refashioned t-shirts

I haven't had a chance to refashion much lately because of some of the other things I have been doing. I got a reminder from Re-fashion Co-Op. So it was time for jumping into a project and not second guessing myself like I usually do...and end up putting it off. or hanging round my studio waiting for me to get the confidence.

A Certain Young Man left a bag full of clothes he didn't want, but couldn't bear to throw out himself. Some of the things were mostly okay, but with the odd tear or stain.

These 2 looked like they would make a comfy skirt for just throwing on in the summer to wear round the house. or even to the shop and not be embarrassed.

So I cut them out using my gored flared skirt. I used the T-shirt hems for the skirt hems. I also cut the pattern adding extra on the sides because I wanted it a bit more flowing.

Then when I pinned the bits together, I adjusted the pinning to lay nicely so the seam didn't pucker or bag.

I tried it on and took in the different seams at the top a bit more because the t-shirt jersey is stretchy and my pattern is for woven. I could have cut it smaller to start with. But I didn't know how much stretch I would be dealing with.

Once I got it fitting nicely at the waist to hip area, but leaving room to get it on and off, I stitched it to a wide elastic. I had already cut the elastic to a length that was comfortable but would hold the skirt in place.

When I was working with it, I forgot there was a stain on the inside hem area of the piece I had cut for the back panel. You couldn't see it from the outside of the skirt, but I didn't want it to inadvertently show. So, I just added a bit of the contrast shirt in a similar way to some of what I have seen in ready to wear - often on sleeve hems.

and voila.
front

side

back

and it is comfy!

I doubt it will be worn with a pink top but that's what I had on under all my keeping warm layers.

Catching up

We went off to York, so I shut down my computer. Then when I tried to start it up when I got back, it wouldn't even try to start! So, The Thoughtful Man did a few tricks and eventually got it going.

While I couldn't get online, I thought I would get on with a few refashion projects on my pile.

These jeans were a bit wide legged, so I decided to make them a bit narrower. Although skinny jeans are 'in', my calves are not skinny - an inheritance of those farm girl days. So, I have just made these straight legged.

I guess I could have gone smaller, but I didn't want to go too far. Some people pin the legs while inside out, but I measured my calves and the hem of a comfortable pair of jeans I already own, and used that for a guide.

Earlier in the year I started to refashion a pink t-shirt I had. Because it was high necked, I had chopped it a bit around the neck at one point already, but I don't wear it much. So I decided to make a cami type t-shirt from it.

I used an existing cami t-shirt to guide the shaping.

After cutting, I made sure the armscyes were lined up.

Then cut around them both at once with the rotary cutter.

I wanted it a bit higher. So, I used the hem I had cut to make a feature on the neckline.

I used strips cut from the scraps to stitch and turn to make the straps.

I like the cotton cami under other t-shirts or open blouses in the summer. They are nicer than the ones with lycra in them. I will probably go ahead now and refashion a few other t-shirts I don't wear.

Khaki makeover - top

I had a black t-shirt that really doesn't do anything for me. It makes me look washed out. I had already cut a v in the neck, with the hopes that it would help to take away some of the black from my face. However, it didn't really work. But since it would go well with the khaki made over skirt, I decided to add a bit of ruffle from the flower print round the neckline. Then to further pull the colours together, I sewed a scattering of the tiny flower buttons below the neck and on one sleeve.

The result is quite a bit more cheerful, and won't make me look like I got up off my death bed! Since I rarely wear it any way, it doesn't hurt to match it to wear with the skirt. However, it still could be worn with black jeans or something.

t-shirt for white jeans skirt

Just a quick post before going to Houston. I decided the options I had for shirts to go with the white jeans skirt weren't just right. So, I took some bias strips I had cut but didn't use on the skirt, overlocked the edges and made a ruffle which I sewed into the neckline of this white t-shirt. I found these cute little star buttins at Sew Devine in the Market the other day, and they were just right scattered round the neckline! Just finished it before bed last night.