The Plaid Skirt Dress

Hello Readers. I was really inspired by a refashion I saw recently. Sarah Tyau made a great dress from a plaid coat. I loved it so much, I knew what I wanted to make from this plaid skirt. Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, right?

Here my original plaid skirt. I really liked it because of the buckle accent at the top and the awesome fringe at the bottom. I didn't want to say good bye to either one of them, but how could I incorporate them both into something new?

The skirt had a zipper on one side to get it on and off. I needed that, so I started pinning the other side to get the fit right.

   

Side zipper.                             Pins.

I made a simple straight knee-length skirt. It still has the buckle that I loved so much. But I had to cut off all that fringe. That's OK, I had a plan to use it too.

Here is my fringe. I cut it all off in a narrow strip of fabric and there was just enough of the plaid material for my shoulder straps.

I used the extra fabric to make the front bib and a little pocket.

I was stitching it all together and I had an idea. What is that white stuff there? It's Velcro! Here is where it gets really fun.

I stitched the pocket to the front bib, and the bib to the straps with fringe. The Velcro is holding the bib to the skirt. I decided to use Velcro so I could wear the skirt by itself if I wanted to. The whole outfit stayed together really well, but it was easy to take apart too.

The straps have Velcro in the back to attach them to the skirt too.

    

 
 *****     PART 2     *****

I made some leggings to go with the dress so I could stay warm. It is cold out there!
 I used this knit skirt. It was a thin knit with a lot of stretch.

I cut out some leg shapes and put them together. (I had a pattern for pants that I used as a guide.) I tapered the legs a bit more and I was ready to go.

You can see my leggings/tights here. They were comfortable like all leggings. I also wore them as pajamas later.

  

Thanks for reading along, now go make some thing fun for yourself.

*Year end update- It has been a month since I made this and I still enjoy wearing it. I always wear the bib and straps so I connected them permanently with my sewing machine.

The Scarf Sweater

Hello Readers. I have a great sweater idea for you. This was so easy to make and it kept me warmer too.

I started with this basic black cardigan. It was a loose fit and light weight sweater. It was also plain.

I removed all the buttons from the front of the sweater really quick and then moved on to the fun part of this little project.

I wanted to add this scarf to the front of this sweater. I also wanted to to cross the scarf over itself and leave it unfastened in the front. It will need to be pulled over my head to put on.

I used my machine to attach the scarf around the neck of the sweater. I criss-crossed the sweater in the front and then kept sewing it to front opening of the sweater.

This might sound confusing...

Here is a look at the finished sweater. I think looking at the sweater makes more sense than my describing it.

   

Extra scarf=extra warm.             High neck=warm neck

You can see how the sweater opens in the front. It isn't open all the way down the front like a cardigan anymore, but it isn't closed either. The criss-crossed scarf keeps the sweater closed when it is worn, but it does open. I wore a shirt under it in case it opened too much. It stayed closed well and it was warm and cozy.

This would be such a great top for nursing moms. I wish I had thought of it when I was nursing. It opens easily and the scarf could be used as a cover if and when needed.

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

*Year end update- I am so glad I made this warm sweater. It was simple to make and so wonderful for winter.

The Bathrobe Sweater

Hello Readers. I titled this post "The Bathrobe Sweater" because it originally looked like a robe on me. I love cozy robes but this wasn't working.

I don't remember where I got this long sweater but I love gray and black.

 I thought about making a dress out of this but it was too clingy to be worn as a dress. When it was buttoned it seemed to emphasis all the bumps and bulges that I wouldn't want to show. It needed something under it but it/I just looked lumpy. So it wasn't going to be a dress.

   

I decided to make a tunic length cardigan. It would look better on top of other clothes and layers are great in the cold weather. 

I shortened the sleeves and made the body of the sweater much shorter. It was quick and easy work.

I love this sweater when it is open and hangs loose. I wore it to work, just like this. When it is open it has a light flowy look. No lumps or bulges in sight.

Thanks for spending some of your time with me. If you are in the U.S. you might be preparing for Thanksgiving today. That is what I am doing today. I hope you have a wonderful day with family and friends.

If you aren't in the U.S., I wish you the same thing.

*Year end update- This is such a great sweater. How did I ever get along without it?

The Boring Pink Sweater

Hello Readers. Do you have any boring clothes? Clothes that are just blah. I do, but I don't like to let them stay that way. This pink sweater was a snooze-fest. It's made of cashmere and that is the only reason I loved it so much. I am addicted to cashmere. It feels like it is made from some kind of special angel yarn.

Here is the boring but super soft sweater. I decided to use these weird cotton pajama pants to dress up the sweater. These pants are supposed to be a cropped capri length but on me they just look like shrunken pants.

    

My first step was to cut the side seams open. I wanted to add some extra fabric in the sides. Cashmere does not fray so I could cut it and work with it without any fuss.

I cut the waistband off the pajama pants and I cut narrow strips of the striped fabric. I used the stripes as a guide and it made the measuring and cutting very easy.

     

 Horizontal pieces.                  Vertical pieces.  

I added a long vertical strip of fabric to each side of the sweater. The extra fabric added a couple inches of room to the sweater.

I connected some of the horizontal pieces and made pleats. It took a while but it wasn't hard.

I connected the pleated fabric to the waistband of the sweater. It added a punch of color and it made the sweater a bit longer. 

   

The sleeves of the sweater were a little long so I cut a few inches off. I added a piece of the waistband as a cuff on each sleeve. It finished the sleeves and added some color there.

 

The stripes add some color and I like the ruffle at the waist. The sweater isn't as plain as it was, but it is still casual. I could wear it anywhere.

    

I was supposed to go out and do some things but Mother Nature had other plans. We got a lot sleet and snow, so I didn't go anywhere in this sweater yet.

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

*Year end update- This sweater is cute, soft, fun, and warm. It has been a month and a half since I made it and I still enjoy wearing it.

The Pajama Skirt

Hello Readers. I refashioned this fabulous set of pajamas recently. Check them out. They are so colorful and pretty. I was sure I could turn them into something wonderful to wear during the day.

These pajamas were a silky polyester. They looked a lot like silk but they weren't the real thing. They didn't breath like silk so I didn't want to keep them as sleepwear. Polyester pajamas didn't sound very comfortable to me.

These pants were very baggy. I thought I could make them into a skirt.

I cut the inseams open and spread the fabric out. I was going to keep the waistband, I just needed to remove the fabric that made up the crotch. I wanted to keep the loose fit because there was no stretch to this fabric.

I made a basic skirt shape. I couldn't make it too fitted but I could make it shorter.

I gave the skirt a big cut and made a new hem. It would be easier to wear at this length. Floor length skirts tend to trip me. (#clumsy)

I made the shirt a bit smaller. I didn't want to alter the shirt at all. I really liked it the way it was. I kept the shirt and skirt as 2 separate pieces so I could wear them by themselves or together.

I like the shirt tucked in the skirt but I think I like it untucked and loose even more. The drawstring waistband worked well in the skirt too. With a loose fit and an adjustable waist, I think I just found a great outfit for Thanksgiving!

I wore it to a charity dinner that my mom took me too. There was a trivia contest. My table didn't win y'all, not even close. But we had a lot of fun. Money was raised for Young Lives, a mentor and support group for teen moms.

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

*Year end update- I still think this outfit is fabulous. It isn't very warm so it is put away until spring.

New Blue Shoes

Hello Readers. Have you ever wanted to change the color of your shoes? Maybe this issue hasn't come up in your life. This was an issue for me recently.

I know what you are thinking. Those shoes are really light blue. They are a unique shade of light blue for shoes. They are really comfortable and they have great arch support.

 But they are a weird shade of light blue. They are seriously the color of a 1992 suburban bathroom.

There is a solution. It is cheap, available on Amazon, and easy to use. It is called Angelus Leather paint. (They do not know me and did not pay me to say anything about them.) There are so many colors too. I had navy paint, so I used it.

There was a little brush that came in the bottle but I didn't like it. I used a larger brush. The paint was easy to apply to the shoes but it dries very fast. I worked in little sections and tried to spread the paint evenly. I jabbed the brush in and around little nooks and crannies to cover everything. I needed to add a second coat of paint to some spots.

    

The finished look of the shoes was nice and still looked like leather. I was afraid the paint would look too thick or look plastic-ish, but it looked great. It added a little shine, like I had polished my shoes with shoe polish.

I didn't paint the inside of the shoe. I didn't know if the paint would come off on my feet over time so I just painted the outside. The inside doesn't show anyway. I like the navy color much better than the original light blue color. It went with my jeans better anyway.

    

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

*Year end update- It has been 2 months since I painted these and they still look great.