Thursday, March 31, 2011

Two different ways to use sheets... and a question for you all about refashion for little boys

I seem to be doing things by twos lately. Purely coincidental, I swear... Anyway, last January I found some very cheap cotton sheets at Zara in the post-Christmas sales. They were each 100x150 cm (sized for a crib or toddler bed) and were only €3. That's a very good per metre price, at least in France. You can read all the details over on my blog, but in brief, here's what I did with them:

I used the first one to extend the life of a short-sleeved jumper that was too short for my daughter, though still quite comfortable in the body. We'd already let down the hem, so to make the dress longer, I carefully cut off the finished end of the sheet. (Well, that's probably not the technical term, but you know what I mean. The nice part of the sheet that has the folded-over hem and that goes at the head of your bed.) Anyway, I removed it and simply sewed onto the hem of the dress, using a contrasting purple thread and a zigzag stitch for a decorative effect. I then cut a few more strips from the dress and used these to: add ruffles to the pockets, little tiny bows to the cap sleeves and lining to the inside of the shoulders.


The other sheet became both an experiment in scalloped edges and what I like to think of as a Lily Pulitzer knockoff. (It was that kind of print.) 



Now, for my question... what are you all refashioning for the little guys in your life? I am starting to feel guilty, as my daughter is getting so many cool outfits while my son is getting PJ pants and his old trousers turned into shorts. I don't know quite what to refashion for him and would love your tips and ideas.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have made fun t-shirts by combining two in contrasting colors and adding applique or a stencil. Also, we made "Pants with attitude" together by drawing and adding patches to old jeans.

Anonymous said...

Oooh stenciling! I hadn't thought of that. Last time I stenciled was in junior high too. Off to find fabric paint...

gypsybiscuit said...

How about adding some colorful braces to the little guy's pants? (we usually call them suspenders here in the US). Add some coordinating knee patches or liner for a rolled up cuff. Use some extra scraps for a simple appliqué on t-shirts, sweater, or hoodie.

Susan said...

I've seen shirts, pants and t-shirts cut from Dad's old clothes,as well as add-ons to T's & pants for length just as you did to the purple dress. And check out dana-made-it.com. Look for the link to "The Boy." For the second yr in a row, she did a month of "celebrate the boy." Lots of great stuff.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for all the tips=