The Dressy Bathing Suit

Hello Refashion Co-op. I didn't have a bathing suit top that I liked and fit well. I did have a dress that felt exactly like the nylon/lycra/polyester that bathing suits are made out of.

You can probably guess what I did.

 Super pale, no tan is possible. I can only burn & freckle.

The dress had 2 layers, like a swimsuit. You can also see here on the inside, it had a big seam  just under the bust.

 

I cut a small slit in the inside layer of the dress, just above that big seam. I inserted  molded breast cups that I had taken out of a bralet a long time ago. 

 

 I hand stitched the insides all closed and stitched the cups to the inner layer fabric so they wouldn't move around. (That would be awful!) I cut the dress much shorter so I could wear it with these bathing suit bottoms I had already. It looked and felt like a bathing suit to me. I shortened the straps so the top fit really well.

 

Thanks for reading along, for more pictures and details go to I Can Work With That.

Hot shoe shuffle

Wow, it's been a while.  A room renovation has taken the place of clothing renovation and I've only just cleared a path to the sewing machine.  Which gave me even more time to think about this project.
 

For the longest time I have been afraid to cut into these shoes.  Just because they were shoes, what do I know about altering shoes?

Plus my sew-jo has been MIA for about 6 months.  Also, I still liked the way they looked - but they killed my feet about 30 minutes after I put them on.  Those elastic straps that cross over the top of my foot would leave red welts by the end of the day, even if I spent the whole day adjusting their position.

Then - how to fix them?  I tried them without the straps (pre-cut) but the back has no structure and they wouldn't stay on and were difficult to walk in.  Eventually I tried ballet shoe type ribbons - and then it was time to cut.

Which I thought about for another 6 months or so....

Finally, the chicken shears.  That was some serious thick heavy duty elastic to cut through.  Over to the sewing machine.

Which I ended up not using for this project in the end.  I attempted to get these shoes near the needle but figured I was going to end up with punctured fingers. So, hand sewing.  I think I will be taking these for short test drives to start with because I am afraid of my stitches not holding up.

In total, <mumbles> years thinking time, about 30 minutes cutting and hand sewing time - problem solved.  They are now comfy to wear and I like the new look too.

And with my perfect project planning I have finished them just in time for winter here.

Happy sewing!

The Hawaiian Romper

Hello Refashion Co-op. Sometimes I see clothes and the fabric appeals to me more than the actual clothing. That is what happened with this blue floral dress. It looks so tropical, and I love blue. I thought it might be better as a romper, or maybe a fake romper.

 I basically cut the top of the dress off and took the sides in  a little. I didn't change the shape.

 I used a simple pattern to make shorts with an elastic waistband.

 When I put them together they look like a one piece romper, but it is easy to wear and get on and off.

Thanks for reading along, for more pictures and details go to I Can Work With That.

Logo t-shirt refashion

I bought this new t-shirt from a local charity shop, it was obviously a promotional item which had been surplus to requirements.  I thought the logo was small enough to be eliminated without too much drama.

Fabric was 100% cotton and this t-shirt had side seams, leading me to think it was slightly higher quality.

I have done a logo t-shirt refashion before when I basically just covered up the logo with a piece of scarf but this time I wanted to take it up a level

The white background meant that the addition of any other fabric was possible, so enter another t-shirt from my stash in a bright orange stripe.

The plan was to convert the logo t-shirt to a raglan sleeve with the orange stripe fabric continuing over the sleeve.

I downloaded a free pattern for a top with a raglan sleeve and used this to cut out my pieces.

I had preserved the original neckband to add it back in later, but had to add some gathering at the back to make it fit.

A fortunate and unplanned consequence of the gathering is that the t-shirt can be worn with either side as the front.

There are more details and photos here

A Zero Waste Refashion!

I've had this 100% rayon dress in my stash for a long time!  I really liked the color and feel of the fabric.  I also liked the pleats and button detail on the bodice.  It was a lot of dress, though, and I had other plans for it.  Originally, it was just going to be cut off into a tunic.

But, I was also able to get this cute skirt from it also.  

For the simple details, please visit my blog, Second Chances By Susan.

Thanks!