Wardrobe Refashion

Man's Pashmina Pullover to Leggings

Oh, dear! I have to post a get-out-of jail button. I bought two pairs of new jeans. I just couldn't find any thrifted ones and all of mine were umm...no longer respectable enough to wear for anything besides cleaning sewers or large engine repair.

In addition, this is the first refashion I've done in over a month. But, on the bright side, it was a success!

I used a large man's pullover and converted it to leggings without using a pattern. The former sleeves are now legs and the former neck opening is now the waist band. See how I did it at my blog (instructions and pictures).   

Denim culottes - from scratch/the stash

These culottes have been top of the UFO pile for a  l---o---o---n---g time - I must have bought this fabric and pattern in 2003?  So, I bite the bullet and try them on. But small moment of horror - the waistband barely grazes my hipbones and there's MAJOR belly exposure. What was I thinking? Acres of toned abs? And how exactly was I thinking to work the preppy culottes/belly-flashing look?

I re-read the instructions to reveal my error: it's a curved yoke that I'd pinned in place UPSIDE-DOWN - not a waistband. Even my slimmer 2003 self didn't have the nuts to carry this style off. Those two extra inches coverage haul this garment back into the respectable, wearable and finishable. So I crack on, finish them - including a natty biasbound hemline, inspired by darling petunia's pretty finishing and wear them.

Pattern, Vogue Couture 2755, which is really easy to follow and a nice flattering line.  Just pay attention at the attaching-curved-yoke bit!

PS I used a stiffer fabric that Vogue recommends, so when you sit down, then stand up again, the pleats disappear and the legs balloon out in a comedy/Tintin stylee. So I've re-angled the pleats so they make a diagonal line (not straight) from the stitching down to the hemline. I put some tiny stitches on the inside of the hem to make pressing the pleats in place easier in future. Squint and you can see this in the hem-displaying picture. More here...

On making and finding

This week, I decided I needed new trousers. Slightly posh ones, no jeans. I found this charcoal gray woolblend at my favorite store for 10 euros for 4 metres (no fabric in the stash for project, good basics are always the first thing to go) and used a pattern I made two years ago. 

 

I found the jumper at the thrift stall for 3,50  euro on Friday. It's from H&M, but I really like the style and it's 56% wool 40% angora 4% acrilyc (yes, I'm a bit of a fibre snob, but I think I've worn enough synthetics back in my days of wearing new RTW clothes). 

More talk and recent creations on my blog

 

A refashioned man's suit

This was a big refashioning challenge. A 50 cent suit from the Thrift Shop, with a request to transform it into something cool.

Here's me - pretending a have a clue about playing the guitar - wearing the original suit.

And here's my Mr with the refashioned suit.

There was lots of changes to the suit and lots of frustration. If you want to read about all the excitement and dramas, head over to my blog. I'd love you to stop by!

October Refashions

Quick! Quick! Before the month is out, I have to make a post.

Mostly this month, I've been knitting this sweater:

I signed up for a knitting class, so for four weeks I was knitting non-stop. It kind of ate up my refashion time. But, I did actually get a couple of quick things done. There were a couple of draft blockers for the doors:

Just tubes of fabric made out of tshirts from The Pile. I stuffed one with rice and one with a combination of fabric scraps and rice. 

I have also figured out why some pants (trousers in British English) make me look frumpy: too much fabric. It's meant to accommodate curvy thighs, but my thighs appear to be straight. Well, at least the solution is to turn the pants inside out, find where they bulge, and stitch a straight seam instead. I figured this out by putting on the pants inside-out and pinning until they looked better.

Before:

After:

 

Those are the highlights of what I've been up to. I'm hoping to make a lot more progress next month.

-- VanimaAndune

Starting on Christmas and all of it is going to be refashions or make from scratch

Well I must apologize for not posting in a long time. I have been refashioning and making thiings from scratch, but I have not blogged in over a month. I got some news that was fairly devastating. So just so all know I am signing up again for lifetime pledge on Wardrobe Refashion and I will for as long as I can, but I will have to be excused at some point since I am going blind. Anyway to brighter things! This is what I made yesterday and today. My first Christmas project of the year. A couple of Toddler sweaters found in the trash inspired these remakes and new makes to go with them for complete outfits for my neicee daughter who is 1 yr. 3 months but is soon to wear size 2T. She is very very tall for her age. This first sweater was a little spotted in places so to cover the spots I used the trusty applique method.   the skirt is double layered with old lace and ball fringe from my stash. It is a full circle so it is twirly fun.
 
The next outfit was also inspired by one of the trash pile find sweaters since it was size 2T also. It was in perfect condition but to "make" the outfit I embellished it. Made bloomers to go under.
And then made a matching reversible jumper that could be worn with this set or reserved and worn with the other sweater I showed you first.
And the other side.

So that is all for today. come visit my blog and find out more

 

why is it so hard to find pants that fit?

Before Wardrobe Refashion I would have never considered shopping for pants at the thrift store. I was hoping that it might actually be easier because there are so many different brands and sizes all on one rack. Nope! It was just as hard as shopping for pants at the mall.

I did manage to find two pairs of corduroys and one pair of jeans. No get out of jail free card for me—at least not yet! You can read more about my clothing frustrations on my blog.

Maternity pants!

I saw a great idea for maternity pants on CRAFT (a blog i follow) i tried on my jeans but i couldn't find a pair that i wanted to cut that would go over my hips so i had to use my  card cause i had to buy a pair of jeans. i spent $8.76 on a pair of wide legged awesome wash jeans from H&M.

i brought them home and within 30 min had a new pair of maternity pants. i'm in love!

Loving using up fabric from my stash

Hiya! I've been keeping my word to use up my fabric stash...so this week I made a pair of shorts for my lil man out of a small scrap of camo fabric and a cute top for myself out of a thrifted wrap skirt I had used half of a couple years ago!

Sheet&singlet refashion

Hiya! Today I decided to use up my last scraps of this amazing retro floral print sheet i had previously used to make a 60's style dress&pyjama pants! I love making pyjamas out of sheets, they're soo comfortable =) So I made a cute sleepset...boxers from the sheet&a crop top from a too short singlet.