Visible mending jeans & sparkly upcycle

 

A few weeks ago I found these dark grey jeans in the clothing loop I'm part of. It was a great fit, but unfortunately the fabric was torn near the pockets. On both sides actually, would you believe that? 

Makes you think, right? Did the jeans belong to someone who likes to keep their hands in the pockets? All day? And of course it's a bit dubious that they wanted to pass on damaged jeans to another owner, but hey.... I wouldn't be having a new pair of grey jeans if it weren't for them. So I decided to take on this challenge and make it a visible 'not to be missed' mending!

I started with fortifying the tears

I used interfacing to fortify the fabric around the tears and made some zigzag stitches on the outside. Then I unstitched 2 pocket flaps from an old pair of jeans. I thought it would be nice to also add a flap on the back pocket. 

The pocket flaps definitely needed some sparkle of course! I found an old greyish black necklace with small stones. So after I sewed the pocket flap on, I hand stitched the chain on the flaps. 

The shimmering stones looked perfect on the flaps!

Sparkling front and back pockets

Last, but not least, I went on a weekend trip to Metz (France) last week and found the perfect jumper to combine the jeans with!  I visited a small friperie (second hand store) in the city centre (love the word 'friperie') and found this colourful jumper. And look and the brand name, Sucre Neige, so cute! 

What's the common English translation,
powdered sugar, icing sugar? 

🎄Happy holidays to you all!🎄

And if you're interested in more details, you're welcome to visit vermaakster.blogspot.com! 

Making Bell-Bottom Jeans

 Hello Refashion Co-op. I needed to alter the fit of these purple jeans so they would work for me. I got side tracked and made bell-bottom jeans. 

Before and after. 

I opened the bottom of the pant legs with a seam ripper. 

I made 2 triangles of fabric to sew into the opening. 

I liked how they turned out. Thank you for reading along, for more pictures and details go to I Can Work With That.

Fall Collage Top

 Hello Refashion Co-op. I had 2 tops that did not fit well and I used the Collage Pattern by Matchy-Matchy to make a new top. 

Before and after.

I love this pattern because you can use different pieces of different pattern and mix it and change it every time. 

I cut out all my pieces and I was ready to put it all together. Thank you for reading along, for more details and pictures go to I Can Work With That.

Cover a stain with embroidery

 

Out of nowhere (so it seamed) a stain had appeared on one sleeve of this cardigan. It looked like toothpaste, but it clearly wasn't, since washing didn't help. White paint then? I cautiously treated it with some organic solvent but that didn't work either. I kept wearing the cardigan, but I couldn't forget the stain and wanted to fix it. But how?

A few weeks ago I went to a workshop 'Embroidery on clothes' and brought the cardigan with me. I've done some embroidery on clothes before, but I was hoping for some new inspiration and I always like working together with other creatives. 

And that's where I found the book Beautiful botanical embroidery by Alice Makabe. It contains beautiful examples of embroidery, like this cute twig with leaves I used for this project.

I traced the twig and some extra leaves to play with and traced the final composition on soluble interfacing. It reinforces the fabric and makes it easier to embroider.

When I finished the embroidery, I gently washed the sleeve to dissolve the interfacing. And that was it, actually! 

By the way, wouldn't it be cool to embroider one or two flowers of Aniela's beautiful fabric for the cute front tie top she made last week (@Aniela, what do you think)? Or I'll do it for you Aniela, just send me the top:)).

If you're interested in more details, you're welcome to visit vermaakster.blogspot.com! 

Tip: if you like embroidery on clothes, you might also like this older post I ran into: hiding a stain on a skirt with beautiful yellow flowers (Refashion Co-op).

The Yellow Dress That Gave All It Could

 Hello Refashion Co-op. I found this yellow dress at a thrift store over a year ago. I have cut it up and refashioned it so many times. But I still had the bodice and lining left over.

I shortened the original dress, then shortened it again. I cut the tulle off the dress and added it to a jacket. But what about the top of the dress. Let's get into it.

The little flowers were so pretty. I wanted to make this into a top that I could wear. 

 

I cut off the skirt lining but left a bit of fabric that I could turn under and sew into the elastic waistband. 

 

It was perfect under this jumpsuit. Thanks for reading along, for more pictures and details go to I Can Work With That.
 

Easy to sew Cute Front Tie Top: Upcycle an Old Bed Sheet + Free PDF Pattern

 

Hello ! , In this fun and easy sewing tutorial, I’ll show you how to create a sleeveless front tie top from scratch—perfect for beginners! The best part? I’m upcycling an old bed sheet to sew this cute and stylish top, giving it a new life while saving on fabric costs. 🌿

Whether you’re a seasoned sewer or just starting, this project is a great way to practice your skills while making something fashionable and sustainable. The tutorial includes step-by-step instructions and a FREE PDF sewing pattern in 8 sizes. Plus, for those who prefer to make their own pattern, I’ve included a video on how to self-draft the perfect pattern for this top.

Want to make it your own? Customize the top by adding sleeves, making it cropped, or adding extra bow closures. This top is versatile and can be worn in warm weather or layered for cooler days.

By the end of this project, you'll have a cute, sustainable top that’s perfect for everyday wear! I'm sooo curious your project !

 

Step-by step post and video . 

My blog

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You Tube

 

Jeans From Scraps

 Hello Refashion Co-op. I love to refashion clothes and that means I am cutting clothes into pieces all the time. I had some pieces of denim that were just sitting around. Could I make a complete pair of jeans? Sure I could!

Before and after. 

I had the front of these dark blue jeans. Yes, that's right, just the front. 

I also had these light blue jeans that were missing most of the front legs. 

I cut the front of the light blue jeans off. The huge holes were not going to keep me warm this fall and winter. They had to go. 

I sewed the front and back together and I loved the results. For more how-to details and pictures go to I Can Work With That. Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself.

Dip dye summer pants

 

Hi everyone, we've had some pretty hot days here this summer! And I remembered from last year the elastic at the bottom of these pants deprived my legs of any breath of fresh air. So, in preparation of our vacation in France, I decided to cut off the elastic and pimp the legs with a dip dye! 

We had our own Tour the France this year: we traveled from Normandy through the Loire valley to the Ardèche and then back home (the Netherlands) again. My mother in law used to live in the Ardèche but we hadn't been there since we sold the house after she died 5 years ago. We were eager to visit the area again and maybe see the changes the new owner had done to the house. Unfortunately, on the day we left for the Ardèche, we had car trouble somewhere near Tours and were therefore obliged to stay for a few extra more days. Just when the temperature there was getting over 35 degrees.... phew... (I hereby want to thank the friendly owners of the bar at the Leclerc Hypermarché in Loches where I spent hours reading and cooling down, it was heavenly!). 

To be honest, even my new airy dip died pants didn't help me then... but I've worn my new pants with great pleasure in Normandy and the Ardèche!

Now, let's stop talking and show you some photographs of the proces...

After I cut off the elastic I thought of a construction that would keep the pants up. And I was going for a gradient colour, so to avoid a line I moved the pants up and down the first 20 minutes or so. 

After my first attempt, the blue dye was still too light, so I repeated the process again the next day, with a much better outcome!

,

I totally forgot to make pictures of my new pants on vacation (pants by the sea, pants on top of the hill etc.). But... I visited some vide-greniers (yard sale?) and I'm sharing some of my found treasures on my blog. So if you're interested in embroidery and lace cloths... you're welcome to visit vermaakster.blogspot.com! 

Add a Quilt Piece to a JAcket

 Hello Refashion Co-op. I found this jacket at a church sale and wanted to jazz it up. I added a piece of a quilt in the back of the jacket. 

I cut out the back panel and replaced it with a piece of a quilt I had on had. 

I used the back panel that I had cut out as the pattern for my new piece. I cut the quilt piece slightly larger so that it would fill in the opening completely. 

This was a fun refashion. Thanks for reading along, for more pictures and how-to details go to I Can Work With That.

Wrap Top to Tie Front Top

 Hello Refashion Co-op. I knew what I wanted to make the second I saw this wrap top. It seemed like it would be very easy to change it to a top with ties down the front. 

Before and after.

The first thing I did was unpick a lot of stitches. This took a while. I had to

open the front of the shirt. 

 

I made the 2 sides straight and then I got the waist tie. It was perfect for making the ties to close the front. 

 

The new top is fun and trendy. Thanks for reading along, for more pictures and how-to details go to I Can Work With That.
 

 

Tank Top Sewing Tutorial - Super Easy Sewing

 

 Are you ready to dive into a fun and creative sewing project? In my latest YouTube video, I'm showing you how to craft your very own stylish tank top! Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a beginner, this tutorial is perfect for everyone.

Links:

Link to video

Link to post 

 

My blog

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You Tube

 

Shorts

 Hello Refashion Co-op. I don't know about the rest of the world but it is super HOT where I live. It is humid and awful. I got back to basics and made some shorts. It is way to hot for long pants. 

These wild colorful pants made great shorts. I just cut the length and made a new hem.

That was so easy I made this brown pair of shorts in the same way. Hopefully these will help me stay cool in the heat. 

These shorts were a little different. They were too short. I opened up the hem and made a new shorter/smaller hem. I used the extra fabric that was folded up in the hem to make the shorts longer. 

Whatever you are sewing currently I hope you are staying safe in this heat. Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself.

Transform Your Bedsheet into a Stunning Bubble Skirt!

 

Do you have old bedsheets lying around and wish you could turn them into something fabulous? Look no further! My latest tutorial shows you how to refashion those unused bedsheets into a chic and stylish bubble skirt. Perfect for beginners, this step-by-step guide will help you create a fashionable statement piece with ease.

Happy Sewing!

Links:

Link to video

Link to post 

 

My blog

 and 

You Tube