Can a Skirt Be A Dress?

 Hello Readers. Can a skirt become a dress? It can if you want it too be a dress. Let me show you what I mean. 

 This is a quick refashion project. 

This skirt was a little too long and a little too big but I loved the color and pattern of it. It would be difficult material to shorten at the hemline so I had another idea, Let's make it work as a dress. 

I spread my skirt out flat with the back and front centered where they should be. I cut just under the elastic waistband. (DON'T CUT THE WAISTBAND ITSELF!) I cut in 4 inches on each side. That will make my new armholes because this baby is going to be a dress. 

 

I wanted the waistband to look like shoulder straps. I turned the ends of waistband up. I just folded the waistband on itself at a 90 degree angle. 

 

I sewed the waistband on itself to make the straps. I sewed it in place on both sides in front and back. This made the straps go straight over my shoulders nicely. And it only took a few minutes.

 

I sewed around the armholes using a zigzag stitch just to make it look more finished. This skirt is a knit so it won't fray, but this extra step just makes it look nicer and neater. 

This dress is very loose. That's OK. Trust the process. 

I added a belt to cinch in the waist a bit. 

I added a sweater because it is cold as ice outside where I live. Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself. 

 

 

 

 

Make a T-shirt Pillow

 Hello Readers. Do you have a favorite t-shirt? I think probably everyone does. I love graphic tees. The more unusual or funny the better. I found this map of the earth t-shirt and I loved the images and the colors. I gave it to my daughter but she didn't want it. (Maybe it didn't fit?) She gave it back and I had an idea. I could make a fun pillow for the arm chair in the study. We do school-work in here a map would be very appropriate. 

A t-shirt pillow with easy matching fringe. 

 

I am using this map shirt but you can use any t-shirt you want. Whatever image catches your eye and that you like will make a fun pillow. 

 

I started by cutting the bottom of my shirt off. I didn't want any of that double folded hemline to get in my way. T-shirts don't fray so we can cut this shirt with no worries. 

 

I also cut off the side seams. I cut just enough to get them out of the way. You can cut any size you want. A square or a different size rectangle would work too. The image on your t-shirt can be your guide. If it looks better as a square, you can cut a square. You get to choose.

 

Now it's time to think about stuffing. I used this Poly-fil to stuff my pillow. This is a good choice because this pillow is not going to be a standard size, there are no pillow forms to fit this shirt. I used my bag of stuffing as my shape guide and traced around the bag of fluff with sewing chalk. I wanted to mark onto the shirt, about 3 inches in from the edges. That extra fabric around the edges will be my fringe. If you want short fringe, leave less of a border around your t-shirt pieces. 

 

I had my front and back pieces with the wrong sides facing each other like they did when they were a t-shirt. I sewed a rectangle and left a 5 inch opening at the bottom for stuffing the pillow. You can see my blue chalk marks, I sewed right on top of the chalk. I used a straight stitch and matching thread since I am sewing on the outside of the shirt/pillow.

 

Here is my opening at the bottom of the pieces. That is where I will stuff the shirt with fluff. 

 

I stuffed that pillow as much as I could. I made sure to fill the corners really well. I sort of over stuffed it a little because it will flatten with use over time.

 

Here is a better look at where I stitched my pillow shape. It is about 3 inches in from the edge. This is one corner. Now I need to sew the opening shut. 

 

This part is a bit of a wrestling match. I squeezed and squashed the pillow down and sewed the opening shut. I used a straight stitch again. This wasn't difficult, it just was an unusual way to sew. 

 

You can see the stitching from the seam here. I started cutting the fringe. I made small strips of fringe all around the pillow. 

 

When you get to the corner cut off the excess corner piece entirely. You can see the fringe ends at the corner of the pillow itself and begins again on the next side of the pillow. 

 

Here is a look at my new pillow. I love the matching fringe. And it was so easy to make. 

 

The fringe adds a fun touch to the pillow. I added a matching throw blanket to make this a cozy reading spot. 

 

Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself. 
 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Turtleneck to Round Collar

Hello Readers. And Happy New Year to you. It is cold and wintertime means I need to bundle-up to stay warm. I like to be warm but I hate wearing turtleneck shirts and sweaters. I always feel like someone is strangling me. I can't take it. It's too much. I would rather be cold. I usually find a way to alter turtlenecks so I can be more comfortable when I wear them. Let me show you what I did.  

Before and after. Tight and uncomfortable to fun and easy to wear. 

 This gray knit turtleneck dress was soft and great to layer under other clothes. It was a tight- 

knit ribbed cotton material. The turtleneck part of this dress was not working for me though. I just did not like how it fit. 

  

I decided to cut the turtle neck open. I marked the center of the neck with sewing chalk. It is easy to see the marks but washes right out in the laundry.

 I cut the turtleneck open with sharp fabric scissors. Dull scissors make messy cuts in the fabric. I cut right on top of the chalk mark. 

 I liked how the turtleneck now opened up like a shirt collar but I wanted to finish the cut edges somehow. The tight weave of this knit won't fray. I could leave it like this but they might not look nicely finished. And I wanted something a little cuter and a little more fun.

 

I folded the neck so that one cut edge was right on top of the other. I cut the corners of the collar so they would be round. I cut them both at the same time so they would be symmetrical. I didn't want a lop-sided collar.

 

 I liked the shape of the round collar and it will be easier to sew lace on the edges with curves as opposed to the sharp corners I cut at first. 

  

  I picked some lace trim that I had on-hand in my sewing stash to dress-up the new collar. (Similar lace can be found here.)

I used my sewing machine to stitch the trim on the edge of the collar. I used a zigzag stitch with white thread to match the lace. I stitched right on top of the lace trim. This attached it to the edge of the new collar and hid the cut edges.

 This was a quick easy project. I liked the bright white trim. It helped brighten up this plain dark gray dress. 

  

This was a quick and easy project that will be much more comfortable for me to wear. And it's cuter too. Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself.  

 

 

The Sweatshirt Skirt

 Hello Readers. It is time for the annual Dressember Fundraiser. What Is Dressember? They are an organization that works to fight human trafficking and forced labor in the U.S and all around the world.   Since 2013, Dressember advocates have raised over $20 million to support International Justice Mission (IJM) and its partners. I will be wearing and refashioning dresses all month in honor of this mission. You can learn more at Dressember.org

  This fun sweatshirts seemed to match each other. I loved the candy colored stripes and how the colors went with the lettering of the other sweatshirt. The "Holly Jolly" was Christmas-y but the colors were a change from traditional basic red and green. 

Before and after. Yes, this is a skirt in a month of dresses. I realize that might bend the rules a bit, but its so cute!!!

This sweat shirt would make a fun colorful skirt. This would be a fun Christmas outfit. 

 

I cut the sleeves and shoulders off the sweatshirt off the shirt. 

 

I threaded elastic through the waistband of the sweatshirt. The waistband will make a great waistband of my new skirt. 

 

The sweatshirt skirt tuned out just as I planned. Things don't always turn out they way we think they will. Life is like that.

 

I think Christmas is worthy of a fun holiday outfit. Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself. 
 

 

 

 

This Year's Favorites

 Hello Readers. I like to look back over the projects from the previous year and see what really worked and what I loved. It helps me plan the coming year. I picked out a favorite project from each month. You can see them below. 

These jeans were fun to make and they have so many colorful works of art in them. They are on of a kind and Always make me smile. 

 

This skirt was at a thrift store and I loved the sequins. The shirt had red hearts on it and I thought some pink dye would make it a fun Valentines Day shirt. 

Nothing from March really jumps out at me so let's move on to April. I liked this little pillow so much. It was so simple that it was fun to make. It is in my sewing room. 

 

I made this shirt from a table cloth in May. It turned out so well. It is an all-time favorite. 

This halter style shirt was made from the scraps of the first shirt. I love this one too so I thought I would include it too. They are like sisters. 

 

I wasn't sure I had a favorite from June so let's just move on to July. This skirt from 3 table napkins looks like a wrap skirt but has an elastic waist in the back. I really liked the red and white checkered pattern. 

 

In August I made a series of shirts and tops from scrap fabric. It was great to use all that extra fabric and it was nice to have some new summer tops.  

This bright blue dress was a great find at a thrift store. In September I cut the skirt up and made shorts and a matching over skirt. 

 

In October I simplified and shortened this tulle dress. There was so much fabric left-over that I made this fun little skirt too. 

 

In November I added this fall leaf on the back of this denim jacket. I wore this a lot in the fall. 
 

And this is my end-of-year favorite. This tie dress was a fun was to upcycle old men's ties into something new. I love all the different colors and patterns. I wish you a happy and peaceful new year.