Please Join Us

 Hello Readers. If you are reading this and have a project you can share, we would love to see it. Don't be shy, we enjoy sharing ideas and how-to tips. 

 Your refashion project could inspire someone else. We would love to welcome you to the group. Check the "Would You Like To Join US" page for more details. 

With Love From the Editors 

 

Jeans bird (Blue titmouse) wall hanging

 

You may remember the jeans wall hanging I made of our cat Max earlier this year. I really had fun making it so I was keen on trying it again. And when saw this drawing of a blue titmouse, made by Dutch artist Katja Dupont, I could imagine it being transformed in jeans. 

Katja makes beautiful drawings of animals with a fineliner, so if you like the blue titmouse, you should definitely take a look at her website Ijzerhart.net. 

As you can see I used fraying on the chest, the tail and the crest. I finished the little bird with some embroidery, I stitched the bird's legs and snail with blue gradient thread and used black thread with a white french knot for the little eye. I was really happy how it turned out and... I'm very glad that Katja also appreciated the transformation of her drawing in jeans!

As always, you're very welcome to visit vermaakster.blogspot.com 
if you're interested in more details. Until next time!

Top 5 refashions (and what's your favourite refashion?)

 

Hi everyone! 

I hope you're in for a throwback post and a dive into Refashion Co-op history with me. I wanted to share a few former posts with you. And not just any post... I thought it would be nice be to commemorate the top 5 refashions on Refashion Co-op: the posts that have gotten the most views since Refashion Co-op was launched in 2011. So let's enjoy some treasures from the past!

5. Too small dress now fits

A challenge most of us struggle with at least once: an adorable top or dress, but too tight (or we've become bigger:)). A recognizable problem, so that's probably why we love to read about how to fix it. Like in Saga's populair dress refashion in September 2014, and the post was viewed 35.000 times!

4. A cute fix for a hole in the knee of jeans

This funny fix by 'Resweater' really stands out for its originality. The refashion was meant for kids jeans, but I can imagine even grown-up refashionistas being tempted... So I completely understand why this fix was viewed more than 48.000 times. As one of the comments said: it's a whimsical fix! 

3. Anthropologie inspired T

Did you know that Anthropologie has been an inspiration for several posts on Refashion Co-op? Come to think of it, maybe an 'Anthroplogie inspired' throwback might be fun! But... none of the refashions was as popular as the 'Anthropologie inspired T' by Mary, it was viewed no less than 67.000 times. As far as I know the brand is not sold in the Netherlands, but I went to a store in Oxford last year and really liked it (if you're Dutch like me: it made me think of Sissy-Boy). 

2. Shirt redesign tutorial

Those sleeves! I loved it, and I'm not the only one. This elegant refashion by Beth, aka the Renegade Seamstress, was very popular and viewed more than 128.000 times! If you've been here from the beginning, you may remember Beth. She shared a lot of practical and creative ideas on Refashion Co-op and even published her own Refashion Handbook in 2014. 

1. A bow for a bow 

Finally, the post with the most views.... is a fun and simple transformation from a sleeve to a bow sleeve. You may remember the celebration of this refashion a few months ago, in March. It turned out that 2 authors shared the honour, because the post (248.000 views!) was inspired by an older post with the same idea, also published on Refashion Co-op!.

You may have noticed that the top 5 'best viewed' posts were published some time ago. So what do these refashions have in common? To me it feels all 5 ideas are still useful and/or modern today, aren't they? For instance, I've seen similar sleeve designs in (diy) fashion magazines this past year. And the bow sleeve tutorial, it's timeless, right? So maybe that's the strength of these refashions...? 

Since the posts were publishes some time ago, they were of course also able to gain more views than, let's say a popular post in 2023. I'm aware of that, and luckily I'm not from an official research institute:). Maybe we could check the statistics again in a few years to see what happened. But does it really matter? Enjoying the treasures of the past was the starting point of this throwback post, and I hope you did exactly that! 

What's your favourite refashion?

And ... of course I want to know your personal favourite! Do you agree with the top 5 or would you vote for something completely different? Is your favourite refashion a useful, more technical tutorial? Or maybe a quick fix, or a creative refash you're still planning to do yourself?

Please share your thoughts in the comments!

And if you're in for more throwbacks, we'd also like to know. A special inspired by (brand) throwback? (There have been some nice Chanel refashions here:)). Or how about theme throwbacks like seasonal transformations, or....?

Quick fix for a low or high neckline

Hi everyone, hope you all had a great summer! (And if you're in the Southern Hemisphere, summer is coming:)). This time I'm sharing 2 quick fixes. The neckline of one of my older tops was rather low and a bit overstretched. It looks a bit sloppy and at a certain age, too much cleavage is overrated:). But I'm also not a big fan of high necklines, which is the issue of the second top. I definitely need more air in that area. So I'm tackling 2 tops, with different neckline issues.

If you have been following my posts, you may have noticed that I love quick fixes. I've had sewing lessons for years and years, but it doesn't seem to have changed my approach (limited effort, optimal effect). And yes, I've had the occasional frowns from the teachers. So maybe this post is for the like-minded creatives among you:).

To tackle the issue with the low stretched neckline, I stitched along the lower half of the neckline with elastic thread on the bobbin.

For the second issue, I gathered fabric at the center front and simply gave it a few stitches with my sewing machine.

No, not this one. I found this kitschy sewing machine on a vide grenier at the Opal coast in France this summer. You probably love it or hate it:)?

No whirrrrrs...

As you can see on the 'after' photos, the new neckline on the left is a bit smaller, due to the elastic. And on the right you can see the created v-neck on the purple shirt. Both jobs took me less than an hour and it was worth the effort!

If you're interested in more details (Dutch and English) and/or a small recap of my cycling holiday in France, you're welcome to visit vermaakster.blogspot.com!

Dress to Apron to Shorts to Skirt

 Hello Refashion Co-op. I found this fun blue dress at a thrift store and it was full of possibilities.

I bought this dress because it was hand-made. When I see hand-made things at the thrift store I usually buy them. Someone put a lot of work into it. 

 

 I liked the color but it was too tight for me. 

I shortened the dress and opened the center back seam to make a cute apron. 

When I shortened the dress I had enough fabric to make a pair of summer shorts. 

I wasn't done yet. I liked the apron but I have an apron. I decided to take the top of the dress/apron off and shorten it even more. I could turn the skirt around and tie the skirt in front over the shorts. 

Thanks for reading along, for more details and pictures go to I Can Work With That.

Fabric Scraps to T-Shirts

 Hello Refashion Co-op. I decided to try and use some of the fabric scraps that had piled up in my sewing room. I needed some new t-shirts and went on a t-shirt sewing binge. 

 

I was able to make 10 new tops of all different color combinations. 

 

I used this Vogue pattern, 8062, for each shirt. I put the scraps together and used all the pieces I thought made a good color combination for each shirt. You can see more how-to details on my blog,  I Can Work With That.
 

2 Striped Shirts

 Hello Refashion Co-op. Summer is so hot and humid where I live. I thought these 2 matching shirts would make a great 2 piece set. 

Before and after.

I had a few mis-steps along the way but I made shorts to go with the shirt.

 

 

The outfit was light and great for the hot weather. For more details go to I Can Work With That. 

 

How to make a fitted blouse more fitted

I ran into this cute second hand blouse a while back, it's from the Danish brand Cream. I loved the three quarter sleeve, and also the print with silver and black branches and flowers. The blouse was fitted... but didn't fit me unfortunately. The size was right, but I needed about 3 inches / 7cm  more in the chest area. But there were 2 large darts in the front and 2 in the back. And were there are darts, there's extra fabric! I hoped that unpicking the darts would do the trick.

Sleeve cuff / unpicking darts

A quick fitting afterwards was a bit of a disappointment, the blouse still didn't fit. I needed more space, more fabric! So I decided to shorten the sleeves a bit and cut off a strip of fabric to create a gusset in the side seams, just under the armpit. 

I got company... Checking on me are you?

Above you see the extra fabric pinned in the side seam. Fortunately the extra fabric was enough for a fit! And as you can see, I couldn't have done it without the critical eye of Xommy (one of our 4 cats).

It's a fit!

I also decided to add some embroidery (I can't help it:)), mostly on the collar. You can see the details on my blog!

Thanks for reading along! For a detailed explanation of all the steps, you're welcome to visit vermaakster.blogspot.com. 

Happy summer!

An Over-All Makeover

 Hello Refashion Co-op. It is the middle of a hot summer where I live. I decided shorts were the only way to go. These over-alls were cute but the distressing on the legs was too much for me. I used some small applique pieces to cover those spots and I shortened the legs a bit as well. To see more go to I Can Work With That.

"Vintage" Beachwear

 Hello Refashion Co-op. I made some beachwear from a thrifted dress. I wanted a vintage look but obviously this isn't really vintage. But it was fun to make. 

Before and after. 

I separated the top and the skirt. I used the skirt to make these shorts. Check my blog,

  I Can Work With That, to see all the how-to details.

Asymetric top from (old) shirt and scarf

 

The weather has been really good here for weeks now. It's only may but it's like summer started early this year. But with the weather in the Netherlands you just never know, it may very wel rain throughout june and july. However the past sunny days inspired me for a (early) summer refashion: an asymetric top. I promise it's an easy one, if you're thinking of trying it yourself, it wil take you around 2 hours!

So here it goes...

Choose a t-shirt with enough stretch in the neckline elastic, because the first step is to pull the neckline over the shoulder, under the armpit. Then pin all the way down until from the neckline. Try to pin a straight line en let it blend fluently into the side seam. If you don't have a dress form you can place a few pins while wearing the shirt and finish pinning after you've taken it off (well, you cán try pinning it all if you want, but ouch....:))

Next, stitch along the pins with a large stitch size so you'll be able to gather the seam. Make sure the length of the gathered side is about the same as the length of the other side, measured from below the armpit to the hem. Satisfied with the length and fit? Then stitch the seam again en cut off the sleeve etc.   

You need a small open space in or under the necklline elastic to pull the scarf through. You can cut a hole if you want a easy solution, but I chose to open the seam between the neckline elastic and the shirt en made an 'eye' opening. To decide the exact spot, I recommend wearing the shirt and then pin where the bra comes out. 

And let's not forget the scarf! I was happy to find one that matched the color of the raspberry on my shirt. Found it on a small flea market nearby, the morning before I started this refashion, right on time!

Hope this sunny refashion inspired you to try it yourself! 

For a detailed explanation of all the steps, incl the gathering and how to make the 'eye', you're welcome to visit vermaakster.blogspot.com. Until next time!

Maxidress to Bubble Skirt

 Hello Refashion Co-op. I loved the sunflowers on this sundress. The maxi length was fine but it gave me an idea, what if I made a bubble skirt? I thought it would be pretty simple so I gave it a try. (Spoiler- It was very simple.)

Before and after.

The yellow sunflowers were so cheerful. Sometimes we need a little cheer. This dress was it for me.  

Here is the simple secret to this refashion. I turned the skirt in and under. I clipped it to the waistband seam at the bottom of all that smocking and sewed them together. 

My new bubble skirt makes this dress a lot of fun. Thanks for reading along, for more details and pictures go to I Can Work With That.

 

 

(too tight) Dress to maxi skirt

I bought this dress in a summer sale for €15, knowing that it wouldn't fit. It was a small S size, almost XS (nothing to do with me eating too much chocolate easter eggs:)) but I really loved the petrol colour. It may seem strange, but I saw potential: an affordable maxi skirt in a beautiful color. That was a challenge I couldn't resist:).

In case you were wondering... the tailor's dummy on the left is in my size and as you can see the dress really is too tight. On the right you see the beautifull back with gathered elastic. I wanted to reuse the top edge for the waistband. A quick solution with a complete elastic waistband wouldn't work since I wanted to keep using the buttons. 

After measuring the length of the skirt I cut off the top. Then I took off the edge of the top. The combination of elastic with a front hook and eye fastening was perfect for my new waistband. It was a little to long for my waist, so I would have to take it in.

The fastening at the front made it possible to keep using the buttons as you can see on the picture below. Unfortunately I hadn't realized that there could be too much strain/pressure on the hook and eye on the inside. I was afraid the fabric would tear. That's why I added another supporting band on the inside, also with a button-opening. 

Not one but two waistbands!

I may have underestimated creating a solid waistband, but I'm still happy with the result. Still loving the petrol colour!

If you're interested in the complete making off, and/or the unexpected tear I discovered (and how I fixed it), you're welcome to visit vermaakster.blogspot.com. Until next time!

 

Men's Tie to Headband

 Hello Refashion Co-op. I found these fabulous purple corduroys at the thrift store and wanted something else purple to go with them. I decided to make a headband. (I am trying to grow out my bangs so my hair is driving me crazy!)

This tie matched so well. 

I used the narrow end of this tie. I left a bit of extra length on each side of the headband. 

I used my hot glue gun to attach the tie to the headband. 

I tucked the cut end inside with a dot of glue to hold it.

My headband was done quickly and I liked it a lot. Thanks for reading along, go to I Can Work With That for more how-to info.