I'm a (Seer) Sucker

 Hello Readers. I hope you are enjoying some summer sun and fun. I know it is vacation time for a lot of people but most people are still working during the summer too. It is hard to get fully dressed on hot days and I am always looking for ways to stay cool. I thought these seersucker pants would be great. They are light and airy. A matching top was all I needed to be ready to go to work.

 

Before and after.

This outfit had potential but it was pretty bad as it was. I love hand-me-downs and I was ready to make this into something fun but professional enough to wear to casual work environment. I work for a greeting card company and it is business casual so I never get too dressed up.

To fix these beautiful seersucker pants I had to resize them. I tried them on inside out and marked where the side seam should be on the pants. I stitched down the side of these pants to make my new seam. You can see the thread of this new seam in the white pocket area. 

I tried the pants on again to check my new seam and then if I like it, I cut off the extra fabric. If the pants are too tight I can unpick the seam and and do it over. If the pants are too loose, I can make a new side seam and make the pants tighter. I can adjust certain areas that need to be smaller or bigger. When I am all done I cut away the excess material and sew the side seam again to make it stronger and keep that cut edge nice and neat.

This shirt was a little big and and a little long. It was also sleeveless. I cant wear sleeveless shirts to work so I had a plan to remodel this shirt.

I used the same "Try-It-On" method for the shirt. I tried this shirt on inside out and marked the shirt where I needed to sew a new side seam to make the shirt fit. The armholes were hanging too open and it was revealing too much bra area. I made the shirt a little smaller, with attention to the armhole are in particular. My bra is my business. I wanted to keep it that way. Especially at work! 

Again, just like the pants, when I had the size right, I reinforced the side by sewing it again. I used my serger to make a strong side seam and finish the cut edge so it wouldn't fray.

The shirt was very long on me and I decided to cut that excess length off. I wanted a shorter shirt. I also wanted to use that extra fabric to make some sleeves.

I traced the side of a dinner plate to get a curved shape. These are going to be small cap sleeves. It's too hot for full sleeves. The shirt is folded so I could get 2 sleeve shapes from the fabric.

I cut out my sleeves at the same time so they would be identical.

The sleeves are going to fit into the armholes like this. They will just cover the top of my shoulders. They are like a minimal sleeve. I put the sleeve in and stitched right on the white stitches that were already at the edge of the armhole.

I gave the shirt a hem and it was done.

Video summary.

I liked how this outfit turned out, I still had to go to work but that's life. Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself.

*Year End Note From Chickie- These were great in the heat of summer to wear to work. They will come back out of storage when it gets warm again.

Wild Bell Sleeves

 Hello Readers. I love color and pattern in my clothes and this dress had both. I loved the green color and the wild floral design. But we need to talk about those sleeves.

 

Before and after.

These sleeves are like wild wings. I like statement sleeves as much as anyone but these just feel like too much. The pattern and color scheme of the fabric is enough excitement for this dress. I wanted to calm this dress down just a little and let the fabric be the star. 

Look at this amazing groovy fabric!

 

I cut off that wild and wonderful lace. I saved it but I don't have any ideas about what to do with it yet.

I turned the cut edge of the sleeves under twice and stitched it down. 

The edge is a simple straight stitch. 

My wild dress is a little calmer without the huge bell sleeves. 

This dress is so fun. Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself. 

*Year End Note From Chickie- This fabric was wild and fun. It is put away for spring.

Puffy Sleeves

 Hello Readers. Sometimes you have to dress up a little. It can't be pajamas all day every day. Let's get dressed!

This shirt and skirt were hand-me-downs. The fall colors were fabulous. The skirt fit at the waist but the length was not good for me. The shirt had so much going on. The puffy sleeves and the neck tie. It was a lot all at once. 

Let's get to work. The skirt was an easy fix. It just needed to be shorter. It fir perfect at the waist already. Some cutting and some hemming took care of this skirt.

Let's move on the the burgundy shirt. It was a little big but that was good because there was room to fit and move around. I made the sides a little smaller and cut the sleeves off.

I thought cutting the sleeves made such a pretty ruffle sleeves. The shorter sleeves looked better on me. I was lost in those puffy sleeves. I will look more in proportion with some arm showing.

 I did not like tie around the neck. I cut it off and connected the 2 pieces. 

I thought it would make a much better waist tie to tie around the shirt. It worked perfectly as a little belt. It gave the shirt a more flattering shape at the neckline and at the waist.

I could tuck it into the skirt and wear the belt as a headband too. 

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

***Chickie's Year End Review-This blouse is a favorite of the year. I wore it a lot. I couldn't wear the skirt as much. I have to wear pants to work so my time to wear skirts is limited.

White Shirt

 Hello Readers. Button-down shirts are classic and they are great for refashions too. This white shirt was a hand-me-down and the sleeves were a little long. Let's see what we can do with it. 

I started by cutting off the long sleeves that did not fit. I kept about 3 inches of sleeve to work with. 

I wanted to roll the sleeves up and keep them in that rolled position. I stitched each sleeve roll down in a few places to keep it rolled.

I wanted to crop the shirt a little and add a waistband. You can choose any length you like. I wanted to cover my tummy. I used this tan ribbon because it seemed to look good with the stripes of the shirt. I folded the ribbon ends and stitched them down so it would not fray. 

I attached the ribbon to the shirt as a waistband. I left enough at the ends so I could tie it in the front. 

The shirt fits great now. I noticed that the ribbon matched the ribbon I added to these jeans last year. 

 I wore this to go get Hawaiian shave ice. It was hot and humid but that strawberry shave ice was so good!

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

***Chickie's Year End Review-I really liked how this shirt turned out. It was fun to make and went with everything. It got a lot of wear in the summer. 

Push Up Your Sleeves

 Hello Readers. I have a quick refashion idea for you. This is a great idea if you have short arms and find your sleeves too long or if you have long arms and find your sleeves are too short. 

 My arms are really short, like really short and my sleeves are always too long. It is annoying and I alter a lot of my sleeves to make them fit my arms better. I can't go to work or do anything with my hands covered by my jacket sleeves. This jacket needs a size adjustment.

I could just shorten the sleeves of this jacket that my daughter gave me. (Thanks H for helping me refashion for free in 2021!) I also like to push my sleeves up. It looks more casual and it keeps my sleeves out of my way. It also makes petite women look taller from what I have read. Of course, I want to look taller. First, I made a small opening in the inside of the sleeve. 

 I got a small piece of elastic leftover from an old project and threaded it through the opening. The color is fine because no one will see the green elastic. I connected the elastic so I had a circle going around my wrist. Basically, I made an elastic bracelet inside the jacket sleeve. The elastic tightened the cuffs of the jacket enough that they would stay up on my arms.

It worked like a charm! The sleeves can be pushed up so I look casual and effortless in my hand-me-down jacket. I thought this light blue color was so perfect for spring.

This was a fast and easy refashion that only took about 5 minutes. Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself. 

***Chickie's Year End Review-This was a great jacket to me because I love the faded denim color. It has a little stretch too. It is comfortable and easy to wear.

Romper Re-Do

Hello Readers. How are you doing? It feels like a busy time but maybe it is just a trick of the mind because so much is going on in the world. Are you reading this to get a little distraction? OK, let's talk sewing.

Can we talk about statement sleeves?  I usually don't like them very much to be honest. Well, I don't like them on me. They look great on other people. People with full grown adult length arms. These sleeves are always too long on me and I feel ridiculous.  Do I need all this sleeve? Am I casting a spell? How can I function in this romper without this fabric getting in the way? If I cook at the stove I am definitely setting myself on fire. I know it.

The solution was obvious! You can probably guess what I did. I cut those sleeves right off. It is hotter than a ball of fire out there, why would I want long sleeves? I stitched the raw edge under and I was good to go.

This romper was done. The short sleeves were much better for summer and I could use my arms again. That is a win-win.

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

Summer Colors

Hello Readers. How are you? How are things in your town or city? How are you dealing with the constant negative news coming at us everyday? I am walking a fine line trying to stay informed but not overwhelmed. And I am sewing.

I loved the colors of this shirt. It looked so summery to me. And white linen pants? Yes, please.

There was a problem with this outfit. The white pants were not bad through the hips but the waist and legs were not working. The fabulous shirt was a bit too long, a bit too loose in the sleeves and a bit too much. I was not worried. I knew I could fix this outfit.

I shortened these white pants and made a pair of cropped wide leg pants. I also made a couple tucks in the waistband. The tucks kept the waist more fitted and would keep the pants in place. Once th waist fit well it gave the outfit a little shape.

Shorten and hem. That's what I do.

I loved the shirt but the sleeves felt a little too big on me. I wanted them loose but not this loose.

It only took a little sewing to change this outfit into something I loved.

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