The Gryffindor Dress

What do you do when you buy a way too big T-shirt for your little sister? You turn said T-shirt into a dress of course!

It all started when we picked my little sister up from camp this summer. I noticed they still had a few T-shirts left over from my sister's first year at camp several years ago. Now, my sister has a shirt from every year except that one, so I decided to buy one for her, despite the fact the shirt was way too big for her. I took it home and started brainstorming ideas. While large, that one shirt didn't have quite enough fabric for a complete dress.

That first year the camp theme had been Harry Potter, so it made sense to tie that theme into the dress I was making. Thus I pulled a red shirt and a gold shirt from my stash and set to work to make a Gryffindor dress.

After an afternoon of sewing the dress was all done and ready to be given to my sister for her birthday. She was thrilled when she received it!

Check out my blog post to see exactly how I made this dress!

Alyssa, The Sewing Goatherd

A Jeanius Dress For My Sister

So, I've made a third item for The Refashioners 2016. With the amount of old jeans I have more jeanius refashions were definitely an order. So I put my thinking cap on and decided my sister needed something made out of old jeans.

I began with 3 pairs of jeans, two medium colored pair and one darker pair, and Simplicity 1133. First things first, I modified the pattern, turning it into panels that would fit on the jeans legs. Then I cut into my jeans.

I sewed the panels together, bound the edges, added one of the original jean pockets, embroidered a large flower using the satin stitch on my sewing machine, and called it a dress!

My sister loves it! She's worn in 4 times already and I just finished it less than a week ago. Check out my blog post for the full story of the making of this dress, and lots more pictures!

Alyssa,

The Sewing Goatherd

Gloves to Shoe Soles

A child I have the privilege of caring for lost one shoe from the only decent pair of shoes he had that fit. Ugg, he had a second pair, but as they had fire trucks on them, they used to be his favorites, thus they were worn out.

Yep both shoes had holes in the soles. While trying to find something to put on the kid's feet so we could go outside one morning, it hit me, since these were soft leather shoes I could just re-sole them if I could get my hands on a piece of leather for a decent price. Hmm, would cheap leather gloves be big enough? I decided to give it a go.

Both the gloves and shoes got disassembled with my seam ripper. I made a paper pattern for the new sole, cut into the gloves the headed to the sewing machine armed with a brand new leather needle. (mandatory for sewing leather on the sewing machine!)

Well, it worked! Less than a half hour later the shoes had new soles, and as soon as the toddler woke up from his nap they were tried out and received no complaints! To read the whole story, with more pictures of course, check out my blog post!

Alyssa, The Sewing Goatherd

A Jeanius 50's Wrap Crop Top

Since The Refashioners 2016, theme Jeanius, began at the beginning of the month I've really been wanting to make myself a shirt out of a pair of jeans, but I had some reservations. Finally this weekend I decided "the heck with it!" and made myself a shirt out of a pair of jeans.

I started with these, the least jean-like jeans in my stash. They were in perfectly good shape, my mom passed them on to me a couple years ago, but they weren't really my style, so a shirt they would become!

I turned the jeans into a 50's inspired crop top by loosely following this tutorial. Despite never thinking I'd wear a crop top, and not being entirely sure I'd like a shirt made out of an old pair of jeans, I love the finished product!

To see exactly how the jeans became the wrap crop top, check out my blog post!

Alyssa, The Sewing Goatherd

The Paisley and Denim Jeanius Dress

Who else has been following The Refashioners 2016 over at Makery? This year the theme is jeanius, refashion jeans into something. I'm not sure about you, but I have loads of old worn out jeans in my stash that need a new purpose.

Yep, two bins full of jeans. When I heard what the Refashioners' theme was this year I decided I was going to have to make a significant dent in my stash of holy jeans, if not use them up entirely. 

My first plan for some of these jeans? A dress made from 4 pairs of jeans and a upholstery remnant using Simplicity 1103.

I always need pockets in my dresses so I took advantage of the pockets the jeans already had.

Since all jeans fade differently, rather than to attempt to find 4 pairs of jeans in my stash that were approximately the same color I opted to mix light and dark denim for a color blocking effect.

I'm a rather a fan of paisley, as illustrated by the upholstery fabric center panel, so I decided to carry that theme around the entire dress by cutting little paisleys from my scraps and appliqueing them onto the skirt panels.

I love my new dress! To get an indepth look on exactly how I made it check out my blog post!

4 pairs of old jeans used up, now lots more to go! Anybody else refashioned old jeans into something else entirely? I have a few more ideas up my sleeve, but will they be enough to use up my stash? That is the question.

Alyssa, The Sewing Goatherd

A Summer-y Red Shirt Refashion

A red shirt. I needed a red shirt earlier this summer. While I had a red shirt in my closet it wasn't summer-y enough for my tastes, thus I took my need of a red shirt as an excuse to refashion one.

I started with this red linen shirt that my friend let me have out of her donation bag. I did some seam ripping, cutting, pleating and re-sewing to turn this shirt into what I had in mind.

A summer-y red shirt!

This shirt has gotten plenty of wear this summer! To see my step-by-step process, and find out why I needed a red shirt, check out my full blog post!

Alyssa, The Sewing Goatherd

Linen Look Skirt to Shorts

I found this incredibly soft linen blend skirt at a thrift store and bought it for one reason only: it was a cheap way to get linen fabric.

I had really been wanting a pair of linen shorts, so once I got the skirt home I pulled out a shorts pattern and got to work. It took an awful lot of careful cutting and folding for me to get every pattern piece cut out of the limited amount of fabric the skirt had to offer. Finally, every piece was cut out and I could sew the shorts together!

And sew the shorts together I did! Another cute, comfortable pair of shorts with good sized pockets (a very hard combination for me to find in ready made shorts), and they only cost me $3.50 to make (minus the cost of the pattern). You won't hear any complaints from me!

To find out more about these shorts, and the shirt I made to go with them, check out my original blog post.

Alyssa, The Sewing Goatherd 

Stained to Dyed

Whew! The last month has been crazy! I've sewn, I've refashioned, but found very little time to take pictures so I could blog my projects. Then I went on a mission trip for a couple weeks, so no sewing happened. Now, I'm back and I'm finding crazy busy to be the new normal so I squeeze in sewing where I can (read: late at night, one day the lack of sleep may catch up with me) Finally though, I have both completed a refashion and gotten pictures of it! So, without farther ado, this shirt.

It was pretty. It fit well. I picked it up on clearance at a local boot store. I rather liked it. It was white (well actually cream, but. . .).  Me and white clothes, that's a bad combination. One should not wear a white shirt if one will be drinking coffee while driving. Yeah, the shirt was a little stained and I had been planning on dying it for a while. I'd bought some blue dye for it, but I never got around to actually dying the shirt. One evening I had some left over green dye from another project, so I figured why not? I like green just as much as blue, so into the pot of dye the shirt went.

And this is how it came out;

The shirt is actually a shade darker than it appears in this picture. Still a light color but all the stains are hidden now so the shirt is wearable again! I'll call that a success!

Check out this refashion on my blog, along with my refashion of a curtain to a hammock, the project the green dye was actually meant for. Until next time,

Alyssa, The Sewing Goatherd

Sleeves Needed: A Peasant Top Refashion

Approximately 90% of my summer shirts are sleeveless. That's just what I'm most comfortable in all summer long. Occasionally, however, the need for sleeves arises. For example, the dress code at the place I volunteer, it requires sleeves. That was easy enough while it was chilly outside, but now that it's warm? Not so much. A few summer shirts with sleeves were needed, so to my refashion bin I went.

This peasant top caught my attention. Given to me by a friend, it was several sizes too big and rather unflattering. The elastic hem was especially annoying as it liked to ride up. The shirt needed help, but how could I make it more "me"?

A couple Pinterest searches for "peasant top refashion" turned up almost nothing useful. Lots of how to turn something else into a peasant top but no how to turn a peasant top into something else. Hmm, that was annoying. Finally I came up with a few ideas and got started.

Sides taken in, a new hem, and some new bias tape took this shirt from "maybe I'll wear that. . . eventually. . . or not." to a new favorite!

No complaints here on how this refashion turned out! To see and read about the entire process, check out my blog!

Alyssa,

The Sewing Goatherd

Sparkles, Owls, and Wagon Wheels: Skirt to Dress Refashion

It was a sister day. Just me and my little sister. A trip to the fabric store, the library, and finally the thrift store. Thread for me from the fabric store, a couple dozen books for my sister from the library, and then there was this skirt at the thrift store.

My sister found it, fell in love with it, and begged me to get it for her and turn it into a dress. I agreed.

The sparkles and owls perched on wagon wheels were just too much for a girl to say no too.

Thus the skirt came home. My sister suggested I just add ribbon straps to it, but no. I had another plan. The waistband of the skirt got chopped off.

I cut out a yoke for the dress from what was left of the not-gold-lace shirt, sewed it together, and attached it to the skirt.

Then my sister had her dress!

For the step-by-step process and more pictures, check out my blog!

Alyssa,

The Sewing Goatherd

Shirty Shirring Refashion

This week I'm sewing Easter dresses. They would be done by now if not for two things a) I sewed a skirt panel in upside down (oops), b) I kind of distracted myself and sewed something else entirely one evening. The idea started with me thinking over potential fitting issues with my Easter dress, and ended with me pulling this shirt out of my refashion bin.

I cut a new (huge) neckline, bound it with bias tape, then started sewing. . .

. . .with elastic thread.

That's right, I was trying my hand at shirring! I'd never shirred anything before and found it surprisingly easy! Less than two hours, one shirt, one cut, and one spool, of elastic thread later, my sister had a cute, frilly, feminine, tunic top.

I think I figured this whole shirring with elastic thread thing out! Check out my blog post to see exactly why and how I decided to make this top, despite everything else I need to get sewn this week. Now back to sewing Easter dresses so I can put this new found skill to use again!

Alyssa, The Sewing Goatherd

The Wool Blanket Jacket

I kinda love wool fabric. No trip to a thrift store is complete with out a wander through the skirts to see if there are any wool beauties that I can take home to harvest the fabric from. Occasionally I find other sources of wool at thrift stores, such as blankets.

I happened across this plaid wool blanket and there was no way I was leaving it behind. The blanket came home with me and the brainstorming began. I decided to cut the blanket up. . .

and turn it into a jacket!

Perfect for the end of winter when a heavy coat is no longer needed but just a sweatshirt isn't sufficient!

It's warm, and snuggle-y, and baby goat approved!

You can't beat goat approved! To see the full step-by-step process of turning the blanket into a jacket head on over to my blog.

Alyssa, The Sewing Goatherd

A Bag Refashion

One evening. once I had finished my current sewing project. I looked around my sewing room, trying to figure out what to work on next. I had some big projects to work on, but none of those appealed to me at that moment. I wanted something small and quick. My eyes fell on this computer bag.

My aunt gave it to me several years ago for Christmas, a nice bag, but as I already had a computer bag (with a shoulder strap!) I've never used this one. That night I decided it needed a purpose.

My little sister has some stuff she must carry with her where ever she goes. To hold this stuff she needs a small purse-type bag with lots of pockets so nothing gets lost. The idea hit me, I could refashion this bag for my sister!

I cut it down in size, added some pockets, and did a little re-decorating to the outside of the bag. It came together just as I'd hoped!

My sister now has a bag with pockets for all of her stuff, and I no longer feel bad for not using this bag. I call that a successful refashion! Check out the post on my blog for the entire step-by-step process. (and if you go back a couple posts while you're there you can see pictures of all my new baby goats, things have been crazy around here!)

Alyssa, The Sewing Goatherd 

The Fabulous (not gold lace) Shirt

Gold lace in some form, that's what I was looking for when I went into the thrift store. I had just been to the fabric store and picked up a lovely gray knit fabric with gold stripes on one side and gold dots on the other.

 I thought gold lace would be perfect to set off the stripes and dots in the shirt I planned on making from my new fabric. Well, unfortunately, my favorite thrift store had no garments with gold lace that would work for my plan. Dang. There was, however, this shirt.

While far from my style, I found the green, teal, brown, and metallic gold paisley pattern intriguing. This could work in place of gold lace with my new fabric!

I cut up the shirt, using the the very top as a yoke for my new shirt, and the original hem as the hem for my new shirt.

I'm pretty darned pleased with my new shirt, and every where I wear it I get compliments! I think it turned out even better than it would have with my desired gold lace!

This was a fun project that went quickly, so I was able to fit it in between baby goats arriving (eek, kidding season is crazy!), and it turned out even better than the idea in my head! To see the step by step process (and new baby goats!) stop by my blog!

Alyssa, The Sewing Goatherd