Thursday, October 29, 2015

Can you refashion tights?

I almost always wear dresses or skirts. Since Denmark do not have subtropic climate (yet) I (literally) work myself through a lot of tights. I wondered if I could refashion them, and had gathered a bunch of holey tights.

Googling and Pinteresting didn't help much with ideas. I mostly found ideas for using holey tights for something else than being tights. But I wanted to revive them. So I gave it a try at sewing in tights.

"You can't sew in tights. They will run". But a test showed that they don't.
- Wool, cotton and microfiber tights are best for refashion.
- They must be 40 denier or more.
- Old fashioned nylon stockings doesn't work for this, they do run.

Dr. Frankenstein went to it. I cut away the holey parts and went on to make new combinations. I liked overknee stockings when they first were in fashion back in the 90s, but didn't have the legs for them (knee bulges). So I adore the new mock overknee tights trend. I wanted to make such ones.

Here is the TUTORIAL for how to combine tights into new tights. Go get thrifty :-)

Black patterned waist and grey legs. Mock overknee.
'

Striped waist and green legs. Mock overknee.

Green waist, white legs. Mock overknee.
This pair might me more special than pretty. But they are fun.

Solid black waist (from a pair of leggins, that I never used), patterned black legs. Mock knee length.

Solid black waist, ribbed legs. Mock overknee/almost stocking length.

White waist, baby pink legs. Mock overknee. (Maybe for a japanese inspired costume, should I ever decided to do something like cosplay)
 

Solid black waist. Spiral striped legs. Mock overknee.
 

Solid black waist and striped legs. For one leg I only had a little piece that wasn't holey. I used one leggins leg to make the tight leg below that little piece.

So yes, you CAN refashion tights!

8 comments:

g.satansbraten said...

You're brilliant - ever told you so ?!

LG, Gerlinde

g.satansbraten said...

PS:

... and I still like/admire your legs ;-) :-D !!!

O.k.: fleeing into the weekend - faaaast - to avoid 'flying shoes' after me :-D

Sandy said...

How fun! Like you I can't keep over knee stockings up, nor can I find knee length so much anymore. So, maybe now I will save my tights!
Sandy in the UK

jennifer elliott said...

You're a genius! Your tights are amazing, and I might have to try this with some of my tights. Great job!

Jennifer Elliott, EOD

Saga said...

Thank you. I thought, that when I couldn't find any other refashions of the kind, it might be because it was not possible to refashion tights. But I guess it is because people just throw them out, when they get holes.
I was surprised and happy to find out, that is was possible to refashion them.

g.satansbraten said...

Yep, you really get me 'lemmingen' with this idea, since out here

a) one isn't always getting the wanted colour to replace a 'gone set' (in time ^^)
b) fancy and/or cute ones are at times just as hard to find for replacement
c) and the 'greed bag' in me is getting thrilled into the bargain with this bargain ;-)

Thanks again for your lone/single brainstorm !

LG, Gerlinde

Moviestar said...

I love these, brilliant!!!

Anonymous said...

Such a creative idea!! Great job!! Never would of thought of this on my own. Thanks for the inspiration.