January Refashion Month with Jo from Shaffer Sisters

My guest today is Jo, one of the sisters in the Shaffer Sisters' blog. Jo is the oldest and also an absolutely amazing mom of 6. I still remember when I took my time to read through all Jo's birth stories and how emotional they all were to me. That's what I love about their blog, even though they are pretty talented and share their talents in many ways, they also write beautifully about subjects that are important, sensitive... 

Just check what Jo prepared for us, and enjoy, then go there and visit her and her sisters because there's so much more to see than I could put on words. 

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Magda E. from House of Estrela invited us over for her Refashion Month.  Honestly, I think Magda is the queen of refashion.  She is the one who got me looking at old clothing for its re-purposing qualities!  She is really incredible!  Have you seen her little red jacket?  Amazing!  Anyway, we met as fellow sew-along-ers, and we have enjoyed a blogger friendship ever since.  We have loved getting to know Magda E.  We are excited to be here on her sight this week!

Princess presents a sweater re-fashion!  and what might you ask are we re-fashioning it into?  Well, a sweater of course!

I am the wrong shape for this lovely purple sweater, so I decided Princess would be perfect in it.

I used the existing arms and waist band to give it a more finished look.  I also made sure it was cut out of the center of the sweater, so I could get the matching pattern, right down the center of her front.

Here is the remnants, just enough, I think for some mittens.

Yep

Perfect

After sewing it up, I decided it really could use a collar. 

 So, I took Johns' old shirt and tinted it.  I didn't want to run to the store, so I used food coloring and vinegar- works for Easter eggs right?  I put the shirt and a lot of food coloring and vinegar in a bowl and microwaved it for about 5 minutes.  It took three different times, but I like the color it turned out to be.

 With the sleeves bunched and her collar turned up, she reminds me of Katharine Hepburn.  She didn't really want to take off her mittens so I could show you though :)

She really likes it, and I am happy her belly, arms, and hands are covered in this chilly weather!

January Refashion Month with Shannon from googiemomma

Shannon from Googiemomma is our guest today. She's the incredible mom of 5 who sews for her kids and occasionally for herself too. She's creative and resourceful. A while ago she was one of the testers for my free blazer pattern (size 2) and I loved what she did. Today she left her fancy dresses and princess cosumes aside to share a very practical refashion with us. Enjoy it. 

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it’s been my m.o. since i started sewing: just the fun stuff. fancy dresses and princess costumes and bowties. occasionally a bag or a stuffed animal.

i’d gloss over those tutorials and patterns for things like basic t-shirts and stretchy pants and jeans and gasp! underwear! who? why? why spend my time on making something i can buy at walmart when i can spend it making fluffy fluffy skirts???

and then i had a moment of clarity, as i prepared to drop yet another $7 pack of  3 pairs of “princess undies” in my cart. i was annoyed—the two little girls basically share clothes, gigi being a peanut and elliot being our typical thick toddler googie—and with potty training in full swing we were going through panties faster than…than i don’t know what. but just way too fast. and $7 every few weeks starts to add up.

meanwhile, back at the ranch…i had an ever increasing backlog of “upcyclable” items—shirts and dresses piling up in drawers and baskets that i figured i’d be able to reuse for a sewing project eventually.

::record scrattttcccchh:: duh.

i pulled that pack o’ panties outta my cart quick as a wink and set off home to make my own.
shockingly, i learned it wasn’t hard at all. (i can hear you experienced sewists rolling your eyes). once i drafted myself a basic pattern and tweaked it a bit, i had four pairs cut and sewn assembly line style in about an hour.

for freeeeeeeee.
which is my favorite number.


also shockingly—those homemade panties are dang cute. and watching their little bums run around in my handmade underpants was rather satisfying, even if it doesn’t get quite the same amount of attention from others that a handmade dress would. (hopefully. truth be told, i have rather exhibitionist daughters. :/  )
i also learned that sewing is sometimes useful for more than just sparkly dresses. it can actually save my family money, instead of being an expensive hobby. lol. i kid. really i’ve always tried to spend very little on my sewing, so it is a cost saving measure for our family. but this opened my eyes to the fact that taking the time to make some of the, ahem, “boring” stuff can really make a dent in our bottom line.

and i’m finally putting some of those knit t’s i’ve been hoarding to good use! upcycling/recycling either your own castoffs or thrifted/gifted items just makes good sense!
so, who’s ready to make their own panties? well too bad, you’re on your own for that. but if you’d like to make a pair that will fit a child between 2-5 depending on their size than i’ve got a free tutorial + pattern for you!

your only supplies are:

+ a pile of knits. somewhere in there try to have a thicker white cotton. i had a rib knit white tank, and this
was perfect as a liner for the crotch. (i just said crotch. on the internet)

+ elastic. i used both F.O.E. (fold over elastic) and regular 1/2” elastic that i have on a big spool. the F.O.E. does look nice and professional, but i found the regular stuff much easier to work with.

+ scissors, thread, machine, pins. what you don’t need is a serger. it’s nice if you have one, but you can do these perfectly well without one.

+ this pattern + this tutorial, over on my blog!

boom. crazy cute panties in multiples.



with cute little bums.



there you have it! go forth and sew more than just the pretties, and save dollah dollah bills ya’ll, and cover nekkid bottoms! (the world will thank you)



how dare i try and take photos without them…;)

MAGDA—thanks so much for letting me be a part of your January Refashion Series! what you guys don’t know is that i totally flaked on magda, and thought i was scheduled a week AFTER when i had actually scheduled myself! graciously, magda still allowed me to squeeze in my post at the end!
so thanks, lady! you’re the best! how about a handmade pair of panties from one of my hubby’s old t’s as a thank you? no? too much? ;)

January Refashion Month with RaeAnna from Sewing Mama RaeAnna

I'm really sorry I am putting this up a little late today. But life gets in the way and it wasn't possible for me to schedule this before. You see, I've been in bed for nearly three days now, with a huge flu. 

Today's guest is RaeAnna, from Sewing MamaRaeAnna. One of the most talented ladies I've met in the blogland. Just like last year, RaeAnna accepted to take part in this series again, and she has come with a fun project to show us. You might want to check the series she just hosted with Veronica from SewVery, called Snowflakes and Lace. 

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Hello House of Estrela readers!!!

I love watching Magda and her refashioning magic and seeing all the creativity during the various Refashion Month series.  I was able to show some patriotic refashioning during the last series (here) and for this month I wanted to use up some material that I refashioned a few weeks ago.

 

This is one of my favorite projects so far - I took a sweater and a lace vest and turned them into boot socks - see the tutorial here!

Since I had some leftovers I wanted to use them for another project and I landed on making my first rag doll!

 I skipped using any sweater for the doll but here's how it came together:

Fleece - I had yardage gifted by my sister-in-law for Christmas in 2010!

Felt - from my felt stash - I use them for making bow centers like this

Lace undies - used from the lace vest

Embroidery floss - Leftover from making my son's smocked Easter outfit in 2010

 Dress - used the leftover from the lace vest.  I sewed it into a "tube" and cut slits in the lace for her arms.

The pattern is modified a bit from this

I love how it came together - she's a bit alien looking in the face but that's my own fault!  Hopefully the next doll will have a better facial structure!

Thank you, Magda, for having me during your refashion series!

P.S.  Eva Mae is on my lap while I'm typing and keeps saying "I want baby" - she's off to her room to go cuddle her little baby doll!

 

January Refashion Month with Ana Sofia from S is for Sewing

I'm not really sure when I first got to Sofia's blog, S is for Sewing. I know I stood around to see some more, although her style is not close to mine, I really like to see her clean looks and beautiful fabric choices. Knowing she doesn't usually do any refashions, I thought it was a good idea to challenge her into this addciting world of giving new life to any garment. She was up to it, and the best part is, to know she might try some more. 

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I was so over the moon when Magda invited me to participate in January Refashion Month. Thank you so much Magda!

You see, usually my refashion intends don't deviate much from re-purposing some old shirts from my husband and vintage sheets handed by my mother. And that, doesn't happen very often either :(

Yet, I've been playing with the idea of refashion an old item and this was just the perfect excuse I was looking for ...

Earlier in December I set aside a couple of old sweaters of mine and instead of giving them away, I decided to use them for this challenge.

I do sew most of my girl clothes, but unfortunately I don't knit. So, knitted items are always among the pieces I need to buy her when winter arrives. So, I knew a knitted refashion was bound to happen.

I selected a beautiful turquoise cool-neck sweater (not very old but badly distorted) ...

Quando a Magda me convidou para participar no January Refashion Month fiquei super entusiasmada! Muito obrigada pelo convite, Magda!!

Apesar de adorar a ideia de reciclar peças já usadas, não costumo sair muito da minha zona de conforto - uso algumas camisas velhas do meu marido e lençois antigos doados pela minha mãe e pouco mais. E mesmo assim, estas minhas tentativas não acontecem com frequência :(

Contudo, já andava há algum tempo a namorar a ideia de reciclar uma peça antiga, e o convite da Magda foi a desculpa perfeita ...

No inicio de Dezembro, coloquei de parte algumas camisolas velhas que já não usava e em vez de as dar, achei que as podia aproveitar para este desafio. 

Quem segue o meu blog, já sabe que costuro a maior parte das peças de roupa da minha filha mas, infelizmente, não sei tricotar e por isso, quando chega o Inverno, tenho sempre de investir em alguns casacos de lã. Como devem calcular, aproveitei para remediar esta situação. 

Selecionei uma camisola de gola alta turquesa - nem era muito velha mas estava completamente disforme ...

The aim was to refashioned it into something similar to a jacket I had saw in an old Ottobre issue (issue 4/2010).

I was able to use the previous hems (sleeves, front and back bodice) and added a printed lining to the refashioned jacket (it's not fully lined because I also wished to use some fabric scraps from a previous project. It's a super soft viyella fabric). A sweet satin ribbon was added in between the lining and the jacket front pieces.

O meu objectivo era transformar esta camisola num casaco parecido com um que aparece numa revista Ottobre antiga  (issue 4/2010).

Conseguir aproveitar as bainhas das mangas, da frente e das costas da camisola antiga para o novo casaco e acrescentei um forro colorido (o casaco não é totalmente forrado, porque também quis aproveitar uns restos de tecido de um projecto anterior. O tecido é viela e é super macio. uma delícia). acrescentei também, entre o forro e as frentes do casaco, uma fita larga de cetim cinzento a contrastar. 

The whole process took me about 1 hour - from cutting to modeling - and I couldn't be more pleased with the outcome.

From an old sweater I was able to make a lovely winter cardigan for my girl.

Todo o processo não me demorou mais de 1 hora - do corte até à prova final - e, como é óbvio, não podia estar mais feliz com o resultado. 

A partir de uma camisola usada fiz um casaco amoroso para a minha filha. 

Did she like it? You bet she did! She didn't need much persuasion to wear it right away :) Love it when this happens!

Acham que ela gostou? Podem apostar que sim! Não foi preciso sequer convence-la a vestir o casaco de imediato :) Adoro quando isto acontece!

After this first attempt, I'm pretty sure there will be more. Much more ...

Thank you once again, Magda!!

Depois desta tentativa bem sucedida, tenho a certeza que não vou parar por aqui. Tenho mais projectos em mente ...

Obrigada mais uma vez, Magda!!

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!