Refashion Month with Sew Thrifty

So sorry for the late posting today, we have been having some technical problems to post this, but here it is, and quickly we  have reached the last day of the month, the last day of this year's series too. To finish this roll of great inspiration bloggers I have the perfect guest for the job, Dana, from Sew Thrifty. Just a few days ago, I had the pleasure to be part of her series on how to save while sewing and I loved that so much, because you know, that's what I am always trying to do. Check out her blog for a lot of upcycling ideas. 

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Hello, my name is Dana, and I sew and save over at Sew Thrifty. I've just finished off a month of amazing thrifty sewing tips and refashioning is one of many routes I take to save money while sewing. Today I'm excited to share the first look at a wedding outfit I refashioned for my son!

My brother's wedding was just over 2 weeks ago and I knew for several months that I wanted to sew all the outfits for my family for the event. And, why not upcycle and use free patterns for everything too, right? Well, I was able to accomplish most of that. The pattern for my dress was free, the fabric for my daughter's dress and headband were free, and I found a dress that worked perfectly for my baby so I didn't have to sew anything for her. But today, I'm focusing on my boy. We don't get dressed up much at all, so this wedding was the perfect excuse for me to go crazy sewing something fancy for him. My son's outfit turned out to be the best use of free patterns and upcycled materials, so that's the one I wanted to showcase for you today.

   

The original shirt was my husband's favorite shirt, but the collar was coming apart and just wasn't ok for him to wear to work anymore. He hated to give it up, so I snuck it away years ago in hopes of using it for a refashion one day. And today is the day! For the vest, I thrifted a pair of dress pants. The original intent was to find a jacket, but the pattern I used didn't fit the jackets I found, so I decided on pants. And, I found these for 50% off - only $2! I tried to keep the original welted pockets, but they were slightly too big, so I had to sew my own. You can see here how the cuffs from the original shirt were used for my son's shirt. I loved that I didn't have to sew all that. And the buttons were reused as well! I did have to improvise on the collar, since I couldn't re-use that section and I was running out of fabric. Luckily I had some spare white cotton that I used to line the inside of the collar, since that section wouldn't really get seen anyway and the outside of the collar came from the back of the original shirt. 

{Do-da-doo! Here comes the bride!}

The vest came together nicely, even though I wasn't able to use any of the original pockets from the pants. I lined it with a khaki cotton someone had given me from their stash. Then I accented it with orange buttons. Yes, I went with orange. 

{ok, Mama, enough with all this wedding stuff, where's the cake?!}

The tie was made from a free pattern as well, along with scraps of fabric that was given to me. And his pants and shoes were given to me by a friend. His whole outfit came to a whopping $5, since I include the price of thread, buttons, and the clasp for the tie. Not too bad for a fancy wedding outfit. I might be able to afford to dress him up more often.

If you're interested in learning more about the rest of my thrifty wedding outfits, come on over to my blog next week. The last-minute flower girl dress has a story so great I can't wait to share it!

Thanks so much Magda for having me as a part of your amazing refashion month!

From a Box * Rebel and Malice * In a Manner of Sewing * Miss Castelinhos * Threading My Way * Fairies, Bubbles and Co. * Mabey She Made it * Conversas de Hermanas * Lulu and Celeste * Made by Sara * La Folie * Climbing the Willow * HattieLu Handmade * Swoodson Says * Knot so Normal* Friends Stitched Together * Just Another Project * Sew Thrifty

Refashion Month with Mabey She Made It

Lisa from Mabey she Made It is my guest for today. I'm pretty sure we've been in other series/tours/whatever together, but it wasn't until she signed for the Refashion Month series that iItruly discovered her blog. She writes about her craft projects, sewing projects and home deco. She also co-hosts Do Tell Tuesday link up, and you'll be inspired by all the pretty pictures in there, so please visit Lisa and show some love. Her refashion today is one of those inspiring ones: you don't need to make a lot of changes to a piece to get it to look so much better!

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 Hi! I'm Lisa Mabey from Mabey She Made It, and I'm so happy to be here sharing a fun refashion with you today as part of Refashion month! I love the challenge of refashioning, and today's project is no exception. 

 I started with a long-sleeved woven raglan with a ruffled collar. It was pretty boxy and not really working for me. As you can see, it's pretty poufy, and I tend to wear my clothes more fitted. I also don't like the way raglans make my shoulders look bulky, but since there was no contrasting colors for the sleeves, I can get away with it. And the ruffles? I didn't like them around my neck. But the fabric is wonderful, and I knew I could make it more my style.

 

1. To start, I unpicked the ruffles and bias tape tie and removed them from the collar. Taking them off left me with a huge neck opening since the neck had been gathered. I took the shirt at this point and marked the sleeves and shirt sides where I wanted to take them in (significantly for a more fitted look.) 
2. Next, I tried on the shirt inside out, and started pinning where I wanted my darts to take in the excess neckline and bulky shoulders. I created a small dart on both sides of the placket in the front and also a big dart on both shoulders so the neckline was sitting flat and a comfortable size. Sew up the darts and the side seams, and finish your seam allowances.
3. Now take the ruffle you unpicked from the collar, and pin and sew it to the button placket on the front of your shirt.
4. Pin the unpicked tie around the collar of your shirt, and sew it on. Then flip the bias tape to the back side of your shirt, and topstitch it down, creating a clean collar.
5. Sew a button (which I got from the side seam) at the top of the shirt.

And now it's much more fitted and much more likely to be worn. It's made from a lightweight voile, so I could roll up the sleeves and wear it in summer evenings and it will be great for layering during fall and winter. It looks great from the back as well. It's flattering without being tight, and I feel confident in it. If you liked this refashion, be sure to stop by Mabey She Made It for more fun projects!

From a Box * Rebel and Malice * In a Manner of Sewing * Miss Castelinhos * Threading My Way * Fairies, Bubbles and Co. * Mabey She Made it * Conversas de Hermanas * Lulu and Celeste * Made by Sara * La Folie * Climbing the Willow * HattieLu Handmade * Swoodson Says * Knot so Normal* Friends Stitched Together * Just Another Project * Sew Thrifty

Refashion Month with Rebel and Malice

I don't know where or when I started to follow today's guest. She's Melissa from Rebel and Malice, and I immediately felt into her retro vibe. She's so productive, I am sure she's a familiar blogger to most of you, I don't know how she does it, but I love what she's doing... with five kids around! It already gets pretty crazy sometimes but two only. I'd like to apologise Melissa for posting one day later, especially because she's mentioning this (yesterday actually) as a special day for her. My bad! I'm sorry. It's been pretty crazy with two birthdays here. Anyway, enjoy her twist on a men's shirt refashion, because those are one of the greatest pieces to refashion, your options are endless. 

Hi my name is Melissa from Rebel and Malice. I am a mom to 5 crazy kids who I sew for, while trying to be frugal. And wouldn't you know that my first love of sewing is upcycling because it is unique and one of a kind. Today is a special day, it is the birthday of my father who passed in 2012, so it only seemed fitting to make a men's shirt refashion. I know we have seen plenty, but I decided to put my twist on it.

I have a great stash of clothing waiting for their new life. I found this white rayon men's shirt just begging to be chopped and painted. Since it is also a holiday this weekend, I decided it need a festive spin.

You can do so much with men's shirts, and I wanted to create a bohemian style for summer with it.

I cut off all the buttons because I am going to seam that closed. I cut around the armholes to create an armscye and up to where the yoke in the back hits. This was the perfect length for a carefree peasant style dress. I wanted that off the shoulder ruffle all around, but not enough fabric. I used the sleeves to  create the volume for the off the shoulder fluttery look I wanted. After i cut all the pieces out, I mixed acyrlic paint with amedium to make it for fabric and painted random shapes and squiggles all over. i used red and put stripes on the sleeve section. Then I sewed it all together, put elastic in the top and made a braided belt.

I love how the colors softened after being washed, like it was a wartercolor. It gave an ode to 4th of July without being in your face. And now she has a soft carefree dress for summer.

Have you painted on fabric before? It is fun, gives you some stress relief while you create designs and you get to make one of a kind fabric. You should give it a try to personalize something you make.

Thanks for having me Magda!

Stay Rebellious!

From a Box * Rebel and Malice * In a Manner of Sewing * Miss Catelinhos * Threading My Way *Fairies, Bubbles and Co. * Mabey She Made it * Conversas de Hermanas * Lulu and Celeste * Made by Sara * La Folie * Climbing the Willow * HattieLu Handmade * Swoodson Says * Knot so Normal* Friends Stitched Together * Just Another Project * Sew Thrifty

Timmy Top Pattern

Scroll down for english, please!

Em Maio, a Amy do blog Friends Stitched Together e agora Momma Quail Patterns, lançou o seu primeiro molde de roupa, o Timmy Top, e eu fui uma das felizardas que o testaram. Antes de mencionar algo sobre o molde, deixem-me dizer uma coisa a respeito da Amy: ela é uma das minhas designers preferidas para trabalhar. Adorei, mesmo! E nota-se o seu talento. Aprendi novas técnicas aquando do teste, e quando isso acontece, fico mesmo muito feliz. 

Back in May, Amy from Friends Stitched Together and now Mamma Quail Patterns has released her first garment pattern, the Timmy Top. Well, I was one of the lucky testers. Before I mention anything about the pattern, let me mentioned something about Amy: she is one of my favourite designers to work with. I loved it, really! And her talent shows. I learnt knew techniques while testing this and when that happens, it always makes me so happy. 

Quase que passei este test call quando o vi. Devem ter reparado que abrandei bastante. Tenho andado a resistir a todos os calls: testes a moldes, tours, etc. Comecei a sentir-me completamente sobrecarregada e precisei de parar, ou pelo menos abrandar. Ainda me inscrevi para mais uma coisinha ou outra, mas tenho tentado não adicionar mais stress à minha vida. O tempo que dedicava aos meus filhos andava a escassear e isso não podia ser. O tempo a costurar ou online foi reduzido e sinto-me bem melhor. 

I saw this test call and almost passed it. You might have noticed that I've slowed down a bit. I have been resisting all sorts of calls: pattern testings, tours, etc. I was feeling too overwhelmed and needed to step back a little. I still signed for one or two things lately, but I am trying not to add any stress into my life. Spending time with my kids was getting sort of a second plan thing and that, my friends, cannot be. I've been spending less time sewing, less time online, and I feel so much better. 

Lembrem-se que a minha versão é de um teste, e que alguns detalhes como o tamanho dos bolsos, por exemplo, foram melhorados.

Remember my version is a test and some details as the pockets size, for instance, were improved. 

Como estava a dizer, quase que passei o teste. Mas apenas de olhar para o desenho soube que este seria um excelente molde de rapaz ao qual recorrer com frequência, e eu preciso de mais moldes de rapaz (esta foi também a razão pela qual me inscrevi no teste das Morocco Pants de Petit a Petit and Family, por volta da mesma altura - já publiquei sobre o meu segundo par aqui e em breve o farei para o primeiro), porque já sabem, agora também eu tenho o meu menino para quem costurar. Acreditam que é já daqui a duas semanas o 1º aniversário?! Depois o teste começou e fiquei encantada. Como começa no tamanho 2 não o pude fazer para o S. e sim para a mana, e serve perfeitamente para menina também. Mas posso esperar para que ele tenha tamanho para lhe fazer umas a ele também. Adorei todos os detalhes e opções que a Amy incluiu no molde, e também o facto de podermos brincar com as opções e tecidos, criando peças muito diferentes através de um único molde. Aconselho-vos vivamente a espreitarem  o molde e as fotos das outras testers para inspiração. 

As I was saying though, I almost passed this test. But just by looking at the picture, I knew that couldn't be. It looked like a perfect boy, go to pattern, and I need new boy patterns (I signed for the Morocco pants by Petit a Petit and Family around the same time, and for the same reason - I blogged about my second pair here and pretty soon I will be blogging about the first too), because, you know, now I have a little boy of my own to sew for. Can you believe his first birthday is just in a couple weeks?! Then the test has started and I fell in love. It starts at size 2, so I couldn't test it for S. I did test it for the big sister and it works perfectly on a girl too. I can't wait until he's big enough to make some for him. I loved all the details and options that Amy included in the pattern, and also how easy it is to play with fabric and create such different pieces with a single pattern. You should really check the pattern and tester photos for some inspiration. 

Refashion Week |day 3|

I don't know about you, but I've been enjoying my guests posts so much, and I am still excited to see all the ones that are yet to come until friday. And just like yesterday, today's bloggers have two things in common, they both live abroad too, and they did a refashion for their boys! So far, boys are winning here!

Let me introduce you Rita, from Conversas de Hermanas. Living in Spain, she shares her blog with her friend Fatima. I am pretty sure I discovered Rita through Project Run & Play too. What can I say about her? She's funny, friendly and very generous. I love everything she sews for her kids and her fabric choices are always perfect. 

Check her refashion here. 

An ocean away from Portugal, Soraia from the blog Sew Happy is now living in the USA with her family. Soraia doesn't blog for too long, but we're all glad she finally decided to share her stuff with the world. I'd say she is a perfeccionist sewist and she's got an eye for quality materials. Her style is rather classic and personal. 

Isn't her son just the cutest here? Go read all about her refashion, over her blog. 

Refashion Month |Giggles & Beans|

If you're looking for the giveaway, please click HERE. 

Hi everyone! I'm Shelly and I blog over at Giggles & Beans where I share my sewing adventure mostly
 involving my two lovely ladies, Ava and McKenna! I'm thrilled at the opportunity to take part in Magda's series and excited to be kicking off Refashion Month. Here is a peak at my Men's Shirt Vintage Refashion which you can see here.

  

 

January Refashion Month with Carissa from Carissa Knits

Carissa, from Carissa Knits was a guest last season too. I had no doubts about bringing her back this year. You see, after July Refashion Month, we got to compete together in the Refashion Runway 2, just like some of the guests that have posted before, and she just kept surprising me week after week. she has become a refashioning diva, and a great inspiration, especially if you are new to refashions... she always shares a tutorial on how she transformed anything and makes things so clear and easy to follow. 

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First off, thanks so much to Magda for hosting this little soiree. I've really enjoyed seeing so many creative seamstresses day after day and am glad to be a part of it. Now, on to the sewing!

A recent warm spell in what ought to be the dead of winter had me craving a new sundress this week. So I pulled out one of my husband's shirts he'd never worn and which no longer fits. Who doesn't love a good men's shirt refashion?

I began by removing the sleeves and collar and opening up the shoulder seams.

I also snipped off those tiny buttons that hold the lapel points down.

I evened up the top edges, with the front about 5 inches shorter than the back.

Then I pinned out the shape of an A-line skirt and sewed down each side.

Setting the skirt aside for a while, I grabbed my cut-off sleeves. I dissected each and then cut pieces for the bust of my new dress. I'll be using the two biggest pieces - the oblong one and the trapezoidal one. I also cut mirror images of these pieces from the other sleeve.

I sewed the two trapezoids end-to-end and add four bust darts.

Without my own dress form, I made sure it would fit the old-fashioned way.

I trimmed off the excess. This will be the lining for my bust panel.

I attached the two oblong pieces to one another as well. These will be gathered as the decorative outer layer of my bust.

Then I started pinning the oblong pieces to the trapezoidal pieces, pleating the fabric as I went, but I didn't sew them together quite yet.

I cut two long strips from my sleeve scraps to make straps for my new dress. The sides were folded inward, then they were folded in half length-wise, and finally a line of stitching secured them.

I inserted my straps in between my two bust pieces and sewed the pinned and pleated edge.

Then I flipped my pieces right-side-out and pleated the bottom edge as well.

Once that was sewn, I trimmed the excess and attached the bust to the front portion of my skirt.

Since the top of the back of most men's shirts is two layers, finishing the back edge of my dress was easy. I just folded each edge inward and stitched them together. But not just yet! I had to insert my straps before closing up the edge, but I needed to try it on to determine how long the straps should be. For now, I just pinned it.

Next, I closed up the sides of the bust/back portion.

I salvaged a zipper from another refashioned dress and pinned it to the inside of the pressed side seam.

Once I ran it under my sewing machine, I used my seam ripper to open up the side seam where the zipper was now. Then I flipped the dress right-side-out and top-stitched along the sides of the zipper.

With my zipper installed, I could now try on my dress and measure the strap length. And lastly, I inserted the ends of the straps into the top back edge and closed it up.

And then I was finished! It's a light-weight cotton perfect for summer, but for now, I can throw on a jacket and boots, maybe a pair of tights if need be, and I'm all set!

Thanks again, Magda, for inviting me to join in your refashion month!