Maxi Skirt to the Max

Hello Refashion Co-op. I love the idea of a maxi skirt but they never fit me. I am too short for them. This light and dark gray maxi skirt had a lot of fabric to play with though.

I used the bottom of the skirt to make a simple shirt. The hem of the skirt made the neckline and sleeves look nicely finished. I cut the waistband off the skirt and used it as a waistband for the new shirt.

The straight hem of the skirt made a quick and easy boat style neckline. 

When the shirt was done I had only the hip portion of the skirt left. It was perfect for making a little infinity scarf.

Instead of hemming the cut edge I cut them into fringe. It was a fun and easy way to finish the scarf. I liked how everything turned out and I used almost every inch of that skirt.

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

Knit fabric dress refashion

I bought a dress at a car boot sale for only £1, there was a lot of useful fabric in the skirt and I wanted to sew more with knit fabrics.  The photo above is not the actual dress of mine but a handy and much better photo of a brown version I found on the internet.

When I got it the dress home and tried it on, the fit and style exceeded expectations so it got a few wears as it was.  This reprieve from the refashion process was only temporary as I eventually decided the neckline was too low and the waist was a little tight.

I created an alternative bodice section from some fabric and a men's tie, using a pattern.

The fit is much better now and I have also worn it out a few times with this new bodice.

There are more details and photos here

Too Small, Too low, Too Big

Hello Refashion Co-op. Some of my refashions are simple and casual for everyday living life. Today's is one of those. This striped shirt was too small for me but I liked the stripes. The red shirt fit well but it was too low cut. The jeans were just a little too baggy and long on me.

I put the striped shirt on my dress form. I put the red shirt on top of the striped shirt. I pinned the shirts together so I could use the striped shirt to fill in the low cut red shirt. I cut off all the excess material. I added the striped sleeves to the red shirt as well.

I ended up with a red shirt that looks like there is a blue shirt underneath, but really it is just the neckline and the sleeves attached. I decided to add the blue waistband to tie it all together. The red shirt fits and the striped shirt made it warmer and less low cut.

 The jeans just needed a little taken off the sides and shorter legs.

I know this outfit isn't super exciting but it was perfect for doing casual mom stuff. 

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

No more pointy hips

This red tunic is one of the many things I've bought online that ended up looking totally unexpected in real life (If you check out my original blog post, you can see how the top looked on a mannequin when I bought it, and why I was so taken aback when I tried it on in person!). The draping on the sides was constructed in such a way that if I wasn't constantly rearranging it, it would develop these pointy blobs that stuck out on either side of my hips. They had to go!

When laid flat, the side seams stuck out and came to a point at about hip level, so I just sewed new side seams that were more naturally curved.

And since the neckline was extremely low cut, I also lowered the shoulder seams so it would sit a little higher.

That's all, folks!

--The Unfashionista

The Coat Skirt

Hello Refashion Co-op. I had a coat that wasn't really warm. What could I do with a thin coat? I made a skirt.

I cut the top of the coat off.

I stitched the coat/skirt closed in front. I finished the waist and folded the cut edge in. I tucked the lining in when I was sewing the waist so it is all closed up inside too. The lining is like a built in slip.

 I used a sew-on snap that came with the coat to close the waistband.

I was happy with how the skit turned out.

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