DIY Gift Idea from some old suede trousers....

Stop Press! Over a week into December, and I've just got my first handmade gift finished! (Someone needs to get a serious wriggle on!) This little needle roll (there's a step by step to follow on my blog tomorrow ) made to house a set of yummy bamboo crochet hooks I found on eBay. (Superfast delievery too if you're interested and in UK. Can't vouch for overseas delivery) You may recognise the suede from a previous project.... Yep I'm getting my money's worth out of those suede trousers...

Kerry may recognise the button. It's from the ONLY giveaway I've ever won...

The inner "pocket" is made from a remnant of some thrifted curtains....

So essentially this neat little needle roll cost me zero to make!

If you fancy making one, there'll be a step by step up on my blog tomorrow.

How's your gift making going? Any handmade gift ideas/tutorials to recommend? I'm all ears!

Monochrome Magic...

Here's a really simple shirt refashion that makes a big difference....

The contrasting black against cream brings it alot more up to date I think. Apart from the black bias on the collar and black buttons, the main difference is the reshaping of the collar from pointy to Peter Pan. There's a little more detail on my blog and a tutorial on the collar reshaping to follow tomorrow :)

Update: COLLAR TUTORIAL HERE

Refashioned thrift store outfit...

Hi everyone! Thought I'd share my latest refashions. I picked up the  frumpy silk shirt and frumpy jeans from a charity shop. I wanted to show how dramatically different and up to date they could be with some simple tweaks....

I go into a little more detail on my blog, but I'm sure you can work out what I did here anyway! Oh, and I finally got round to posting the tutorial on adding quick and easy cuffs to sleeves there too :)
Happy refashioning!

Wrinkled old Dress to Cuffed Kimono Top....

This past couple of weeks has been manic what with one thing and another. I haven't been getting much sewing done at all. So this week I eased back into my sewing groove with a quick and simple refashion.

This dress has been in my refashion pile for eons. Like, 2 years! It was made from a beautiful aubergine shade of purple in a drapey brushed cotton. When deciding on items to refashion, I tend to look past the garment itself to the quality and quantity of fabric that there is to work with. This dress had an ankle length gathered skirt with no darts or such like. So once I had removed the skirt from the bodice, and removed the button placket down the centre, I was left with a really good amount of fabric to work with. One large rectangle from the back of the skirt; and 2 smaller rectangles harvested from the front skirt, cut from either side of the button placket. Out came my trusty kimono tee pattern, and a few minor pattern adjustments later, voila...

A few more details over on my blog plus a tutorial to follow later this week on createing simple turn up cuffs for sleeves.

Sometimes less is more....

When it comes to a refashion, I'm a great believer in the importance of knowing when to stop. This lace top is a case in point. I had plans to add contrast trim, new buttons and a peter pan collar. But when it came to it, it was more about restyling it than chopping it up. All it took were a couple of tweaks....

Note the rather dodgy sponge shoulder pads in the first photo and the overall frumpiness of the style. With the shoulder pads removed and the top switched back to front, it becomes a cute button back lace top.
Much more up to date with little or no effort, and a great little wardrobe basic :)

Nautical Sundress

One in the bag for our upcoming week in the Isle of Wight! Nautically appropriate of course, but whether I'll have the opportunity to wear it without wellies and an umbrella, well....we live in hope! As you can see from the before photo (forgive me the unstraightened hair!) it started out life as a vintage Laura Ashley denim dress. The length didn't really suit me (a bit swampy) and it cut in under the arms so I played around with it for a couple of days and came up with the revamped version on the right....

I had to recut the armholes which meant removing the existing binding. I replaced in with self made French navy bias used as a kind of reverse facing; rolling the entire width of it to the front and topstitching it down; so that it's"edged" with the original denim. I added a matching band to the empire waist, created a matching faux button placket and added some gold nautical buttons from my stash....

I re cut the hem to scoop low at the back and higher at the front so the overall effect is kinda tea length. I mean...the general public can only handle so much pale and pasty leg activity...I'm considerate like that ;) It's a lovely full skirt and I'm pleased the finished dress has retained that vintage vibe whilst having a more on trend feel to it as well. At least I hope that's what I've achieved, ha ha!

By the way, has anyone else been massacred by mosquitoes? You can just about see a large dark patch on the front of my right ankle. That's the remainder of a monster mosquito bite (one of many but I won't show you the one that bit THROUGH my jeans right into my buttock...!) that went a bit nasty. They do seem to love pale skin. Maybe a bit of fake tan will fool 'em.....

Trousertastic! - Trouser Refashioning Tips

It's fair to say I'm developing a bit of an obsession with refashioning thrifted jeans and trousers. The light tan and baby blue pairs below were used in heavy rotation during Me Made May, and it made me realise that a few more pairs of narrow cropped jeans would be a welcome addition to my arsenal of wardrobe basics. Enter stage left the dove grey pair (my current faves!) and second from right, the softest pair of khaki jeans I've ever found. (The hems are actually even I promise. It's just the weird way I have of standing in photos!)
I managed to refashion both pairs one afternoon last week whilst Elliott was at pre school, and both pairs have been worn and laundered 2 or 3 times already......

As I was refashioning away, it occurred to me that although I've covered trouser refashioning here and here before, there are a few details of how I go about it that I hadn't quite covered in previous posts. So I thought I'd share a few tips that I've developed that make this type of refashion (narrowing and cropping jeans or trousers that already fit in the waist/hips) super quick and hassle free.

Firstly, establishing where to take jeans in is worthy of some consideration. Jeans in particular will often have a Flat Fell Seam on either the inner or outer leg seams, and sometimes (though rarely) on both. Taking jeans in along a flat fell seam, in my humble opinion, is one of those "life is just to short for that kinda faff" situations. In order to blend the new seam with the old, you'd have to unpick and press flat the entire flat fell seam and re-sew it once you've finished. (Unless someone has some stroke of genius to share then I'm all ears and would be very happy to be proven wrong!) I always take mine in along the standard straight seam. Whether that be on the inner or outer seam, I let the existing construction dictate to me which will be the simplest seam to sew....

In order to sew and blend the new seam cleanly, I like to press it completely flat. The existing hem prevents me from doing that....

So I lop it off....

I mark where I want my new seam allowance to be, (see here and here for how to establish that) and sew a straight stitch along my chalk line....

Followed by a zig zag stitch right next to it....

This part is pretty important in ensuring the new seam blends seamlessly with the old once you turn the jeans/trousers right side out again. As I approach the point where the new seam is about to intersect with the old,  I gradually reduce the angle between the two as I am sewing. Once my new line of stitching meets the old seam line, I'll continue sewing completely in line with the old seam for a fraction of an inch, before gradually running my new line of stitching off into the seam allowance. Exactly the same principle applies when sewing the zig zag too  (you can just about make out the new zig zag where it meets the original overlocked seam finish)...

Then simply trim off the excess close to the new zig zag line...

Turn right side out, press the length of the new seam line on a sleeve board or pressing mitt (I find the pressing mitt works best, with my arm up inside the trouser leg, gradually working my way along the seam). Then all that remains to be done is hem them to the desired length.
This type of refashion usually takes me about 40 mins per pair. So, easy to squeeze in between toddler taming sessions as a means of staying sane!

http://portialawrie.blogspot.co.uk/

Some welcome basics...

Here's an outfit of much needed wardrobe staples that I refashioned last week...Subtle adjustments but they make a big difference to the fit...The sleeves of the shirt have been shortened an narrowed and the sides have been shaped. The jeans simply cropped and narrowed...

I'm pretty pleased with the result. The jeans have been worn and washed several times already and although today is only my first time wearing this shirt, I know already that I'll be wearing it ALOT! Best of all, the total cost of my outfit? £4.50  (including shoes)!

More details over on my blog :)

DIY Gadget pouch...

I hope this qualifies as accessories!? Anyhoo I thrifted this pair of suede trousers a while ago for £1 and have only just got around to experimenting with this new (to me) material...

My first finished project from these trousers is a superquick little gadget case. The method for which, could be adpted to any size/shape, even adding a strap and some fringe to make a little messenger bag...(hmmm, might try that myself next!)

Full tutorial on my blog. I must admit, I'm really liking this material to work with! I've already thrifted some more suede/leather garments to hack up and play with!  Happy Monday all :)
Px

Pillowcase to PJ's

Elliott and I have both been full of cold these past few days. So while he slept yesterday afternoon, I whipped him up something cosy to snuggle up in for the evening..
I'd thrifted this vintage flannelette pillowcase a week or two ago with plans to make him some cosy Mini Boden'esque PJ bottoms. I just LOVE flannelette/brushed cotton. Unrivalled in terms of cosiness on chilly winter nights, in my humble opinion. I planned to use a pair of his jeans to draft a basic pattern...

Then I remembered this PDF pattern from Made. Score! I made a few minor changes in terms of size/length and then joined the front and back piece together and cut them as one. Less cutting, less sewing! This way I needed to cut only 2 pattern pieces instead of 4, which negated the need to sew any side seams. Just the crotch seams, front and back, and the inseam.

He loves them but they only just fit him in the waist. Ooops. I miscalculated seam allowances, doh! Easily rectified on the next go. They're so soft and cosy though and only took about 40mins to make including pattern alterations. Which is just as well because leaning over a cutting table and sewing machine when you've got a runny nose is not fun!
Px

More Trouser (pants!) Shenanigans...

Following on from my previous trouser refashion here, yesterday I completed another pair from my pile of Autumn wardrobe refashion projects...

There's a bit more detail on my blog, but I think you'll get the idea from these photos :)

Trouser Tapering!

More restyling today. I'm on a roll ;) I thrifted these "jeans" for £2. Brand new. Never been worn. The fabric is a lovely soft stretch twill and I loved the powdery blue colour. I didn't however like the shape and length in the lower leg. (Left pic) They were semi bootcut and the kind of length that doesn't reach quite the right point of your shoes. Kind of flapping around my ankles like a flag at half mast!

So I put them on inside out and pinned out a rough idea of the shape I wanted them to be, (middle pic). I then marked out a smoother stitching line using the pins as a guide, and sewed the new seamline, blending it into the existing seam. Oh, and I shortened them by about 3" (Right Pic, Right Leg)


The result was a shape more akin to the tapered cigarette pants that I am absolutely loving at the moment. (The curvy girls version of skinny jeans, lol!) Try as I might I couldn't get a full length shot to show the shaping at the ankle/hem. For some reason the way I stand (or perhaps the camera angle) makes it look as if they're really tight at the ankle. (They're not at all) So here's a side on close up too...

I suspect I'm going to get have already had alot of wear out of these and have a couple more pairs of trousers lined up for the same treatment. These were simple to do because the inseam and outer seams were standard straight seams and easy to blend in with a new stitching line. However, I haven't quite worked out how to do this on jeans as they tend to have flat fell seams (usually on the inseam only) which would be nowhere near as straightforward to blend into a new seam without having to unpick the whole thing and even then....Hmmm! Thinking cap is on....any thoughts?
Px

Some ideas...

Just a quickie post today. I thought I'd share with you some of the images that I was pondering as inspiration when wondering what to do with the two T Shirts Zoe challenged me to refashion as a part of my recent "The Refashioners" series..

Images are from Anthropologie, Megan Nielsen, Cal Patch, Monsoon, Next, Whole Living,

I think pretty much all of these styles could be replicated as a refashioning  project. Some of them are just simple ways of providing a bit of interest or shape to a plain tee. Some of them would require more in depth reconstruction. See what you think. There's a couple of them I may yet have a go at doing myself....even without friendly coercion!
Px

Sometimes, it only takes a minute....

When it comes to refashioning, sometimes, simple is best. I picked up this smock style top for £1.75 from a charity shop in Chelmsford. There was alot I liked about it. The colour, the fabric, the picot lace details and the cute sailor collar. But the bottom tier, in my humble opinion, makes it look a little dated and gives it an unflattering, tent like shape, which just does not work on my figure....

So I just removed the bottom tier so there was a single picot detail along the hem to echo those on the sleeves and upper chest. It was so simple to do. Because of the way it had been applied, I could literally just trim away the second row of picot lace, and the resulting new hem is still perfectly finished. 5 minutes! I think it looks much more balanced as a garment now and most importantly, more flattering and wearable for me :)
All for a mere £1.75 and 5 minutes of my time. Happy days!

Miss Px

The Refashioners....

This week I have been hosting a refashioning challenge on my blog. it involved my sending a group of some of my favourite sewing bloggers a mystery package containing a thrifted garment. The challenge? To turn the mystery item from hum drum.....

...to gorgeous and fabulous! The idea was to show that refashioning isn't just about shortening, taking in, etc but is actually a brilliant creative outlet that allows you to really let the ideas flow without the "restriction" of following  pattern instructions.

All of the posts for this challenge can be found here along with links to these lovely ladies' individual blogs. I hope you find them as inspiring as I have!
Px

Restyle # 20 - Lace Tunic Tee

Greetings fellow refashioners. After a slight enforced absence from sewing that had me climbing the walls in frustration, this is what I've been up to recently....

It began as a maternity top that didn't fit and a piece of sheer Georgette lace that I salvaged from an old vintage dress quite some time ago. I've included a detailed "step by step" of my processes on my blog.
Happy Monday everyone (the kids are back at school!!! Yay!)

The Sorbetto - perfect for Refashioners

I doubt anyone blogging and sewing will have missed the Sorbetto by now. I've made three so far and they featured pretty heavily in my Me Made June. I am currently under a temporary self imposed Sorbetto ban otherwise I'd end up sewing nothing else! As one of the commenters on my blog put it "It's not a pattern, it's a virus!" It most certainly is addictive, not least because of it's versatility, it's simplicity and the fact that it uses very little fabric. All of which makes it perfect to squeeze out of existing garments and therefore perfect for refashioners. I made one of my sorbettos from a skirt I thrifted...

I cut off the waistband, pressed it thoroughly to remove all the gathers and laid it out smooth and flat so that the seams all lined up. Then traced around my sorbetto pattern. I didn't even need to hem it as I ended up using the existing hem of the skirt.I lined up the CF and CB seams of the pattern with the seams of the skirt in order to squeeze the sorbetto out of what was essentially a 4 gore skirt. It made no difference on the CF since that was an inverted pleat anyway and a seam down the CB didn't look out of place as made from scratch garments are often constructed with a non functional CB seam anyway.

Just some of the reasons I love this pattern...;)
Px

Mini Quilt - What I did...

Hello!!!  This is the process I followed for the mini quilt I posted about... 

Cut the pieces....

Worked out the design...

Here it is pieced together and basted to a fleece inner and yummy Egyptian cotton backing. (Basting quilt sandwiches is a beast!!)...

I saw this trick ages ago on Martha Stewart's site and thought it was super clever. You run a strip of masking tape from corner to corner.....

Sew either side of it (I loooooove this walking foot!! Borrowed it from college. Really helps stop the layers moving about).....

Peel away the tape and hey presto...straighter and more even quilting lines than I could ever hope to achieve by eyeballing it....

Then lay a strip of tape along each of your newly stitched lines and repeat the process....

Keep repeating this step working your from the middle outwards.....

I then repeated the whole process crossways as well....

Trimmed the piece....

Quick shot of the back....erm...

Ooops! This quilting malarkey is trickier than it looks!

I used some of my thrifted bias binding for the edging...

along with some gorgeous toggles I found recently, and created loop ties from bias tape...

So that it can be rolled up.....

and fastened, ready to pop into baby's bag!!