Polka dots

Hello, it's Debbie here and I am on daily editor duty today, so I thought I would share my latest refashion. It's been a while.

This started out as a second hand blouse made from something synthetic. The neck was too on me and the sleeves too long. It also had a back zip fastening.

So I took out the zip, unpicked the neck, recut a new neckline and chopped off the sleeves. I used some yellow bias binding to edge the neck and sleeves. More details over here

Result? I much prefer this top now, it is much more wearable.

Skirt refashion

I was given a cotton skirt, handmade by a sewing friend of my mum's in the 1970s. It was too long and also too narrow at the waist for me. It was made up of panels of fabric sewn together in such a way that I couldn't unpick the whole thing.

But I loved the fabric, which is a cotton with a print of leaves or ferns on it. So I tried it on and found the comfortable fit for my waist. The I cut the top section off and made a folded over waist with a button side fastening.

The skirt is fuller than I usually wear but I really like it and it is good for spinning round in.

Pillowcase to skirt

Hi, I have been away from the blogosphere for a while due to computer breakdown. Now I am happily back again I thought I would share my new skirt made from an ikea pillowcase bought in the charity shop.I was given a copy of "Sewing Green" by Betz White for my birthday a few eeks ago and decided to try her "East Breezy Skirt" It is a very easy and super quick refashion. You just have to slit the short seam on the pillowcase, try it on to judge length and then make a casing at the top with elastic or a drawstring. I was inspired by some of the scalloped hem tutorials floating around to try and add a scalloped hem. I just drew round a There is a tutorial for scallop hem here though I didn't bother with a template and drew round a tumbler instead to get my scallops. Now I just need the english weather to warm up so I can wear my new skirt!

Dress to tunic top

Hello, as it's my day on editor duty I thought I would share this recent refashion with you. I started with a silk and cotton mix dress from the charity shop , it was a UK size 20. I liked the colours, the fabric texture and the pintuck detailing.

I used a tunic I had already made from the Amy Butler Anna tunic pattern as a size guide. Laying the tunic on the reverse of the dress I traced around the side seams to give me a sewing line.

(Apologies for the poorly lit photo. My camera is not working so I borrowed my son's. )

Cardigan refashion

Good morning. I have a new tool in my refashioning toolbox. When a nearby department store was closing its haberdashery section I went in for a browse and found Prym pliers half price. I used them on making this sweater in to a cardigan. I bought the sweater at a nearly new sale in November but never wore it as I just found it uncomfortable.

I cut up the centre front and hand hemmed each side with a tiny rolled hem. Then I used some pearlised poppers and my new pliers. It took me quite a bit of fiddling, and muttering to myself to get them done. But I like the end result - a bit of glitter for every day!

Red shirt refashioned

I found this XL men's polo shirt in the local charity shop, it still had the original shop tags on. I liked the deep red colour and the quality of the cotton. I sliced it up along the seams and cut out the placket.
I used the Sew U Home Stretch t shirt pattern to cut out the front and back to the right size for me and sewed a gathering stitch along the top of the sleevs to make them puffed before reinserting them.
Then I put the placket back in with a lace insert. I added new buttons from my stash. I had originally thought of reusing the collar but I made a big big cut in it when slicing up the shirt!

I think I want to tweak this a bit more, maybe adding a gather at the end of the sleeves to bring them in a bit and accentuate the puffed shape.

Yellow cardigan refashion

Snip snip

I remade this yellow cardigan. It was a UK size 18 wool granny cardie from the charity shop that I have been hoarding since December in the "to-do" pile. I used Sigrid's t-shirt resizing tutorial on Analog Me as guidance and then also used a favourite cardigan of mine as a size guide. The excess fabric from the sides I used to make a bow brooch. I had been admiring the Michaeline cardigan from Kate Spade which features an asymmetric bow detail. I made mine as a brooch so I can remove it if I want to. The first brooch I made turned out to be comically huge so I made a second smaller one.

Refashion editor: Debbie

How did you get into refashioning?

As a teenager I used to try and make the clothes I wanted but couldn't afford or get due to living in a small provincial city and I would use what came to hand, cast-offs from my dad, jumble sale clothes. I remember dyeing one of his work shirts grey and a geommetric repeat pattern across it in an attempt to recreate what I had seen in a magazine. I got back into refashioning a couple of years ago when I had restarted sewing.

What is your motivation for refashioning?

Partly due to a lack of funds! I also am in love with creating something new from something old, I hate the idea of waste and like to try and see potential in old clothes. I like the fact that sometimes a refashion can work quickly, so it gives me a quick result in between slower sewing from scratch projects, for example,if an item already has hems or pockets to utilise, this saves a lot of sewing time. I think that even if I had more money to spend I would still be doing this.

Where do you get your inspiration?

Sometimes the clothes or materials provide the inspiration. Above is a cardigan embellished with vintage lace - the lace inspired this but I am sure I was also inspired by seeing lace trim cardigans in shop windows.

I am a very keen people watcher and get inspiration from people I see around me, from other bloggers and from clothes I see in shops, catalogues, on tv. I like small details which can really change an outfit, things like bindings, trims and buttons fascinate me.

What techniques do you use in your refashions?

Sometimes I am fairly slapdash and just cut into a piece of clothing.
More often now, I use a pattern piece as in the Nora top - the pattern used here was from Ottobre Magazine Autumn/Winter 2010. I find the Built By Wendy Sew U pattern pieces are good for using in refashioning. I enjoy taking one or two elements from a pattern and applying them to a refashion.

Where do you find things to refashion?
Charity shops, nearly new sales, summer fetes, my mum's cupboards, I gave up buying new RTW clothes at the start of 2010 and an unexpected side effect of this and my blog has been that friends have started giving me their unwanted clothes. At first I wasn't sure about this but I have had some great items this way. I also hoard my partner's old t shirts and work shirts for use. I like to see the potential in some one else's old clothing.

What is your favourite refashion?

Usually the most recent!

At the moment probably this t shirt

It is simple, and simple, versatile clothes that I can wear in my real life, not the life I would aspire to or the life I used to have, those are the clothes I am interested in making. I used a long sleeved shirt donated by a friend and one of my other half's old t shirts. I used the Nora pattern from Ottobre magazine as mentioned above to cut the yoke.

Do you recycle anything other than fashion?

I try not to buy anything new if I can help it. We use plastic tubs and bottles for gardening, seed trays, for paints. A lot of our furniture is recycled - our toy and art cupboards are rescused from a skip - they are standard school issue from the 1960s or 70s and are well made strong wooden cupboards. Quite a bit of our furniture came via Freecycle, especially stuff for the children. Things like picture frames I always look for in charity shops, then repaint.
I have two young children so we recycle cardboard, paper, plastic bottle, lids etc in craft projects. The most recent was a car seat for my daughter's baby doll. I also make paper from waste paper and plant materials.

Where can I read more about you and refashioning?

I have a blog Minnado's House where I post my refashions.