2 pairs of jeans and a floral top = a jacket

The #therefashioner2016 challenge is year was to refashion jeans! I wasn't feeling particularly inspired by this, until I saw this Zara shop window display in Edinburgh!

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So 2 pairs of black jeans and a cream lacy top, with a tiny bit of black, a lot of playing with bondaweb, and using a favourite vintage pattern, I now have a jacket that I'm really enjoying wearing. For the full story, including how many times you can move a flower, have a look at my blog post!

Another palazzo pant refashion

Although I haven't posted here for a while I have still been sewing, in my much reduced, spare time. I have been enjoying making up some vintage patterns that I have recently found at various events in Edinburgh, using vintage fabric pieces, and to a much lesser extent any that I have in my very small stash. Amongst these I have one refashion.

Found on a sale rail, one pair of palazzo pants, a great source for me, for fabric harvesting. When I work with patterns I very often decide to alter it and make again, or sometimes I just like bits and pieces of different patterns and hack them together!

This pink top is a refashion and a pattern hack of Simplicity retro 1590 and the 30s top featured in series 2 of the Great British Sewing Bee! And I'm wearing it today. For a look at the makes, leading up to this pink top have a look at my post here!

Dress refashioned to jacket and how to create a flared cuff.

A before and after.

This dress was one I found on a sale rail, I almost could have worn it as it is, however, I never wear dresses, mainly because they make me feel too dressed up! So after several thoughts, I kept most of the features of the dress and literally shortened it and cut it up the middle at the centre front.

I decided to make a feature of the sleeve and finished it with a flared cuff.

For the full story, and a bit of arithmetic on how to form the flared sleeve end, have a look at my blog post.

Miss Lemon inspired blouse and a neat little method of binding

                                                              Before and after

I have been storing away coveted images of Miss Lemon, of Agatha Christie's Poirot fame, for a while now,
and recently I realised I had collected all the pieces I needed to make a blouse using my favourite of these images for inspiration.

One favourite image, one old unworn top with lacy collar, one sale maxi skirt, and a lot of old buttons.

I attached the neck binding in the same way as the manufactured blouse that I had just unpicked it from, it made a nice neat finish and I will definitely use this method of attaching binding again. For the full how to story for this blouse, have a look at my blog here. 

1 top x 2 refashions and a maybe!

This is a story about a refashion of a refashion and a top that almost was.

So I had worn the plain round neck top, but wasn't sure about it, so I mocked up a fur edged top using a t-shirt and piece of faux fur, wasn't sure about it, so I cut a strip from the bottom edge to made a tie neck feature, wore it, wasn't sure again. I forgot about it for a while and then finally refashioned it into a cardi.

Now I like it. For a look at how I managed to make the button stand for this cardi and the history of this top's life have a look at my blog post here. 

Shirt refashioned to bomber jacket

Before, as a shirt                                                           After, as a bomber jacket

This has become one of my favourite items of clothing to wear. I had not worn the shirt in a while and once I had the idea in my head that I wanted a bomber jacket, in a printed fabric, this seemed like an obvious solution.

I used the off cuts to make front facings and welt pockets, and a ribbed vest for the neck, cuff and hem edges.

The pattern piece and the ribbing cut, ready to attach to the  neck edge.

These images show the use of the ribbing and the welt pockets. For full details on how to remake one of these for yourself have a look at the step by step instructions here.

Refashioning a vintage top with a bit of guilt!

This was a tricky refashion, not in the refashioning itself, but in the fact that it was a vintage top, bought at a vintage fair, by my daughter, and it was a lovely style as it was. The idea of chopping it up was making me feel guilty?

However the damage to the underarm area, on both sides was pretty disgusting! So I eventually decided it had to go. My daughter wouldn't wear it as it was, nor would I and it was actually a bit too big... luckily!

I had to reuse the waistband and buckle, because the buckle was particularly pretty. I cut of the sleeves and the offending underarm pieces and reshaped the side seams.

The sleeve was a very full shape, so from them I managed to cut the bias binding strips, to finish the armholes. I wanted to lengthen the entire top and had enough sleeve fabric for these shaped pieces. If you would like a look at the whole story, have a look here. 

This is the before.

And the after. I reused the waistband and made it into a self fabric belt so that I could keep the pretty buckle. I reused the buttons. If it ever gets warm enough, I'm looking forward to wearing this top.

Using a kimono bargain to create a 70's blouse!

This was one of those bargain buys that had a good amount of fabric in it, ready for a refashion.

I wanted to use a vintage pattern that I have used once before, but I didn't quite have enough fabric in this kimono to fit in all the pieces?? So for a tutorial on how to make a full sleeve narrower, if you, like me, want to use a specific body shape, and are determined to make it all fit in to a limited fabric piece, have a look at my blog here

I love this piece of fabric, it really reminds me of the 70's!

And that collar shape, so of the time.

Miss Marple, the muse, and a refashion.

I enjoy the films and series featuring Agatha Christie's Miss Marple.

My favourite of them all is played by Geraldine McEwan and I love her wardrobe in the shows.

With this inspiration in mind I decided that this oversized waterfall cardigan would be perfect to refashion into a coatigan, similar to those Miss Marple wears.

 For details on how to cut out the shape have a look at my post here.

And then, I changed my mind, mainly because I didn't suit it, I think it was too much grey on me. So I chopped of the bottom, moved up the pockets and changed the buttons!! A granny look cardi, that's now a new favourite.

A dress refashioned twice, and how to attach a neck tie

I liked the dress, but I don't wear dresses much and I decided to give it a refashion. I love grey marl knit, and the print on it, for me, made it even prettier!

I also don't like the neckline. so I decided to chop off the hem, reshape the neck and give it a tie.

Finished! And then I didn't like this one either?

So I turned it into a shirt instead. For how to attach a neck tie to a top have a look at my blog, this had been the main purpose of the post! Or have a look to see how I reused the fabric to create my shirt.

Print with striped edge! and an almost failed refashion?

When I get an idea into my head I just have to go with it and get it sewn! I found this dress, and saved this t-shirt from my daughter's clearing out.

 I wanted to make a cardigan with a rib edging.

So I did, however there really wasn't enough fabric, but I was determined, and I joined pieces together to make the sleeves but as you can see in the photo the fabric was too thick and bulky to make the matched seams disappear!! Failed and disappointed!

However several weeks later, I spotted another dress. So with the sleeves recut, The cardigan is ready for wearing. For the full saga have a look here.

Refashioned jumper and how to sew in a sleeve on the flat

A giant cosy jumper, cheap, cheap, loved the colour and decided to reduce the size and use the excess to create a new neckline.

This is before

 And after, where I added a new neckline and then I also added

Side vents. The great things about refashions are the bits you get to reuse and in this instance it was all the hems! for a look at how I combined two self drafted patterns, and how to sew a sleeve in on the flat, visit my blog here.