The Refashioners: Denim Chanel-Inspired Jacket

My third and final "jeanius" project for The Refashioners community challenge is another attempt to replicate a popular style using an unconventional material - specifically a Chanel-inspired boxy, cropped jacket, typically made with tweedy wool, but here made with a pair of men's black denim jeans.

I cut my front and back pieces from the fronts of the legs, and I cut the sleeves and pockets from the backs of the legs. The rest was sliced up into 1-inch strips and supplemented with a little white denim for contrast, left over from my previous refashion. I added five sets of hook-n-eyes on the under side of the front edges so my jacket can be closed without disrupting the look of the fringed border.

Check out CarissaKnits for more photo and details!

Lush meadow

I love being able to refashion a dress from years ago all over again.

The colors were just too good to ever give away!

Come check it out on my blog!

Give the Cat a Name

A Monster Refash

This refash is actually a no-sew! Woohoo! This is a quick and easy t-shirt refashion.

I started with this awesome t-shirt that my roomie so kindly gave to me! I can't begin to tell you how bad I wanted a Monster shirt back in high school. I can't tell you how it took me 10 years to get one, but better late than never right?!

On to this t-shirt make over!

I cut out the neckline.

I cut a 5 inch slit in each sleeve.

I cut 2 small pieces of black ribbon.

I used liquid stitch to 'stitch' the ribbon around the bottom hem of the sleeves.

After gluing the ribbon around the bottom of the sleeves I put a pin in it while it dried. When it dried it made  cool keyhole in the sleeves!

Happy Refashioning!!!

Check out my stash of refashions on my blog: http://therefashstash.wordpress.com

Antmacassar to skirt refashion

I have a number of old household linens inherited from my great aunt - no one else in the family wanted them.

Quite a few are hand embroidered but this one wasn't.

I wouldn't normally go about cutting up seriously old items but this antimacassar has been in storage since 1993 and I don't remember my aunt ever having it in use prior to that.  I honestly don't think she would have objected to its repurposing, probably would have been interested.  In her lifetime she never logged on to the internet but she did live through 2 world wars and therefore did see plenty of real life.

Anyway, onto the refashion, which via a convoluted route ended up with me pairing this antimacassar with some panels cut from a couple of cord trouser legs to make a skirt.

As always I have more information here

I am always concerned about comfort so added an experimental yoga type waistband.

Deux recyclages pour la valise des vacances

Voici deux petits recyclages que j'ai fait pour mettre dans la valise des vacances.
Les éléments sont au nombre de 3 au départ : 1 tunique et 2 robes (imprimée noire et blanche ; unie noire)

et à l'arrivée j'obtiens un tee-shirt et une petite robe :

quelques photos supplémentaires :

Et si vous voulez en voir plus, c'est Ici 
Bisous et à bientôt,
Elisa Elisa

sweater dress to sweater top

I apologise for not posting more but it was a bad month for refashioning. I started out the month with a very ambitious refashion that has turned into a long-term refashion. The second I was going to refashion sounded a lot easier.  It was so frustrating; I seemed to be doing everything wrong. So I decided to put that refashion on hold. But I still wanted to refashion something. Which is where this top come in

I was looking through my refashioning pile and found this great sweater dress. It is so soft and fuzzy the perfect thing for winter. The were a couple of things I disliked the length and the neckline. I started with trying to fix the neckline. Nothing work for me, so I decide to ignore that for now and work on the length instead. The length was easy to adjust all I did was take the ribbing around the bottom and sew it higher up.

Once I had sewed the ribbing up higher, I tried it on again to make sure the length worked. While trying it on I put it on backwards. This fixed the neckline and I rather like the straight line across.

Now my back is low and while at first, I thought I should add a bow or something. I think I will wear it awhile and see how I like it. Want to hear more details go check it out on.
my blog

The Baggy Skirt

Hello Refashion Co-op. I did a run through the thrift store recently. (It was 10 items for $10, I couldn't resist!) I found this outfit but the skirt was too big. I took it anyway because I loved the color so much. And the top had great fall colors but was right for the 90 degree weather we were having that week. 

There was some cute stitching details on both sides and I would normally use the side seams to resize a skirt that was too big. Instead, I made a new seam up the back of the skirt. A lot of skirts have a seam in the middle of the back, I figured it wouldn't really be noticed.

If you look below, you can see the new seam. It is pretty subtle, especially after some quick ironing. Summer heat tends to stick around my part of the world for a while, so here is my new favorite "hot" Fall outfit. Not bad for $2 bucks.

Happy sewing everyone!

I Can Work With THat

Floral Scarf Refashion // Use Those Fabric Scraps!

After a few years of sewing, I made my first scarf. It's so easy to make, yet I had never made one. This scarf was made out of leftover fabric pieces. I simply sewed them together and added some black lace details to tie it all together. The floral chiffon was part of a dress that I used for two other projects. Isn't refashioning so awesome? I was very happy with the end result. :)

For the full tutorial click here.

#14 Back to School: Two Linen Tops become a Linen Set

 #14 for September Back to School.

*I am a "retire / rehire". Retired from University and Rehired into an Elementary School
*I pledge not to buy any new RTW or thrifted for my new "Back to School" wardrobe.  
*I pledge to shop from my closet.

BEFORE: 

• The skirts were in the closet & refashioned with hem & button changes a few years back.
• Shopping the closet turned up the matching yellow linen tops bought in the same garage sale.
• These were the same fabric and the same brand.
• Problem was, the overshirt had the short sleeves and the undershirt had the long. sleeves.

STEPS: 

• Have an "aha" moment to realize that I could switch the sleeves in the tops so they cold be worn as a set.
• Removed the sleeves from both tops. Sleeve caps & armcycles matched.
• Baste, stitch, serge the sleeves in place. 

AFTER: An easy Refashion that gave a set to wear with the 3 skirts.

After: A Set

After:
Short Sleeves 
in Under shirt

After:
Long Sleeve 
in Overshirt

After:
Already Refashioned
 Blue Skirt

After: Bias Cut Trim
Already Refashioned Chambray Skirt Hem

After:
Already Refashioned 
Denim Skirt

Before:
Same Brand & Fabric
Long Sleeves
in Under Shir

 Before:
From the closet
Short Sleevs
in Over-shirt

SWEETHEART BUSTIER TOP TUTORIAL / MEN'S SHIRT REFASHION

 I love to use men's shirts to my refashions , there are  often made from great fabrics like silk or egyptian cotton. 
 I think good quality fabrics are very important not only for sewing but even more for wearing.

Shirts before:

100% egyptian cotton :-)

here you can see how ready top looks like ,

I dyed it as well , I think it looks now little like starry night by van gogh

don't you think ;-)

and on me 

Men's shirt refashion in one photo :-)

Whole tutorial and more photos here.

Love,