Laura Ashley.

laura ashley linen skirts

No before pictures because I didn’t change that much. They were really long and too big in the waist. Here’s what I did to them.

  • Washed in hot water and tumble dried to preshrink them.
  • Chopped off about 10 inches and made a 1/2 inch double fold hem.
  • Used a seam ripper to open up the elastic waist casing.
  • Cut the elastic down to the right size and then sewed everything back up.

I am absolutely in love with the result. The linen is so lightweight and soft—perfect for summer. I thought about making them a little bit shorter, but spending time at the park today with our crazy Nebraska winds convinced me they are the right length. Also, I’m loving the fact that they have pockets!

thrifted: Bought these at the Goodwill 99 cent sale. That’s right! My Laura Ashley linen skirts cost me a whopping $2.

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wardrobe refashion: denim skirt makeover

denim skirt refashion

This is the original skirt I was going to wear last weekend. It turned out a little too casual for the event. I was planning on wearing it with black tights and boots. Now I’m wondering if it might look better with a t-shirt and sandals.

I really hacked this poor thing up. I cut off the bottom two ruffles and took it in on either side, trying to make it more a-line and less Holly Hobby. (Not that there is anything wrong with HH. It’s just not a good look on me.)

denim skirt refashion

It’s been a long time since I’ve refashioned something. I can’t wait to dive into the stack of clothes that have been waiting patiently by my sewing machine.

refashion: This was an impulse buy at a garage sale last summer. I think it cost 75 cents. I’m hoping to use the leftover ruffles to lengthen some of my daughter’s jeans.

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my first skirt from measurements

embroidered eyelet baby quilt

A few months ago I checked out Sew What! Skirts from the library. The book just clicked with me. The instructions made sense and seemed really easy. I decided to buy the book and spent months reading and looking at the pictures even though I didn’t have time to make anything.

This weekend I’ve got a dinner date and decided it was time to try one out. I made an a-line with elastic waist pattern, but didn’t have enough fabric to make it as swoopy as I would have liked. It’s more of a straight skirt with a little flair, but it fits, looks cute, and was super easy! I think 2010 is going to be the year of the skirt.

stash: The fabric came in a bin that I bought from a UNL fashion graduate. He said all of the fabrics were really nice and expensive (from New York!), but how was I to know? They weren’t labeled or anything. It’s got a nice drape, and at $5 for the entire bin, the price was right!

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how to refashion a dress into a skirt
in five easy steps

Even though I wrote this tutorial for a kid’s size dress, you can do this with adult sizes, too. This is the same way I turned a shirt into a skirt.

My daughter and I both love this dress. She only wore it a few times last season because it was too big. This year it is too small. It probably would have fit her best when it was 20 degrees outside.

easy kids skirt tutorial

The other day she insisted on wearing it. (Yes, it was still hanging in her closet even though it was too small.) I let her try it on so she would see that the buttons could no longer be buttoned. While she had it on, I realized that it was just the top that was too small. The bottom fit just fine. Hmmm… what if I turned it into a skirt?

easy kids skirt pattern

Step 1
Cut off the bottom of the dress. If your daughter is as tall as mine, use a seam ripper. It takes longer, but she needs every bit of length I can save.

Step 2
Measure your daughter’s waist. Add an inch and then cut a piece of elastic. I used 3/8″ wide elastic.

Step 3
Fold the top edge down 1/4″ and press. Then fold 5/8″ and press.

easy kids skirt tutorial

Step 4
Sew the waist leaving an opening for the elastic. Edge stitch the top to help the elastic stay in place.

Step 5
Thread the elastic through the waist casing, sew elastic ends together with a 1/2″ seam allowance, and close up the waist.

easy kids skirt pattern

My daughter was so excited to see her new skirt. She especially loves the bow. The original dress had a two inch hem. If she’s still in love with it next season, I guess I’ll be letting the hem down, too.

refashion: Sewing clothes is sometimes easier if you don’t start from scratch. Refashioning a favorite piece of clothing can make you happy, your budget happy and the earth happy.

Thanks to whipup.net for linking to my tutorial and welcome new readers! For more crafty updates, visit my Facebook page!