Sunday, May 24, 2015

Sunday Sew-Day: Damaged and Drab

Not every refashion has to be a mammoth undertaking. Sometimes a little sewing goes a long way. For instance, it only took me about an hour this weekend to transform this paint-splattered blouse and this nighty-ish dress into much more wearable pieces.

2015 Spring Clothes Swap HaulSnappy Plaid - Before

The instant I saw those navy and white polka dots at the most recent clothes swap, I knew they had to be mine. The instant I saw the paint splotch on the belly, I knew I had to save this shirt from someone else's garbage bin.

Polka Dot Pockets - Before

The first thing I did was cut off those puffy cuffs and re-hem the sleeves.

Polka Dot Pockets - In ProgressPolka Dot Pockets - In Progress

Then I turned each cuff inside-out and sewed across the bottom. Once it was turned right-side-out again, the raw edges were hidden.

Polka Dot Pockets - In ProgressPolka Dot Pockets - In Progress

Lastly, I attached the cuffs to the belly of the shirt as brand new pockets - one over the paint spot and the other symmetrically on the other side.

Polka Dot Pockets - In Progress

This breezy shirt is super comfy, and I just know it's going to get a lot of use this summer.

Polka Dot Pockets - AfterPolka Dot Pockets - After
Polka Dot Pockets - After

The plaid shirt-dress came from a clothes swap a couple years ago and has been hanging in my closet since. It had belt loops (but no belt), so I'm pretty sure it was meant to be a dress, but every time I looked at, I saw a night gown. Step one was to cut a new curved shirt hem. I folded it in half from front to back to make sure my curves were symmetric. Then I used my seam ripper to remove those belt loops.

Snappy Plaid - In ProgressSnappy Plaid - In Progress

I reattached the laundering tag higher up in the side seam. Then I pressed the bottom edge upward and sewed my new hem. (How awesome are those black pearl snaps?)

Snappy Plaid - In ProgressSnappy Plaid - In Progress

As soon as the rain stops for more than 30 minutes, and the mud puddles have a chance to dry out, I am so gonna wear this with my cowboy boots.

Snappy Plaid - AfterSnappy Plaid - After

See? With just a little creativity and a little time, these two shirts get to see daylight again!

Polka Dot Pockets - Before & After


Snappy Plaid - Before & After

10 comments:

  1. Pockets! So obvious ... in hindsight, that is ... and so cute and useful! Two great fixes here. I like these kinds of alterations so much.

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    1. My hierarchy for dealing with damaged fabric: (1) Can it be cleaned? (2) Can it be cut out? (3) Can it be covered up? This one made it all the way to the end, but I do so love how it turned out.

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  2. Fabulous. And the pockets are brilliant.

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  3. Hi Carissa ------ very cute tops !

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  4. Polka dots are rare. Great Save! Like the remake on the plaid too.

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    1. They're are only rare because I'm hoarding them all in my own closet. Yeah, that's right. I am the cause for the world's polka dot shortage. :)

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  5. The polka dot shirt remake is awesome....love those pockets !

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