Shawl to Sweater

Hello Readers. I love the idea of a shawl. It can be warm and cozy but also dramatic and chic. But a shawl can be hard to wear if you are being active at home or on the go. So what could I do with this pretty blue shawl I found at a clothes swap?

 

 

This shawl was a beautiful aquamarine blue. I love this color. The shawl had a lettuce leaf hem all around. That wavy little hem really appealed to me. This shawl was a little big. It would be great if I was curled up with a book and a cup of tea. I rarely have time for that. Let's make this into a piece of clothing I can wear more and get more use from. 

 The back of the shawl was plain and looked ready for a refashion.

I started by using a sliver of soap to mark out a sweater shape. Could I make a cardigan style sweater?   I could try! Does it look lopsided? That is OK, the soap marks can be adjusted and will wash out easily.

After I made new side seams and cut the excess away, I had 4 little pieces leftover. You can see how much of that wavy lettuce leaf hem is there. What could I do with these pieces? I cut the wavy edges off and connected them all together.

I stitched all the edges together and had a long skinny belt shape. 

When I was done I had a cardigan shape and a tie for the waist. But did it look a little too much like a robe? I thought it did but that is OK too. Lounge wear is an important part of my wardrobe in 2021. I thought this new lounge sweater was perfect for feeling cozy.

I can also wear the sweater without the belt. It hangs open and looks more like a loose jacket or cardigan without the tie at the waist. 

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

* If you are tracking along with my zero cost refashion year, so far I am on track because it has all been free. 

***Chickie's Year End Review-I like this sweater because it is very soft. I wear it a lot at home when it gets chilly after dinner. Its not too heavy or hot.

Fun With Flannel

 Hello Readers. I have been having fun swapping parts of clothing with parts from other clothing. Read on and you can see what I mean. 

I started with a few items that all had black or black and white as the color palette. The flannel shirt and the hoodie just didn't fit well in the sleeves. I needed about 6 inches of arm. I was having the same problem with the hoodie. Short arms are a serious problem in my everyday life.

 I decided to do some cutting and swapping. I shortened the sleeves of the flannel shirt. I went for a 3/4 length sleeve. It was more flattering and I could use my hands. Win-win! I used the waistband of the hoodie to reshape this flannel. It is narrower, shorter and it is pulled in at the waist a little. I can pull it over my head.

 

This black skirt fit but it was SO full. It felt too twirly. Is that even possible? I guess it is, because that is how I felt. I liked the length though.

 I decided to do some more cutting. I took a big chunk of fabric from each side. It looks like a bat here but I promise it is a skirt. It is still full but not quite as puffy.

I thought the new fit of these clothes was great and I always love separates that I can mix and match with other clothes.

I am still working with the rest of that hoodie. You will see it in a future post. Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself. 

***Chickie's Year End Review-Where is this shirt. I love it and I haven't been able to find it for a while. I have no idea what happened to it. Very sad.

More Blue Overload

 Hello Readers. You might remember this snazzy blue blazer from last week. I loved the blazer but not the blue under-layer that was sewn into it. 

 

I took it out to make the blazer more versatile. I wanted to wear it with other shirts.

When I removed the under-layer I was impressed with the construction. I didn't want to throw it away. I try to save and use all my sewing left-overs. What could I make from half of a tank top?

 Well, I could try to make an entire tank top! I had a blue tank that I liked to wear under other shirts but I got something on the front of it and I could not get the stain out. I cut the cotton tank in half and used the back of it to go with this velvet front.

I could put them together and then I would have a stretchy blue tank top. It would be a really fun layering piece. The velvet/velour was such a pretty color.

These two parts made a complete tank top pretty easily. The stretch in the fabric made this tank really comfortable to wear. I am thinking about the next refashion.

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

***Chickie's Year End Review-This tank is handy and I love the color. Win-win!

Free Long Sleeve Tee

 Hello Readers. How are you doing out there? It is really cold, I am worried about all of you. Are you OK? I am layering up to stay warm where I live. Let's look at one of these layers. 

 

This refashion started with this red shirt that my hubby did not want anymore. It had a hole in the sleeve. (Sourced from husband for free.)

 

This red shirt was a nice heavy weight and would be warm and snuggly. It is too big and unflattering. I also wasn't a huge fan of the buttons and collar. 

 

I cut the body from the red shirt. I made it the size I wanted and took away the rest, for now. We'll come back to it later.

 

I also wanted to use up some t-shirts I had sitting around. I used the shoulders from this gray shirt. (Sourced from stash for free.)

 

And I used the sleeves from this black shirt. (Sourced from the stash, also free.)

 

I put all the pieces together like a puzzle. I used more of the red shirt to get the red arm pieces. I did some pinning and then sewed everything all together.

 

The went together easily and I liked the different colored pieces all put together.

 

As you can see the snow just doesn't want to stop. This shirt is big enough to wear over a shirt for warmth. I will be adding layer on layer to go out until it warms up.

 

Yes, I went out of the house and got some thread. I do all my swaps to source free clothes but thread doesn't come along free. I just buy it when I need it because I can't sew without it. It was nice to see the thread so well stocked. I wanted all the colors.

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

***Chickie's Year End Review-I like this shirt and it still gets worn at work often. My aunt told me I looked like a super hero in it. (haha) I like that too.

Blue Overload

 Hello Readers. It is possible that you are snowed in. It seems like most of the U.S. is in some sort of arctic blast right now. (Unless you are in Hawaii, you guys are enjoying some warm sun.) If someday I get dressed and go out, I have a great jacket to wear.

 

This jacket looks like a fairly normal blazer. I loved the blue color, it was a wonderful jewel tone.

 Here is where things got fun you guys. It is SUPER stretchy. This was great news for me. I love stretch in my clothes. It makes everything more comfortable. Everything should have a little stretch to it! But what is happening inside the jacket? It has a built in tank top? But why? That is a lot of bright blue velvet. Blue velour? Whatever it is, it's not great. Even I have my limits. This seemed like too much. It really limits any mixing and matching with other tops. I don't like that at all.

 

My first step was to remove the tank top. I just wanted the jacket. The tank top had to go. Buh-Bye!

 

The next step was to get the shoulder pads out too. I don't really like them. They are a little too big and I feel like a football player in them.

 

Here is what I removed. It is the complete front of a shirt. It has darts and everything. It would be a great shirt on its own. If only it had a back.

 

When I was done I had a great jacket that is SO comfortable and cozy.

 

The sleeves can be pushed up which gives it a more casual vibe. And when I open it, I can have a regular shirt under it. No more blue-on-blue overload!

 

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

***Chickie's Year End Review-I love this blue blazer jacket. It is stretchy and feels like a sweatshirt. Love it.

Not Skinny Jeans

Hello Readers. If you are in my part of the world you are really feeling the cold weather. This is a good time to stay in the house and sew. I liked this red top and jeans but they needed a little help.

This top was too long in the sleeves. The sleeves were hanging down over my hands. The ruffle was getting close to maternity style. It was such a pretty flowy top. I really wanted to make it work. 

The first step was to take the sides in a little. The waist could be smaller and the top would fit better. There wasn't any stretch in this fabric so I couldn't make it too fitted.

The next step was to make the sleeves shorter and to make the whole shirt a little shorter too. The seam across the mid section of this shirt had an edge that looked similar to a lettuce leaf hem. That inspired me.

I used a zigzag stitch on the sleeves and hem of the shirt. I didn't turn the edges under like usual. I decided to try and copy the finish they had used. I can see why they did it. It made the fabric lighter and gave the shirt more movement.

Now that the shirt was done I started working on the jeans. I have been wanting jeans like this for a while. I wanted to have jeans with a high waist and a looser straight leg. I usually make skinny jeans but I wanted something different. I found these at a clothes swap and I thought I could make them into what I wanted.

I took the jeans in a little at the waist, hips and thighs but I didn't make the lower leg more narrow. I left the calves as loose as possible.

 I made a new straight seam on the side and then used a zigzag stitch to keep the new edges neat. I don"t have a serger so this is my usual method. 

Next, I cut a new length for the jeans. I did not want them even, I wanted them to be a little longer in the back so that it how I cut them. I cut them and tried them on and cut a little more. I thought the uneven hem would look good when worn with my chunky clogs.

That was it. I was done with this whole outfit. These were small tweaks that made the whole  outfit more flattering and comfortable to wear. 

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

***Chickie's Year End Review-I liked both of these pieces but they both got too tight with Covid snacking. Neither piece had any stretch to it and we had to part ways. I donated it so someone else can love it.