Further adventures in underwearland

This is my third post on this blog featuring underwear made from other clothing. It's also my third post total, so that seems to indicate a certain... obsession. Well, it is something (most of) you wear everyday so I suppose this is still helpful. I also may have promised a tutorial more than two months ago, which I am not going to give you today. This is because I have made grandiose plans involving a video camera and a certain friend of mine who has a lot more experience with filming than myself. Unfortunately, my fabulous friend and I both have insane schedules that don't overlap very much. Instead, I have uploaded lots of pictures of recent underpieces made from thrifted tees. (By the way, I am careful to only buy ones that are holey or poorly made or just plain ugly because of their design. I don't want to take cute wearable t-shirts out of circulation!) I will also share some tips that I've learned from making what is almost an entire drawer full of these. (Seriously, I am sometimes too sleepy/lazy to do laundry so I'll sew up a pair to wear the next day.)



For my pattern base, I use Jalie #2568 (low-cut hipster version). I'm sure there are tons of great patterns out there, but this one is my personal favorite. However, I have modified it in several ways. First, I added an extra inch to the top of the front and back pieces because the low-cut felt just a little too low for me. Then, I extended the lining an extra inch or so because it seemed too short, although this may be an anatomical anomaly in my case. I also widened the crotch area in general.



I first used the Jalie pattern with fancy new cotton interlock which is generally much stretchier than t-shirt fabric. So, when I use the pattern to cut from a tee, I add 1/2 inch to each side of the front and back pieces. This will definitely vary depending on the tee and on what size you are, but you will definitely want more give! The following pair I was cutting while talking on the phone and I accidentally forgot to add the extra fabric. After feeling upset for a minute, I realized that I could add strips to the side cut from a contrasting fabric and use a matching piece for the lining. I liked the result even more:



My final tip is to make sure to adjust the crotch area depending on the type of elastic you are using on the legs. If you are simply folding the fabric and sewing over it or if you are using picot trim, your pattern probably has this calculated into the measurements. However, if you are using fold-over elastic, you need to narrow the crotch or it may be too tight on your thighs. Again, this is all about individual tastes and sizes. If you're like me at all you'll probably make lots of mistakes but just keep trying because it's totally worth it in the end. Speaking of mistakes, always soak your elastic in warm water unless it's very light-colored! Anyway, I hope these tips are helpful.

Thank you everyone for your awesome, inspiring posts!

Dress for less

Hi everyone! It was really fun to see all your contributions to the around the world in eighty dresses challenge. I'm more of a pants and occasional skirts wearer, so I took a dress apart instead:

I think it was a bridesmaid's dress because the fabric looked and felt expensive but the cut was awful. (Speaking of which, has anyone else seen Bridesmaids?) I used the lining to sew the Madeleine Mini Bloomers (a free! pattern from Collette):

They turned out supercute, but I will not post a picture of me in them because they are also very see-through and the internet is just not ready to see my ass. I recommend this pattern if you get your hands on some gaudy gauzy dresses. I'm planning on making a second pair from the outer fabric with hot pink ribbon ties. 

Hi!

My name is Theo and I live in New York City. I actually joined this blog a little while ago, but have had a pretty crazy April and needed the reminder about required monthly postings to finally prompt me to post.

I've always customized my clothing, using hand-stitching, Rit dyes, and the beloved queen of embellishing - the BeDazzler. This trend was kicked up a notch two years ago when I was laid off from my job and bought a sewing machine all in the same month. The dramatic decrease in income led me to discover the wonders of the dollar bin and refashioning! Here are some of my favorites so far...



Below is a jumpsuit I made out of the two skirts and skirt lining pictured above. I used a vintage pattern from the 1960's that I altered slightly for my thicker thighs:



This next alteration was incredibly simple, but made such a huge difference in how I wear this jacket. Plus, I'd finally learned how to sew a zipper from making the jumpsuit:



Finally, my most recent endeavor has been two pairs of underwear from shirts I no longer wear:



I have found inspiration in so many posts here and I can't wait to see more!