Thursday, January 29, 2015

Tiny refashions

Sometimes pieces of clothing only need a teeny tiny little refashion tweak to be just right. Such two went through my sewing machine today.

I found these jeans in a thrift store. (A day that will be forever remembered by me: The day I found a pair of jeans, that fit me perfectly! Both waist and hips fit my hourglass figure, AND the length was right, even though I only use a size 28 in length.
I am not exaggerating: When I looked at myself in the changing room in the thrift store, wearing the jeans, my jaw dropped. Trousers never ever fit me. But these did. But I digress, lets get back to the refashion).
Only one small thing wasn't perfect: The pockes was very visible through the jeans fabric and also made the waist-to-hips area bulky. It is not too visible in the picture, but it was very visible in sunshine.

So I cut off the pockets and closed up the pocket openings. Simple, and did the trick.

I also refashioned the shirt tha I wear in the top picture.
It was just as it should be, except the  3/4 sleeves was 5/6 sleeves on me. Same story as always (I dream of going on holiday somewhere where most people are short like me, like Italy or Hong Kong, and go shopping crazy).
So I simply cut of the cuffs, shortened the sleeves and reattached the cuffs.
After:

Jeans and shirt before and after:


By the way: Is there another word in English, that would cover what I did to these garments? I think that calling them refashions is a bit much. I didn't mend them, they werent't torn. Modified?

Blogpost: http://saga-i-farver.blogspot.dk/2015/01/sma-forandringer.html
Blog: http://www.sagaifarver.dk

7 comments:

Sandy said...

Sometimes people call it alterations...but that would more specifically apply to the blouse because you altered the sleeve length.

Another word could be adaptations...which is more in line with what you did with the pockets.

But more and more people are using the word 'Refashion' for any change that makes a garment more acceptable to them - suits their purpose.
Sandy in the UK
with my City and Guilds Fashion tutor hat on.

g.satansbraten said...

D'accord, would rather consider it a Modification or Improvement, but hey ... won't be more religious than the pope ;-). As loooong as we can learn something from each other in the really wide field of sewing.

I'd not even call an entire new cut/pattern out of just some 'different new material' having been an other (previous) garment (= since at times totally unpicked) a real refashion.
To stick/find the fine line between who's who amongst 'sewistas' is difficult yet see above: Mr. Pope might get a giggle otherwise just by watching us 'fighting' over subtleties like this - mho ;-)
As long as we get ideas and courage from each other .... brilliant - mho.
It would be too difficult to sort each and every job of sewing into the 'matching blog box' considering eeeverything with 'legal magnifiers'.
I'm actually pretty smitten by the simple difference the 'length amendment' to the sleeves of the blouse makes; pictures are such a god sent thing of proof (at times ;-) !)

LG Gerlinde

PS: Your shopping-dream might get spoilt so rather 'count your blessings' of being able to do sewing jobs yourself.
Reason being:
a) For Hong Kong the two of us - despite 'matching stout' - might be built 'too solid' already = sigh + grmpf! For custom made - you soon rush back to your own sewing-machine, since the waste of time involved is surely 'soon counting' on your nerves ;-) !

b) Italy - I can tell you - is most of the times way to expensive. The affordable higher end items - you'll still need your sewing-skills for adjustmends ^^!

I'm already happy with Australia, since the asian influence is at least granting me moooore fitting shoes (5 1/2; 35/36) than I could get my hands on in my mother country. THIS despite Italy being rather close there.


kitblu said...

I would call them alterations (my pin board is Refashion/Alter) but agree that Refashion is the current 'fashionable' word :)
Men's clothing has long been eligible for FREE alterations but this is not so for women. I've long been tempted to buy a man's suit and have them alter it to fit me. I wear more men's clothes than women's.
Although I am of average height, I have short legs (same 28" inseam as you) and shorter arms. I am also short-waisted and my hips have always been either smaller or the same size as my waist.
Almost always I have had to alter my clothes or wear them ill-fitting (especially pant legs).

jenny_o said...

I'd agree with the word "alteration" as well.

And I am very short also, so I feel your pain. Almost every garment I buy needs alteration, whether new or used. I don't even think about it anymore, just know that I will have to do it :)

I love the style of that top!

jennifer elliott said...

I feel your pain too as a short person. Short people UNITE! ;) As long as I find a pair of pants that fit me, I'm happy because I know I have to shorten them anyway. Nice refashions.

Jennifer Elliott, EOD

Anonymous said...

Lucky you for finding jeans that fit!

If something just needs changing slightly I would say I tweaked it, e.g. "with a little tweak to the sleeve length it was perfect". That might just be British English though.

g.satansbraten said...

;-) Shortleggers DON'T worry any longer, please!

After I've been invited to join him to a shoppin-tour I'm E-T-I-R-E-L-Y cured ^^.
Talking about a friend of ours with a 'lengths' of just 2 cm short of 2 m ^^ vs. 1,56m 'proud me' ;-) !
I veeeery soon got it right: it's WAY easier to 'amend something DOWN to matching size then UP with NO matching material at aaaall on hands - sighsighsigh.
For 'private use/occasion' funny amendments can look fine YET consider 'business' ^^!
I still remember, wenn I furiously watched him bending into the bonnet of his car showing his bare (freezing) spine. THIS was the moment, wenn I ordered him to provide me access to his wardrobe and I basically reduced the amount of casual tops there into half by taking most of the times two of them to 'stretch'/lengthen the better one/the one of preferred choice by sacrificing the other.
Job done -happy friend - lesson learnt: count your blessings :-D ! After all: for the cheeky teasers there is aaalways the just as cheeky answer of "good things come in small parcels" ;-)
(YET: I LOVE my LONGLEGGERS - despite the funny appearance when on the road together :-D !)

LG, Gerlinde
(There is usually a minimum of ONE reason behind the decision to take up sewing - short legs is ONE of the easier ones - mho)