It's Tunic Tune-Up Time

It started out something like this:

tunic top 'B' made in an Asian-esque print

Now it was too small - pretty much everywhere... I found a scrap of similar fabric with red dots and made side inserts that traveled up into and through the sleeves:

view of red dotted side inserts

But first I removed the sleeves because they were too narrow at the cap.  I then re-cut the cap portion to fit, thereby making the sleeves shorter, but fuller:

view of side insert and under sleeve

To see me wearing this version, check out my post, "In and Out of Focus" at Project Minima.
You'll also find a mini tutorial on making a magazine clutch while you're there...

Lil girl Go To Tunic

Hi guys,

I am Petra from Bag of Pretty and I just got gently reminded that it's been more than a month since my last post. Whaaaat? Unbelievable how time flies...
So, let me show you one of my projects from several months ago when I was lucky to be able to test a Go To Signature dress pattern.

I decided to cut my old tunic from Walmart and to use as much of the original seams as I can. Obviously everything needed to be adapted, except for the pocket that fit in the pattern beautifully.

Here is the little sleeve, cut so that the original seem is usable

And a cool downsized hood.

Now, I only have two boys, and the are REAL boys now, so I can not do this anymore, and not everybody is happy to have their kids all over the Internet, hence no photos of a girl in THE dress, but I am sure you get the picture.

Now hop over to see some other of my upcycling projects. See you there.

Petra

Let's Shift Again

I originally made this shift as a mini long, long ago (needless to say, it no longer fit):

my old mini shift...

For this time around, I opened up the side seams and removed the sleeves to recut them to fit.  I added side inserts of an electric blue fabric scrap I had on hand:

with blue side inserts and...

I also added some length to the sleeve hem and dress hem with that electric blue fabric, using it all in the process:

sleeve and hem extensions...

But I still wanted pockets.  I spied - on top of my blue scrap pile - this perfect Hawaiian print!  (yes, I have my small scraps of fabric in bins by color):

...plus big ole patch pockets!

I had just enough for two big patch pockets.  It made the dress and I very happy! 

To see me wearing it, check out Project Minima at Let's Shift Again.

Tangerine with a Spot of Leopard

Refashioned my old capris to fit.  I don't know what decade I used to wear them in, but they were at least 5 sizes too small now.  But I loved the tangerine color and softness of the fabric.  So I cut up the side seams, removed the side zipper, and added side inserts of a stretch jersey leopard print fabric I had. 

my new & improved loungin' capris

I wanted to raise the waistline so I undid the inner facings and sewed them back on as an extension using some leftover pink piping as a bridge.  Then created new facings for the waistline out of the leopard fabric. Also sewed in small sections of elastic at each side insert so the gathering happened there and kept the front and back of the waistline smooth.

raised waistline using old facings & pink piping

Finally, I found an old clothing label and sewed it on the back waistband, which summed up my thoughts exactly about this piece.

and aptly named, "Lounge Lizard"

To see me wearing 'em, go to Project Minima, clothes collage page, under "Tangerine Dream."

Yesterday was Camera day

Hi all! I am Petra, from Bag of Pretty and this is my first time here.
It si hot and busy in my world, and I love quick and effective project that make me happy, and other people smile.

So here it goes:

White top with huge armholes (no idea why, the size was fine, but it was cheap and really comfy)

Resized from the outside. You know, so the seem stays visible and the top looks as if it was turned inside out!

Now for the 'make you smile' part, I ironed on a very cool applique by Funkytime and ombred by low printer cartrige...and voila, I got to wear it the same day!

Thanks for reading!

Petra

(Originally posted here)

Fit An Ill-Fitting Dress Tutorial

One of my favorite refashions is to make an ill-fitting dress fit. Most of the time when I find a cute, unique dress while thrifting, it doesn't fit me. I learned this technique while working at a tailor shop and have used it countless times!

 

If you'd like to learn this easy technique, head on over to see my step-by-step sewing tutorial.

  

Dyed skirt and taken in top

This is gardening time for me and I have another arts project with a friend so I've not been refashioning much. I have plans and several things started to show soon because I need a summer work wardrobe! So unfortunately no before pic. Here is a thrifted skirt that I dyed green. It was lovely before, white and tan, but just not me. I like to sit on park benches and on the ground and it just wouldn't work. I did it in a bucket with hot tap water and salt with the dye. I left it in for hours to get this fairly dark color and swooshed it around every half hour or so. Not quite enough to get a perfectly even color, but I like it. Sorry about the wrinkles. I had just worn it all day. The tan parts turned olivey color which please me. Here I am after wearing it on casual Friday at work. I've got to get my dh to take my pics for me. The mirror ones are terrible lately. And here is a pull over blouse I simply sewed a couple inches up the side for a much needed work top. It was incredibly simple and I always get compliments when I wear it. I wore my pansy shoes that I last posted about to work and they got noticed! The pic I took is terrible. I'll take another next time I wear them. Thanks for looking. And happy refashioning! Kathy

Shoe Re-Do X 2

Did a quick and easy makeover on a pair of heavy-duty brown suede sandals - nothing wrong with them really except for being boring as all get out.  Thought my iridescent acrylic copper paint might pull them out of the doldrums. Just rubbed the paint on with my finger to get a more antiqued look:

Before:  brown suede and  After: copper toned

The other pair were taupe suede platforms that I never wore because they rubbed me the wrong way - just a bit too tight at the toe:

Before:  with too-tight toes

I performed surgery with my exacto-knive making a peak-a-boo cutout at the top of the toe area. Then using strong glue and heavy duty fasteners, I folded the triangular piece of fabric back down onto the inner sole to create a clean edge:

After:  with some peek-a-boo toe action

They fit just fine now and I think they look even better!  For more shoe re-do's, check out Project Minima under "shoes."

Refashioned Yard Sale Dress Numero Dos

I want to start this post with an apology to anyone who has already visited my blog and has already seen this refashion.  I only have one more after this that I want to share and then I will bust out with all new refashions (this week is going to be awesome!).  In the meantime, I want to share this muu-muu. 

 

What a nightmare!  All pink and wrinkly!  This dress's saving grace was the yoke with the awesome embroidery.   I removed the sleeves and took maybe two feet off the bottom.  I did a little hemming and threw a skinny belt on and.....

Phew!  Much better!

A quick question for everyone.  After you blog about your refashioned item, do you feel an overwhelming need to pull it out of your closet and put it on?  Or is that just me?

More pictures and details at my blog.

My New Happy Dress!

Took another one of my old mini shifts with matching boxers and brought it back for a second life:   

made a long time ago when I wore mini's

 

with a discreet pair of boxer shorts (teehee)

To add some length, I cut the dress in two along an empire waistline and inserted a strip of contrasting fabric:

a hot pink paisley print from my fabric stash

I also let the hem down and trimmed it with bias tape made from the contrasting fabric:

a bit blurry, but you get the idea...

To add a little more width to the skirt part, I took apart the boxers at the seams and stitched together a panel for each side.  Then gathered the skirt slightly before re-attaching it.  With the leftovers, I added two big patch pockets to cover the horizontal stitching on the side panels, & voila:

oh, and I added some cuffs too...

You can check out different ways I've worn it on my Clothes Collage page at Project Minima

Slight adjustments to make a blouse wearable plus a dog coat and introduction

Hi,

I am Kathy, aka concrete 'n primroses, an underemployed woman of a certain age with a job interview on Monday. I need a nice fairly conservative shirt to wear to the interview. I've never worn this thrifted blue silk wrap blouse because I don't like the collar, its slightly too big in the bust, and the cuffs fall on the exact wrong place on my long arms. The color is nice and very flattering and the silk feels wonderful.



So, I cut off the collar, took in the bust and cut off the sleeves.

When I cut off the collar the ends poked me a bit so I ironed them down and held them there with a bit of same colored embroidery cotton. I took this at night in my sewing room and it looks like the shirt is black.



I needed to take in the sides at the bust but I knew that I couldn't make the armholes too small. So I was thinking that I would have to rip out the sleeves on the bottom and possibly cut the armhole a bit and reset them. Sooo I thought well, I'll just take the sides in right up to the armhole seam and then see from there how much I need to tear out. Well to my surprise just stopping there worked well enough! There is a kind of open tuck in my sleeve, but that gives the ease I need and it doesn't show. Best of all when I move my arm the whole blouse doesn't pull around because the seam is close to my body where it belongs.

The sleeves I cut long enough to be 3/4 length and hemmed by turning up 1/4 inch 2x.

So here it is. Without, then with the jacket I'll be wearing over it. Since this is kind of boring at the end I have added a pick of my doggie in a coat made from the sleeve of a woman's jacket.

Sorry about the fuzzy pics, plus I need to iron the blouse a lot! I plan to do that tomorrow night so it is all nice for the next morning.





Dog: here are the sleeves, one cut and one uncut for dog coat shape.

And here is doggy modeling. I added a silk tie and velcro. Since this pic, I put some bias tape on most of the edges.


TFL
Kathy

My blog is 10 Minutes Each Day in an Unreasonable Manner if you are interested.

Another Pinspiration

One of my favorite things to do on a Saturday, is find an inspiration picture from Pinterest and try to create something similar using my thrift store stash.

Here's the latest Pinspiration project.

You can find the entire tutorial on my blog.

Spring sweater refashion

Get Out of Jail Free Sweater.
Just needs a ball and chain to complete the ensemble.

Check out the entire refashion on my blog.

Nothing says "spring" like stripes!

This XL striped shirt from my thrift store stash was just begging for a refashion. After re-sizing, changing the neckline and adding a Pom Pom Bib Necklace I think I'm ready for spring! There is a full tutorial with photos here on my blog.

Shift into Vest

I started with an old linen jumper I had that was now too small, too short and too stained.

old mini shift/ jumper - before

With nothing to lose, I cut straight up the middle to turn it into a vest. Using lace from an old prom dress, I edged the neckline and center front with it.

decorative vest - after

 Then made substantial patch pockets out of a scrap of upholstery fabric in just the right color.

yeah, pockets!

And just for kicks I made a feather boa collar (detachable thank goodness!)

too much?!

See more of what's happening at Project Minima!