Sleeves To Pants

This is a project I completed a while ago and have never posted mainly because the intended recipient is not interested in them at all for reasons I can't quite pinpoint. The legs of these capris are made from sleeves. The shirt I used had 3/4 length sleeves which turned out to be the perfect length. I added a yoga-type fold over band at the top that was cut from a pair of knit pants. Because I used the existing hem and just sewed the sleeves together, this was a very fast project!

More Upcycled Tank Tops

These projects are rather boring, but useful nonetheless. Sadly my sewing machine and I have been unable to spend much time together due to VBS decorations looming over me (and invading every corner of my house). These two tank tops were made from t-shirts my neighbor gave me. And it is here I would like to add that all these fancy bloggers who post gorgeous pictures of their children...well...I am pretty sure getting those kind of pictures must involve copious amounts of bribery and a sprinkling of death threats. I skipped the bribery and death threats, and these are the pictures I came up with.

(This shirt is my favorite! You can't tell, but it has glitter and little tiny gems to bedazzle it)

Earring Holder of Awesomeness

My friend Erin sent me this cool earring holder which she made by simply spray-painting a cheese grater. I love it! 

Feed Bag Bag

This is my second go at a feed bag bag...how is that for grammatically awkward? This time I took it in at the sides and hacked quite a bit off the bottom. The size is more manageable, but I still want to tweak it. The lining is some awesome fabric I found in Lancaster. It reminds me of a whimsical version of American Gothic. I have had it for a while and it isn't exactly fabric you can use for any old project, but it works perfectly with a feed bag!

Another Upcycle: Pants to Tote Bag

Also in the bag from my neighbor were a few pairs of jeans. I cut the seams up the leg to flatten out the pieces and cut the bag. The applique was cut from some fabric I bought at Obi's a while back and have been waiting for an excuse to use. The polka dot lining is also from Obi's. I sewed this up and gave it to the neighbor who gave me all the clothes. I think she was surprised that it was made from her pants! :)

T-Shirt to Shopping Bag

This shirt came in a bag of clothes from my neighbor and I knew I had to do something with it because...Jerry Garcia meets Energizer Bunny? It is just begging to be made into something funny. I have seen where people cut the sleeves off and sew the bottom shut to make a shopping bag. It seems all fine and dandy, but I don't think that would hold up too well. I decided to add a little bias tape around the edges to hopefully make it more sturdy. 

Upcycled Tank Top

My neighbor brought me a big bag of womens clothes last week that were all in great shape. To make this tank top I traced off one of my girl's store-bought tank tops and cut the pieces out of one of the shirts. It was quick to sew up and after a few modifications, I think I can come up with a good pattern to work with. I have several other shirts out of the stack that will make great tank tops for my daughter. The picture below is a good example of what I usually get when I ask her to stand still for a picture!

The Tunic of Mass Frustration

So...the tunic. I see cute renditions of them around the web and I had big dreams for making one of my own. The problem is that they don't have a whole lot of shape. Translation: they can end up looking like a tent. I used a very basic tunic pattern to start, and then went from there. I made several tweaks to it and redrafted the facing pieces into one piece and made it an exterior facing. The sleeves were also a funky length, which I shortened and added the contrasting band. The white is this really pretty eyelet I got on fabric.com and the navy blue is from a bed sheet (!) When I completed the top, it fit well in the shoulders but it hung like a tent. I ended up adding diamond darts in the back and that helped, but the front is still a little poofy. I am debating adding darts in front, but then I would have to add a side zipper, and as it is the fabric wrinkles fast I don't know if its really worth it. I think I might make it again in a fabric that has a nice drape and it would be more successful. Thoughts, questions, concerns? Should I wear it or is it destined for the scrap pile??

Feed Bag to Reusable Bag

For a while now, I have had this idea stuck on my head. I saw a similar one somewhere and have wanted to try it ever since. I used an empty feedbag and lined it with cotton. Next time, I will make it smaller. This one would make a great beach bag bag since it is so big. 

Skirt From Outgrown Jeans

This is one of those projects that hasn't been getting much use. I like how it turned out, and my daughter said she loves it but never ever wears it. I just hacked the legs off a pair of outgrown jeans and sewed the ruffles on the bottom. The fabric is Michael Miller princess castles, and you get bonus points if you spot my signature notion...

Clutch

I made this clutch for a friend who was graduating from college last week. I used Noodlehead's tutorial. The outside is denim from a pair of jeans. The band is a scrap of quilter's cotton. The inside is lined with a fabric that our friend brought back from Africa. She really loves Africa so I just had to use a piece of that fabric. The butterfly was made a while ago, in my jewelry making class. It has been waiting for just the right project. And guess what? I actually finished two projects over the weekend! Tomorrow, I'll post pictures of the kid harness I made. Yes, I have stooped to using a leash for my kid....

Summer Upcycle 2

I've had this linen dress in my closet for years but it was a strange length. It fell a couple of inches above my ankles and it made my short legs look even shorter which was no good. Anyway, I loved LOVED the detail of the fabric and wanted to utilize it somehow. So, I chopped it in half, hemmed the top and added elastic to make a skirt. Now don't judge me and the elastic because I tried various pleats and any other detail just added too much superfluous texture...plus, elastic was just easier and gets hidden by whatever top I wear with it!

The Three Eggs, Sunny Side Up Skirt

Someone passed along a cute dress for my daughter, but it was too small for her. I almost put it in the thrift store bag, but decided instead to do a little up-cycling. I chopped off the skirt, gathered it and made a waistband. Voila! New skirt. I will say that after seeing the construction of this store bought dress, I am not impressed. The hem is just a serged raw edge. Scandalous! I think I will stick to sewing my own.

Summer Upcycle - Dress to Top

I found this paisley dress stashed in my packed up summer clothes. I wasn't thrilled with the fit as a dress anymore so I chopped several inches from the bottom and finished it off with a rolled hem (which makes me feel smug). Now it looks really cute as a light summer tank top! As a bonus, the seams were already serged so it looks like I actually bought it this way :)

Hurry! Hurry! Read All About It!!

A while back, I made a newsboy cap for my oldest son using this tutorial. For a while, he wouldn't wear it. Then, he decided that if Chappy (Grandpa) had a 'nettie boy' hat, it must be alright. He also decided it was 'farmer-ish,' thus fitting his qualifications for clothing. Somehow the whole 'newsboy' got lost in translation, becoming 'nettie boy.' Since he has decided to make friends with the hat, it has been pretty much glued to his head. Someone asked him the other day if he slept in it too. Almost. He puts it on his pillow. Now that my youngest son's noggin is larger than a grapefruit, I decided that I could probably rig one up to fit him. I had just enough remaining from the shirt to make another one, and all I did to 'downsize' it was to use a 1/2 " seam allowance instead of a 1/4". It fits perfectly and he likes it because its the same as his big bro's.

Note the scrumptious little tufts of baby hair!

Look, Ma! We match!

Mini-Chimney Sweep

Barn Window Project

Several years back, I hit the jackpot. (I suppose it depends on your perspective, but...:) I found a whole pile of really old windows on the curb. Around these parts, trash picking is a big past time. If its on the curb, its fair game. Although the curb in question was a on a busy road, I couldn't resist. I think I was with Mom, and we frantically packed window after window into the van. At some point, the owner of the place came out and told us that they were original windows from one of the farm buildings out back, the house being very old. (1700's if I remember correctly) We have since moved once or twice and I have carted a few of the windows with me, with my husband cheering all the way. OK. Maybe not that last part. Anyhow, long story short, I decided that redoing my son's room in a farm theme was the perfect occasion for a window! I added two hooks to the bottom, so he can hang his stuff there. Two of the panes were missing, so I hung a horse shoe and a cowboy ornament in those openings. In the other panes, I attached 5 by 7 prints to the outside of the glass so I could easily change them. I might regret that later, but since it is hanging in the room of boys, we had to make sure it could withstand Armageddon, or at least a monkey or two trying to repel from the hooks. Not that my kids would ever try such a thing! :) What I am trying to say is that that bad boy ain't coming off the wall unless its moving time, and certainly not to switch out pictures now and again! I am really happy with the way it came out, and it renews my desire to use up every single window I have in the attic.

Pants Into Pants

My husband finally gave up on my favorite pair of his dress pants. At 6'4", he has a hard time finding pants long enough. These ones were just a little short and drove him crazy. So, I cut them up! I used the Willow Wayfarers pattern yet again. Seriously, I can't say enough about this pattern. It fits my skinny kids perfectly! I think I have made about 20 pairs from it so far. That's $4 well spent. For these pants, once I split the leg seam apart, I laid them flat and lined the bottom of the pattern along the already hemmed edge, thus saving myself a step. Now the little gremlin has a pair of dress pants, even if all he wants to do is go outside and play:

The Skirt That Does Not Love Me Back

I love this skirt. Alas, it does not love me back. This is the second time I made this pattern, and I **thought** I had a nice idea of what I would do better. Ha! I added a bit to give it a little more ease in the back, or at least I thought I did. In all honesty, I have no idea what happened. Somehow the same skirt, from the same pattern, turned out not to fit me and I really don't know where I went wrong. I am going to keep it around in hopes that it will work out. The fabric is from the fabulous yard sale we hit a few summers ago. A lady was selling boxes of brand new curtains that she had from her job. (She would photograph them for catalogs) She was selling them really cheap (like a buck or two each). This one is a purplish color...hard to describe and even harder to photograph realistically. It is a nice sturdy weight. The top of the curtain had a whole row of wooden toggle buttons that I cut off and saved for another project. The skirt buttons are vintage shell buttons from the stash that my Grandma and Aunt Phylis so generously gave me last spring. Seriously, I have such an obsession with buttons I could plan whole projects around them! I think a project like this is in my future.

Polka Dot Dress

Here is a dress I finished this week for my daughter. (The turtleneck is not part of the dress, but it was only 19 degrees this morning) The main fabric is baby-wale corduroy and the neck ruffle and sleeve trim are made from my sister-in-law's dress refashion. (*See below*) I cheated on the sash, and used a wide black satin ribbon. I must say that while I love the dress, I am not a fan of the cape. It's cute, but it doesn't drape well and I think she looks sort of like a nun. Also, I have come to the conclusion that anyone who is able to take nice photos of their children wearing beautiful handmade things is either using tranquilizers or lots of candy to keep their kids still. :)

**Since I keep talking about it, here is a photo of the dress, after we hemmed it. The section we cut off has since provided me with enough fabric for three projects!

Ruffled Clutch

Here are two clutches I made for my sister-in-law and Mom. I saw something similar in a Macy's ad, and decided to use it as a springboard to make my own. After looking again at the store bought one, I think it looks pretty cheesy, not to mention that it costs $58! The black one is made from scraps I had from a previous project: my sister-in-law had a floor length gown that we turned into a knee-length dress. That left a lot of material to play with. The green one is made from a tablecloth I found on clearance a while back. The embroidered part was a border around the tablecloth. Both close via magnetic snap, and the brooches are actually from Michaels. I am planning on posting the measurements/instructions for it, as I am working on a third one right now.