PR&P S8 week 3: Upcycling

This is pretty much the same as signature week for me I believe. One of the main things that characterizes me when it comes to sewing is that like 80% of the times, the new pieces come from previous exciting ones. Of course it was obvious I would participate this week. Some would be expecting something more elaborated, like the jacket I made for week one, from the pair of pants. But nope, I went simplier this week. 

To start off, those were actually the first pieces I made for this season of PR&P. I started 2014 refashioning this shorts and cardigan. As I mentioned here, I was one of the lucky testers for the Small Fry Skinny Jeans pattern by Titchy Threads. I was assigned the girl's shorts version, size 5, inset pockets, zipper version and fully topstitched. Oh yeah, there are many choices to choose from. In the next pair I made - which is what I showed you first last week, I went with the boy's version shorts, size 8, patch pockets and all the rest the same as the first. 

Because you have to sew through so many layers, and because I had sewn the free 2T version of the same pattern, I knew it would be too much for my machine to sew through it all, so I was looking for a much lighter fabric instead of the stretchy jeans the pattern sugested me to. Because I couldn't find the needed fabric and still wanted to use something stetchy I went with what I had in my refashioning stash... a white women's pair of shorts. 

I took all the pieces apart and gor rid of the zipper (it wasn't possible to reuse it anymore), the original loops and the lining bag pockets. then I pressed the pieces of fabric I had left and tried to position the pattern pieces as best as I could to be able to reuse as much as that fabric. 

I had just enough, and by the end I was really pleased. To top stitch my shorts I used neon orange to stand in the white. I'm not really a neon fan, on the other hand, I tend to avoid it, but I thought the niece would like it and decided to try, after all I bought the neon thread sometime ago and didn't even know why. 

This is a do-it-over and over again pattern. The instructions are so clear and so easy to follow that it is impossible not to finish your piece without the professional look. Laura even includes an attachment to help you sew the girl's fly, just to make your life easier! 

The only problem I had, and it seems to be happening ONLY with my niece L. - again! - is that when I choose a pattern size according to her measurements, it always gives me a size smaller than her age. Exemple: she's 6 now and her measurements put her in a size 5, and that's what I did, but when we tried it on, turns out it fitted everywhere, but it was too tight in her hips. From now on, I will always make her a size up no matter what her measurements tell me. 

Anyway, to finish on the shorts, I used a owl printed fabric to make the inside waistband, and just to add something different I cut a few owls from the fabric and patched them into the back pockets. It turned to be a favourite for everyone around here.  I needed something for her to wear with the shorts and since I was running out of time to send my tester pictures, I had to make something quick, and that's when the cardigan enters the scene. 

A few years ago, this was one of my first attempts on refashioning - for me, I was still far from becoming a mother back then. I had been given a niece sweater, but I wanted to try to turn it into a cardigan. Well, I started, but had never finished. With time, it got stainned on the back and in the front with hair paint. I thought it was pretty much lost but was never able to just give it up to the garbage bin. And I was happy when I rescued it to resize it for my niece. 

All I did, was grab a shirt that would fit my niece L. and use it to cut two new front pieces, a back piece and two sleeves. I used the original button because I liked the hemming. Also I cut the collar away so I could reuse it again. Since I didn't need such a large piece for the new resized cardigan, I was able to cut the stained piece away and patch it together again. Then attached it back to the cardigan and voilá, it was done. 

And even though L. loved the shorts, she said this was her favourite piece because it wasn't as tight and uncomfortable to wear. Also, she said she liked to colour, so I'm glad I was able to salvage it from a hopeless end.