Repairing Thrift Finds

 Hello Readers. I am a big thrifter. It's cheaper, it's better for the environment, it's more socially responsible. And it is so interesting what you can find at a thrift store. Sometimes things are slightly damaged and they need a little work to make them wearable again. If you can sew a little, there are so many wonderful thing waiting at the thrift store. 

This green jumpsuit was fabulous, I love green. But it had some issues. (Maybe that is why it was left at the thrift store?) They were such small issues, I knew I could fix this situation.

The legs of this jumpsuit were clearly too long on me. I am short but not even high heels could fix this. It needed a cut and a new hem. 

I cut off about 3 inches. Then I turned the cut edge under twice and sewed a new hem around each pant leg. This only took about 15 minutes.

The front of the jumpsuit had a little snap. It had come loose and needed to be replaced or removed.

 

 The V-neck was really low cut so I knew I was going to wear a shirt under this jumpsuit. I could remove it completely. This only took 3 seconds.

 

The back of the jumpsuit had a horizontal strap that had also come loose on one side. I decided to reattach it. I t would keep the shoulder straps from slipping and sliding down my shoulder. 

 

I tucked the strap back in and stitched it down. This only took a minute. 

 

 

The strap looks like it should. 

 

This jumpsuit has been fixed-up and was so comfortable to wear. I really the color and the wide legs. Thanks for reading along, now go make or fix something fun for yourself.

 

 ***Year End Update- A jumpsuit and it is green. Love it all.

 

 

 

Jumpsuit to Pants

 Hello Readers. I found some cute jumpsuits at a thrift store sale. (It was everything you could get in your bag for $5.) It was a little crowded and there was no way to try things on. They wanted to clear out the store for a re-stocking so I just took the things I thought I could use.

Before and after.

I thought this would be such a comfortable jumpsuit but it was too small/short. 

There were 2 of them and I took both. I did not realize they were too small. Maybe they were on the wrong rack. 

I could not get the straps over my arms. This was way too short on me.

I cut the shirring tops in half so that the elastic shirring could be the waistband of my new pants.

I used my serger to finish the top of the pants where I cut them. This was nice because I could make the waistband as wide as I wanted.

I did the same thing to this pair. 

My new loose pants are so comfortable. I love them both. They were perfect for work when you can't wear shorts or a skirt but it is almost 100 degrees. (We boiling out here!) Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself.

***Year End Update-I love these wide leg pants. It was so put these together.

The Most Colorful Jumpsuit I Have Ever Seen

 Hello Readers. I found this colorful striped jumpsuit when I was out thrifting and the colors were so fun. 

 

Before and after.

 

Look at all the colors!

The top fit perfectly but the crotch was a little low on me. That's OK. I can work with this. 

 

I cut the legs shorter. I wanted this to be a summer romper for hot weather.

 

I folded it in half and cut the crotch so it would be shorter. 

 

I used my serger to sew the crotch back together. 

 

I used those legs to make straps. Strapless is OK but I feel more secure with straps.

 

I cut 4 long pieces and made some shoulder straps.

 

 These stripes were so fun. Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself.

 

 ***Year End Update- It was impossible to be down when wearing this cheerful jumpsuit. I love it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An Elvis Jumpsuit

 Hello Readers. We are going down a fun side quest today. I found this jumpsuit at the local Goodwill and I almost didn't get it. Can you believe that? I almost let this fabulous jumpsuit go!! It's so fun, I am so glad my daughter told me to buy it.

Before and after.

I almost walked past this! SMH

This looks like Elvis to me. He would definitely wear this. But look how long the legs are though!

I needed to shorten these pant legs. Those fabulous cuffs had to go. I made a mistake though. I cut off an inch too much. 

I didn't want to lose any more of the length from these pant legs now. I decided to leave the hem undone. I stitched along that cut edge with denim thread but I didn't turn the edge under. This makes the pant legs look finished but it kept every millimeter of length.

I wasn't sure I liked the placement of the belt. I wanted it higher. I decided to add some belt loops on the sides of the jumpsuit to keep the belt where I wanted it. Where did I get the belt loops? I didn't make them. I cut them off my son's old jeans. 

I measured 3 inches up from the waist seam to make the sides even.

 

 They don't really show but they help keep the belt where it should be.

 

 Or I can skip the belt! Whatever I do, I love it. Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself.

 

 ***Year End Update- This is such a fun outfit. It would have been perfect for the Elvis movie that came out. I didn't see that one. I love the jumpsuit though.

 

Travel Refashions #5

  Hello Readers. I am going on a trip to England and I decided to coordinate my travel wardrobe. I am packing all new refashion projects and I will be posting about my journey and my outfit of the day along the way. This post is about a jumpsuit that was intended for a taller person but it made it's way to me instead.

Before and after.

I loved this jumpsuit. It fit well and was really comfortable. I could wear it alone or add a jacket if I was cold. But there was about 5 inches of leg fabric that had to go. I'm short and my legs are really short. 

I put one leg on the other and smoothed them out. I cut them at the same time so they would be the same length. I didn't want one short leg and one long leg. This jumpsuit would make a cute romper but I needed light weight pants for this trip. 

I hemmed each leg and I was done. I rolled it up and put it in my suitcase for my trip. Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself.

***Follow up review***

My trip was so much fun.- I wore this comfy jumpsuit to walk and see the sights. It was easy to wear but looked like a well put together outfit.

And I wore it for a wonderful afternoon tea.

***Year End Update-This jumpsuit was comfortable and lightweight. Perfect for traveling in summer.

Cut Your Jumpsuit in 2

 Hello Readers. I found this cool jumpsuit at a clothes swap. I really do love a jumpsuit. This one had tiny flowers on it so it went really well with my florals in April theme.

Before and after. 

This jumpsuit was fine as it was but I had an idea. The top would make a cute but quick bustier top. They seem to be all over Instagram so I wanted to try and create one for myself. But I wanted to create it quick and easy. This was my chance. 

I cut the top off the jumpsuit. You can see in the picture that I cut the top fully off the pants. I kept all the seams intact. I cut as close the bottom of the waist seam as I could. The stitching of the seam will keep it from fraying and falling apart but...

 

To be sure it stays looking nice I used a zigzag stitch along that bottom edge. The zigzag stitching along the edge will keep it all together with absolutely no fraying. I used black thread to make sure it blended in. 

 

What about these pants? They have no waistband so I need to fix that. Where could I find a waistband?

 

I cut the waistband off these jeans. The waistband is just the right color for these pants and I love elastic waistbands. (I am getting old. I just want to to be comfortable.)

 

*Inside view.*

I used my serger to keep the layers of the waistband together. Then I used a zigzag stitch in black to connect the pants to the waistband. I put the right sides together and zigzag-ed all the way around the waist.

 

 *Outside view.*

The waistband is soft and works perfectly for these pants. The waistband was so stretchy it fit these pants well. All my stitching is hidden inside the pants.

 

I can wear the 2 pieces together and it still looks like a jumpsuit. 

 

I can also wear the pants by themselves with a different shirt. 

 

 And I can wear the bustier top without the pants and with a different top underneath. I liked this look because I was more covered on my shoulders and arms. I have more to say about the blouse I am wearing under the bustier top in this picture. Come back for the next post to see more. See you then. 

*Year End Note From Chickie- I loved both these pieces so much and I gave them to my daughter.