Up-cycling

I've been busy recently up-cycling a couple of t-shirts. Both had 'problems' but I didn't want to throw either away.




The first had got snagged on something, and a small hole developed. Now, I'd hate to throw a perfectly good T away just for that, but I couldn't wear it outside the house in such a state - so a little applique was needed.

Oddly when I started to hunt through my accumulated scraps of material, I found not only the perfect shades to 'patch' with but they were already cut in flowers shapes and ironed to Bonda-web! Obviously they were part of an abandoned project - but I can't remember what!


So some quick work with the iron, then a little machine sewing to make sure they stayed in place, and looked more 'flowery', and this favourite has a new lease of life.







The second project was different. I have several t-shirts exactly the same, bought because they were organic cotton, but over the years I'd decided the neck-line was too high for me. I tried experimenting with one - cutting the neck lower but then it gaped too wide and fell off my shoulders! So that didn't really work.
I realised though that I had another t-shirt which was definitely heading off for re-cycling; it had dropped completely out of shape, and just looked like a sack when worn. So with nothing to lose, I cut a strip from the bottom hem of this grey T and sewed it around the baggy neck of the purpley-blue one. It worked!
On a roll, I then decided to take another deeper strip of grey, fold it in half to give a finished hem, and sew it to the bottom. Personally I think it worked really well. It makes the contrasting neck trim look a deliberate design feature, and makes the shirt a little longer which is better with jeans.

In fact, I was so pleased with my efforts, I showed my teen. 

"You know," she said, "I could have loaned you some cash to buy a new top."

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Unseasonal Sewing

I started this renovation project - turning an old pair of trousers into a skirt - back in October,when it might have been warm enough to wear it. I got through all the tricky bits of sewing, adding extra panels down the side seams to make it wide enough, quite quickly then ran up against tracking down material for the inside waistband. After that I really just needed to get the hem turned and sewn, which I felt a bit inclined to leave - possibly even till Spring! I decided it was a better idea though to get it finished, even if it's too thin to wear right now. This way it's ready and waiting come warmer weather.

Despite the fiddling of having to add extra panels, I'm really pleased with how this has turned out. it certainly looks better than the scruffy trousers.

Trousers turning into skirt...continued....

 This project had run up against one of those things which always slow me down - the need to hunt for a bit of fabric in the huge stash hidden upstairs.

All I needed was enough to make a waistband lining but the thought of getting everything out of the cupboard...and then it not going back in again, stopped me from making the effort.

Anyway, eventually I plucked up the courage and sorted something out - a bit a leftover from another skirt-making project. So the waist is lined, but not totally finished. I've added some rather shaky buttonholes for the draw-string (long while since I've done any and forgot how the gadget worked) ...now need to turn everything under and sew it down.

Next step.....hemming...if I can get it level!

Making a feature out of wear and tear

 Walking round with hands stuck in jeans pockets is bad for you! Well, bad for the jeans. This perfectly good pair had completely worn away at the pockets - not just on the outside, where I might have passed it off as deliberately distressed, but inside as well. Time for some repair work....




I knew there was a reason I hoarded all the off-cuts left after turning jeans and cords up...

Half an hour's sewing and the damage has gone - hopefully replaced with something that looks like design feature, not a repair!

Old Trousers = New skirt

So, I had a pair of old linen trousers, way past their best and going in holes. Most of the material was still ok though so I thought I'd chop off the worn bits and make a skirt......but...it wasn't that easy.











Looking more closely, I realised the outside had faded, while the inside had stayed a darker indigo - it's most easily seen in this pic where I've removed a pocket. So instead of a fairly easy chopping up and sew together again, I ended up almost starting from scratch.

I decided to use the bottom of the legs with the material reversed but it wasn't quite wide enough so I added a strip of material down each side seam and widening it at the bottom to make a little 'flip' at the hem -  I'm hoping this will look like a feature rather than a fix.

The material for the pockets came from chopping off the old pockets










and after a test try-on, I decided to add some darts both back and front, although it's still baggy enough to pull on without needing a zip. I haven't quite sorted the waistband yet - I need some more material from somewhere - but I'm going to use the old tie from the trousers to gather and fasten it.






So far I think it looks ok and I'm extremely happy to have found a use for the material.

More Re-thinks

 So far,I seem to be spending more time unpicking and re-working this than moving forwards.

Having already 'rethought' my plans by adding an extra few inches at the front, I've now decided to remove the darts(!)

and just gather the top section onto the 'waistband'.
Despite being a lot of fuss for very little difference, I think I prefer it this way.

So far it looks like a crop-top and I need to add some length. I have the material cut and sorted for this BUT I was going to gather it up to fit and now I've changed my mind. Instead I'll cut it into four tapering pieces - to fit at the waist, then flair out.....unless I re-think it all again....

The Easiest Up-cycling Project Ever

As the weather's so warm we're eating lots of lollies - all of which come on wooden sticks which make excellent labels for seed sowing. This has to be the easiest, and possibly the most fun, upcycling project ever - and one that kids will enjoy helping with :)

A quick re-think...

extra inches needed

I have a few skirts that I made a while ago - simple garments made from two full widths of material (45 inches each) gathered in to a waistband. I've decided these aren't the most flattering of garments but I rather like the flowery material so some re-purposing is called for. With this in mind, I'd cut out pieces for a top, then discovered it was too tight, so wanted to widen the front without making a mess. The easiest way seemed to be to insert an extra panel in the centre.

never throw ANYTHING away!

To make the insertion look like a deliberate design feature, I raided my hoard of lace trimmings, found a piece the right length and 'framed' the extra panel.

A 'design feature' not a fix!

I'm now hoping the rest of the project goes without any hitches.....

Picking up skirt sewing project

The sunshine of the past week or so has persuaded me that it's time to pick up a project I started in Autumn, then abandoned as the weather turned colder.
The pattern is taken roughly from one of my favourite skirts - a simple bias shape with a little elastication at the waist.

It's really quite close to finished and just needs tacking removing and elastic threading through the waist.

From this side it looks done...

but from this the spare elastic still shows!

All should be finished though before the warm weather returns.

A Quick Finish before Autumn

I started this upcycling skirt project at the end of last month but abandoned it as the temperatures dropped. I thought Autumn had come to stay and there was going to be no more need for thin cotton skirts, but yesterday Summer retained so I'm going to finish this quickly in the hope of having chance to wear it.

It's another re-make of an old skirt - turning one that was gathered at the waist into a smoother fitting bias cut. I liked the material, but not the shape! Of course it wasn't wide enough to just cut out the new skirt shape so it had to have lots of triangular add-ons to gibe width and length. From the right-side these joins are barely visible but the inside shows them all! The side seams are done, the waist is to be loosely elasticated which shouldn't take long but the tricky bit may be getting the bottom level - the added in sections have left it with a zigzag line for now!

Finished skirt

Just to prove I have actually finished this skirt - here are the pics. The weather's been so warm and I don't have many short skirts so this has either been worn or in the wash for most of Summer.

One of the most useful things I've made.

A quick sewing project for the heatwave.

 It's such a long while since we've had a hot summer that I don't seem to have any hot weather clothes! I DO however have cupboards stocked with 'useful' bits of material.

 I thought this would make a nice short skirt.

Once, a long time ago, it was a padded shouldered, drop-waisted, ankle length dress of mine. 

Then it was cut and became a wide twirling dress for my toddler-daughter. 

Now it's maybe on its last lease of life before becoming scraps for patchwork.

 The piece above is wide enough for what I need but not long enough..

.. fortunately I discovered the peplum section of the original dress. 

This is enough to make a frill for the hem and will give it the necessary extra few inches.

More posts to follow as I continue.....

Now finished 

'Really' finished now

I know I'd already claimed this to be finished but it was waiting for one little thing - a fastener.

It's always the little jobs that sit around waiting for the longest before I get them done but I have eventually sorted out a toggle and now the bag is ready to use.

As it would have been visible, I didn't want to use ordinary sewing cotton to attach the toggle and, after thinking of using embroidery thread or some wool, I decided to sew it on using thin ribbon. Hopefully it won't wear through quickly.

Finished!! Up-cycled Bag from old trousers.

  At last, after a lot of difficulty turning the strap, I've finished this upcycling project. 

It started life as a pair of outgrown and worn on the knees embroidered trousers which I didn't want to throw away. The lining is from an old skirt and the velvet trim removed from another garment.

All I needed to finish was sew the inner and outer 'bags' together and turn - and this turning went relatively easily.














The only little job left is to find a toggle to fasten through the velvet loop. I definitely have several with a natural wood finish but 'think' I have a bright pink one which would look better.

Picking up my 'up-cycling' project

 I had a free day this week so got my sewing machine going again and worked on this long-running bag-making project. If you haven't caught the earlier posts here and here this is being made from a pair of my daughter's old trousers and lined with an old skirt!

I've at last got it into a 3d bag shape - this is the outside..

..and this the lining

checking to make sure they're the same size

but I decided to add a phone pocket at the last minute.


Next step is sewing and turning handles .. and the end looks almost  in sight.

Abandoned project - continued...

 I've been progressing again in an intermittent way with this bag project.

I cut out the strips for the handle.

Lined and turned the closing flap - which now needs top-stitching

Part of the delay with this project is caused by trying to use the material in two bags. 

The one below hasn't advanced much beyond piecing the front and back panels together using this cord material with some from a printed pair of trousers.

I'm just hoping that I DO have enough material for both.


Previous stage

Reviving an abandoned project

 I'm at last getting round to picking up an abandoned sewing project - turning an old pair of daughter's trousers into bags.

I'd got so far and then ground to a halt while I sorted lining material (old skirt).

lower pocket lining in place

I like to have as many pockets and zipped up sections in a bag as possible - not one cavity with everything jumbled up in it. So, the first thing to tackle was a zipped section

from the right side

 Beyond copying a bag I already own, I have no pattern so this is how I cut out pieces - using a finished section as pattern!

I'm hoping that now I've got this out again, I'll actually get it finished soon! 

Watch this space...