Slipper Refashion, From Plain to Princess

Here are the slippers I embellished for Emily to be worn with her Victorian nightgown that I blogged about here turning them from plain, pink $6 Isotoner ballerina slippers from Wal-Mart to slippers fit for a princess. I took off the little pink bow on the top. Then cut out circle and petal shapes from floaty, lightweight fabric. Then I stacked each shape one on top of the other in two separate stacks. Picked up one of the stacks, folded it in half put a stitch through it. Then folded it the other way and put another stitch through it to make an "X," and that made a pretty little flower. I did the same with the other stack. Then I sewed a bead on the top of each flower. Then sewed the flowers onto the slippers. That's it. Pretty simple refashion.
Sewing With Trudy

Girl's Victorian Nightgown

I made my daughter a beautiful Victorian style nightgown using McCall's Pilgrim Quaker Costume Pattern No. 2337, Version A, leaving out the hat, collar and apron, of course. The ruffle at the bottom of the gown was taken off of another dress that she had outgrown. The gown's body was from a retired bed sheet. The embellishment is my own, basically a ruffle sewn down the center front, bow at the top and strategically placed buttons. Adds that perfect special touch for a very special girl. What girl doesn't want a beautiful victorian nightgown, so dreamy and feminine? She is very pleased and wears it several nights a week. It is very comfy and cool for the upcoming hot summer months. My cost was mere cents, basically the thread, buttons and a little ribbon, which had been sitting in my stash forever. Doing a search online, I found plain victorian gowns without the extra touches for between $60 and $80; so I feel pretty good about this refashion.

 Parting Shot: The slippers is another refashion I did which I will share with you at a later time.

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Graffiti Jeans

My 11 year old daughter Emily and I love to sew and refashion clothing together. She had the idea to take a pair of ankle-length black jeans that were too short and still fit in the waist and remove color by flicking and painting bleach onto them (outside of course), basically reverse dying. She also cut them shorter in an interesting design and left them unhemmed. I asked her how she would describe the hem for me. She said she just cut violently. Great way to release pent up tension and frustration I suppose. She is very pleased with the results and wears them often. In the first picture she is shown with her four year old brother. 

Emily wants to be a fashion designer. She used to have her own blog called Super Stitches which she had had since she was 8, but it was removed due to her age. She will be blogging again soon as a guest blogger on my blog from time to time. The new feature will be called Emily's Corner. In a few weeks she will share a dress that she designed and made without a pattern. We blog at Sewing With Trudy.

Recycled Sweater Head Wrap and Cowl Scarf

I made Emily a couple of headwraps from some old sweaters and matching cowl scarves. I also made a headwrap for her cousin's 12th birthday. Don't they look so cute together? The headwrap can be worn plain or embellished. They are so quick and easy to sew. You basically cut out long rectangles, apply fabric glue to the long sides and sew the short ends together and you're done. I got the idea from Disney of Ruffles and Stuff. She's made some great tutorials, click here for the headwrap tutorial  and here for the cowl scarf. Thanks so much, Disney, Emily loves hers. They keep her warm and stylish.

They were made from these two sweaters.

Happy Valentine's Day!!

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Off Kilter Yet Chic Design

Need a little spice, feeling a little daring? Tired of plain and boring pieces in your wardrobe? Jazz it up or change it with a quick little adjustment. This asymmetrical design turns an ordinary t-shirt into a fun and interesting piece to wear, from plain to chic, and is the perfect project for the fashion conscious girl. The idea and execution is from my fashion-forward, style-conscious 11 year old, aspiring fashion designer daughter, Emily. This is a quick refashion project, five minutes, literally. Below is a self-explanatory and very easy to follow pictorial tutorial. I blog at Sewing With Trudy.

photos by me

The Long and Short of It.

I took this skirt I paid 50 cents for at a thrift store and chopped off the bottom tier and transformed it from frumpy to cute and sassy. I like it so much better. I left it unhemmed so that it can fray naturally. I put in a line of stitching 5/8ths of an inch in so it doesn't fray too far. With the material I cut off, I made a skirt for Emily, Age 11. Basically gathered and attached it to elastic and used the existing hem. Then made a couple more to sell at the Christmas market we have at church every year. This was a quick and easy self-gratification project; but it just felt so good to sit in front of that machine again after having the baby and just sew something, anything, and I really needed a new skirt anyway because I'm still not back in my regular clothes. I'm already dreaming of what I can make next. I would like to get back into the habit of doing a little something most every day so I can have regular creativity going on in my life. In time, in time.

Skirt before: (The following three photos were taken by Martin, Age 8)

And after:

(Closeup of hem taken by Emily, Age 11)

Whoa! Look at all of this fabric from the bottom tier! It would be a shame to throw it away. (Photo taken by Martin.)

Three skirts I was able to make from this fabric, one for Emily and two to sell, and a skirt for Emily's sock doll that she has started. (Photos taken by me.)

And now, for the grand finale, the sweet and adorable Emily Callan, modeling her new little skirt. (Photos taken by the one and only Marty Callan, my husband.)

   

Parting Shot:

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Another Scarf Refashion With Tutorial

Mittie May has once again agreed to model my creations for me. Today she is sporting this gorgeous blue scarf that I have refashioned from a shirt. The shirt was a double layer of the most delicate of fabrics, airy and feminine. Doesn't she look beautiful?

First I cut of the top and sides. I next separated the layers and laid them side by side. I then cut off the pointed ends. Oops. I should have left them on. But got distracted by something my toddler was doing and quickly snipped off the ends. So they have to be sewn back on. Line up the layers end to end and sew them together. Sew the pointed ends back on. Then fold in half lengthwise with right sides together. Turn right side out. And voila. I have another lovely scarf to add to my collection.

You may visit me at Sewing With Trudy.