Shopping my closet: Denim Shirts and Jackets "Light Refashions"

Denim shirts and jackets in my closet needed changes to be in rotation this fall.

I am grateful to re-fashion and alteration skills that help to make clothing fit my body shape.

My body shape includes:

• narrow shoulders
• smaller breasts in proportion to my overall large chest circumference
• smaller thighs and seat area in proportion to my pouchy tummy.

 

 

#26 Women's Denim Shirt

• Shoulder was fine. Sleeves were too long
• Removed cuff and interfacing.
• Basted and stitched cuff in place.
• Removed collar. Top stitched collar band in place.

      After: Large men's shirt.           Before: Pin shows my shoulder edge.

#27 This men's shirt was large. Shoulders hung over, sleeve covered my hands.

• Removed sleeves. Cut shoulder back several inches, but not to my shoulder. 
• New arm hole was much larger than sleeve head. 
• To take in the arm hole, I took several inches out of back of yoke and shirt bottom. This raised the yoke fairly high. 
• Replaced the pleat in back with gathers.
• Next time I would take more out of the shirt bottom and less than yoke. 
• Replaced, stitched, serged sleeve.
• Removed collar.

#28-29-30 Denim Jackets: Sleeves were too long. Placket area facings were not tacked down or top stitched in place other than the decorative jean stitching. 

• Cut off sleeve length.
• Serged, turned, itoned, hemmed.
• Removed interfacing at front plackets.
• Top stitched at placket areas in navy which blended in. 

shoulder pad mini dress

XXL big man's shirt in beautiful navy blue color is my before fabric . 

 It's 100 % linen with viscose  which make it perfect as summer dress.

I changed too large and long sleeves into very trendy lately padded shoulders but mine are fake  .

From excess material I obtained from shirt I made corset waist .

 Shoulder pad mini dress makes perfect combination with corset waist in my opinion 💕

Whole process how to do it you can see on my channel sparrow refashion 

and more tutorial photos on my blog .

The Warm Shoulder Top

Hello Refashion co-op. How are all of you doing? I found this top at a clothes swap long ago when people met in groups. Ugh, I miss that. Those open shoulders are a no-no for work. So, I got to work on those sleeves.

I cut those low hanging sleeves off and narrowed the sides of the shirt a little. I finished the armholes. I wasn't done because I can't wear sleeveless tops like this to work either.

When I cut the sleeves off the shirt this is what they looked like.

I attached them to the armholes and they made fluttery little cap sleeves. I loved the new look of this top and they were work place approved.

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

Shopping my closet for t-shirt "Light Refashions"

EDIT: I added notes  on methods used.
I am shopping for " light re-fashions" from my closet.  

Work was needed to keep many items in the rotation.

I learned new skills and practiced old skills that will be useful in "full-on refashions". 

This post is lounge, sleep, yard-work, exercise  t-shirts that I worked on this week.

#10 #11 Neckline  Raised  Learning how to raise t-shirt necklines was a much needed skill.   

• #10-11 started as several sizes too large. Leaving the body large creates a tunic style. 
• Remove sleeves. Gently pull the thread in the seam in that will release the rest of the stitching.
• Cut shoulder seam off. Pin/baste so that trim edges and shoulder edges meet up. Ease back or front shoulder in if one is longer than the other. 
• Seam shoulder seams to raise neckline. Make several seams and check for fit on each seam. Take only a pressure foot seam at a time - the neck raises quickly. Check that you have room to go over your head. 
• Do not let back neckline become too short. You can cut more off of the front and create a slight hi-low hem. 
• Trim the new shoulder seam. Press to back. Top-stitch. 
• Reinsert sleeves. The shoulder seams create a smaller arm hole. 
• Fold the sleeve to find the cap. Place a pin to mark the cap of the sleeve, pin at to the shoulder seam and at the side seam.  Ease the sleeves back in. Seam.
• Overlarge sleeves can be altered at the original seam. Large sleeves were good on these at-home Ts. 

#12 #13 are the same style. Neckline  Raised.

• #12-13 methods follow #10-11
• These started as several sizes too large.
• Removed sleeves. Seamed shoulder seams to raise neckline.
• Reinserted sleeves.
• Released tight elastic in lower sleeves.

#14 Neckline Raised and Ruffles Removed

•  Seamed shoulder seams to raise neckline.
• After I cut the original seams, the back shoulder was wider. I eased it in. 
• I also cut more off of the front creating a slight high low hem. 
• The ruffles were worn. I un-stitched and saved in the scrap bin.

#15 Neckband Replaced.

• Ruffle from #14 was used to cut a neckband for #15
• Press the ruffles and trim to 2" width with rotary cutter.
• Press in half and iron.
• Cut length to 3/4 neckline length.
• Pin/baste. Stitch. Press. Top-stitch.

 #16 Navarro College t-shirt shoulders narrowed

• remove sleeves, cut off shoulder width
• take side in below sleeve re-placement
• replace sleeves

#17 Neckline Raised

• Elastic inserted to raise the neckband

#18 Trim removed from neckband   Trim is often the 1st to show wear.

 

#19 Removed elastic to raise neckline

#20 Oversized t-shirt was altered. 

• This oversize shirt needed standard fit, not tunic fit.
• remove sleeves, cut off shoulder width Measure shoulder width on a good fitting T.
• take side in below sleeve re-placement 
• replace sleeves
• Cut off length, save for mending bin, hem. Shirt was torn at hem and much longer than needed.

#21  T-shirt was mended using #20 scraps. 

 

#22 Bleach Stains removed.

• Long sleeves cut to 3/4. Hemmed.

 # 23-24-25 Hand mending seams put these back in rotation.