FRUMP to WRAP (NO SEWING MACHINE REFASHION)

Sorry for the blurry picture it is hard to take a picture of yourself in a mirror, very hard. I didn't know what to do with my face. I felt it was better to look away than to smile goofy and mess up the one picture that had enough light that you could see the shirt.

I loved the color it spoke to me, so I picked it up at a thrift store for less than .50. It didn't fit. I was going to wear it unbuttoned and cut the cardigan down but fate had a different plan. When I can't figure out what to do with a piece, I wear it for a day and mess with it every hour and try to envision it differently each time.
Here was the cardigan. It is a descent cardigan. However, I am wondering who makes horizontal stripped cardigans in an extra large... apparently Old Navy does. I can imagine why the original owner tossed it out.
Seamrip all of the buttons off.
Then line the button hole side up with the side seam on the opposite side, like this.
And it is completely over.
Place a mark through each button hole onto the seam line.
Then sew a button on each marking.
Double your thread over when sewing buttons on. Then go in and out of the holes at least three times. Then tie off in a square knot and you are done. Sew each button on. It only took a few minutes. Do it while watching television and it will even go faster. I had to take a few breaks especially when my two year old needed a kiss every few minutes.
Then you will need to secure the other side in place. You will need a set of snaps for this.
I don't know if you can see but I measured down from the armpit of the shirt to my first button hole. Then I did the same on the other side and sewed on half of the snap there.
Then I looked for remainings thread from when I seamripped the buttons off to identify where I removed the first button. I sewed the other side of the snap here. (ALSO: If I was a skinny minny, I would have sewn a snap at the bottom too but I am not so I didn't because I didn't want to have the cardigan stretched funny there. I chose to let it hang. However, if you are a skinny minny I think it would look more high-end to add a snap there also.)
Done, easy peasy. Enjoy the tutorial. Lovin' my model stance? I crack myself up. I am so ackward in pictures.

INTERRUPT REGULAR SCHEDULE PROGRAM FOR A QUESTION

I want to start a series called ask refashionlisa. You can ask any question having to do with refashioning, sewing, or even fashion and I will do my best to answer. Just e-mail me. The information is on my side bar.

Question: My sister is working on appliqueing some stars on quilts for her boys. Do you have a tutorial you could send her way? I tried to describe your technique to her but of course failed. Can you help her out?

Joy

Funny you ask Joy. I have a quick story. I had this same question from the girl who I didn't know when I first moved to Pittsburgh. I did my best to teach her but the technique I knew was complex. Then she invited me to take a hand quilting class with her. We learned this far simpler technique from a dear old lady named Maxine. Her quilt finally got completed with all of its little stars right before we parted ways. She became and still is one of my dearest friends. Hooray for applique.
Just to make it applicable to this blog I thought I would include this picture. My sister used this same technique for a pair of jeans that had holes is them, they were my neices and now they are my daughters. I paired it with this shirt I made out of two old t-shirts and I think the outfit is adorable. Let's begin.Freezer paper. You must have it. You can get it at your local grocery store. It is usually with the alumin foil and Ziploc bags, however sometimes it can be found in the baking section, look around. I know there are tutorials on using old dryer sheets which is nice in theory but so much harder to do. It is cheap around 3.50 a roll and you can do a million appliques off of one roll. It is worth the investment.
I have always seen it with a little craft do-hicky on the side.
Find a star on the web. Print it.
Trace it on a piece of freezer paper. Not with a sharpie. I did it only so my marking would be visible. Use a pencil.
Cut it out.
Iron it on to your fabric. Don't use steam it will warp the paper. Iron it shiny side down.

It will stick to your fabric.
Then cut at around a quarter inch seam allowance all the way around. I use to measure. Now I just eye it.
There you are. This is what your front will look like.
Here is the back.
Clip in at every inward point on the star.

Clip the tips a little bit.
Now pull out your glue stick. Any glue stick will do. I haven't found one brand works better than another.
Glue along the edge of the applique. Then start by pinching all of the points in.
Then pinch the fabric onto the freezer paper. Use small careful rapid pinches move upward from an inward point to the outer point all along the star.
Tuck the fabric and use a little more glue so the points will look like points. Do the best you can. As you can tell from the picture mine isn't perfect either.
Apply glue liberally to the back side of the star.
Place it where you want on your quilt. Just like you are in Kindergarten and you are gluing a star to a piece of construction paper.
Then use a straight stitch to sew along the very edge of the star. If you blow this picture up you can see. I have the cut out nich of my pressure foot along the edge of my applique piece. The needle follows the pressed metal nich, so it should be barely over from the edge.
I use a small stitch length. Usually a 2. You can start anywhere but when you get to an inward or outward point just put your needle down into the fabric, lift the pressure foot and pivot the piece of fabric. Then continue sewing. Then when you reach another point stop, put needle down, pull pressure foot up, pivot, and continue. Easy. When you get to your starting point run over it by five or six stitches, then back stitch and you are done. (This will ensure your applique threads won't gradually come out over time.)
Walla. You have a little star appliqued right on your quilt. Or on your kids jeans.

WARNING: This is not a tutorial for appliquing on a t-shirt or a onesie. A tutorial like this will come. I promise. This is not it. HUGS.

DAY 8 LITTLE BOY TIE

I have never priced little boy ties before. I didn't know what to expect. This tie pictured is expensive. Leave a comment and guess how much it was. Anyway, sadly I don't have a little boy. I do have a few nephews, so I am excited for these two awesome tutorials. One will teach you how to turn a man's tie into a boy's tie, for that click here. The other one will teach you have to make your own little boys tie, for that click here. If you use these women's tutorials, leave them a little love.

DAY 7 MAN's SHIRT to BUTTON UP GIRL's DRESS

There are so many great tutorials for refashioning your husband's old shirt. One I see a lot is refashioning his shirt into a dress for your little girl. I have my own man's shirt to dress in the works. I have kept one of my honey's shirts from our dating years and I have cut it into a dress for CC. I have not finished it yet but look for it in a future post. For now here are some very, very talented women who have done it successfully. Click here, here, and here for their tutorials and if you use their tutorial leave them a comment and tell them how much you appreciate them sharing their talents.

DAY 6 FRUMPY to FABULOUS CARDIGAN

I love taking something in my closet that is no longer attractive and cutting it down to fit my daughters. It is suprising to me how a item of clothing can become so dang cute just by making it smaller. This girl is so talented. Her blog is also full of fun ideas if you want to browse. Here is her great and easy tutorial on how to turn a frumpy woman's cardigan into a so cute little girl's cardigan. I think it is a thousand times more adorable than the one pictured from the GAP for 29.50. Click here for the tutorial.

DAY 5 T-SHIRT to GAOCHO

Gaocho's are so comfortable on little girls and and if you higher the waistline and straighten out the legs you have a great pair of little boy pants. (I will try to include little boy tutorials on this blog.) You can make pants like these out of an old t-shirt you have around the house. This is one of the first major blogs I came across when I started doing searches on refahioning. I think she has a unique style that is fun and everyday. Explore her blog if you haven't before, you won't regret it. Click here for her tutorial on gaocho.

P.S. She has a tutorial for little boy and little girl pants. Well, it is the same pattern but she has such cute fun styles of each. Browse, you will love it.

DAY 4 CAP SLEEVE T-SHIRT

158$ at Anthropology right now or you could just click here and follow her tutorial. Then cut a long piece of fabric about 18" wide and yard long and twist it over on itself and attach it to the neckline of your t-shirt. Who pays $158.00 for a shirt? I don't. It is okay if it is your thing, but if it isn't and you want to look great anyway try this.

DAY 3 HEMMING JEANS

There are some people out there that can't find a pair of jeans long enough. This post isn't for you. There are others out there that don't like the hem of their pants dragging in the dirt. This post is for you.

The best solution is wear heals. They will look hot and classy. However, if you are a mom like me and running around in heals all day doesn't sound appealing then here is another option, hem those jeans. Don't let them sit in your closet and never wear them.

Also, if you are a conservative like me and you were walking through the thrift store and found a pair of jeans in perfect condition that are a size too big for your daugher, buy them and hem them. Here is a great tutorial for hemming jeans, especailly for little kids. Most people don't fold they cut but if you want to hem temporary until your wee one grows then this is a great solution. Click here.

P.S. If you are interested in some of the things people have made from an old pair of jeans, click here.

DAY 2 SKIRTS to DRESSES

I know you all have one of those skirts in your closet that you are never going to wear again. Trust me you are never going to wear it. It is so bold in color, it has polka dots or strips or large flowers all over it and you keep looking at it and thinking, elephants are large and canaries are small for a reason. Besides, you don't want that pattern on that area of your body. Well, don't worry it wasn't a total waste of money because bold patterns are so cute on little girls. Try doing this with it instead of giving it to good will. Click here. If you use this tutorial then leave her a comment and post a picture to her flicker group she will love it.

DAY 1 FLOUNCES

Each of these little girl shirts cost more than $40.00 from J-CREW. You could make some out of an old t-shirt cut into flounces and applied to one of your daughters shirts. Also, if you have been to your daughter's closet and all of her long sleeve shirts are too short and have turned to belly shirts. Then add a flounce to her sleeves and the bottom of her shirt. It is so easy. There is a great tutorial on how to create your own flounce. Click here.

8 DAYS OF REFASHIONING

WOW. I am sorry, that tutorial was long but we are going to do so much with that shirt and make at least five variations. It is a great staple for any wardrobe. Look for the variations in upcomming months.

Today, right now we are going to do the 8 days of refashioning. I am going to take you on a journey through the web and give you a peak at some of my favorite sewing tutorials and introduce you to some very talented people. Get excited. This is going to be fun. This will run from December 1 - 8.

FINISHED

Isn't she hot? If you want to look as hot, just follow this tutorial. I know it is a long tutorial but some of my friends who haven't sewn much begged me to make it as detailed as possible. This shirt would typically take me two hours to make and the tutorial took me two months to write. I am better at sewing than writting.
This shirt was made from a pile of clothes I was just going to thrift. I love the saying, "Use it up. Wear it out. Make it do or do without." I love making something beautiful from another person's trash. All you need to make this shirt is an old shirt your husband no longer wears, as long as you have a smaller frame than him. (Curse skinny men. ;))A sewing machine and some thread and a little elastic thread and the pattern you are good to go. If you don't have a sewing machine look on craig's list. The best brand is a Bernina. Even a really old Bernina will do an amazing job.
All my sisters are begging me to make one for them for Christmas. Maybe I will. Maybe you should make some for a few women you love.

A1 WATCH THIS TRANSFORMATION

It all starts with a man's shirt. An old one you have lying around the house or one that you buy at a thrift store. Just watch what we can do.

A2 McCALL'S 5929

A pattern is nice to have. I refashion a lot for little kids without one but when you are refashioning for an adult especially a woman you need a pattern. There are a lot of curves to a female figure so a pattern is necessary. (Was that redundant, yes.) Eventually, I would love to write my own patterns but until then this one will do the trick. DO NOT BE INTIMIDATED BY A PATTERN. I WILL BE HERE HOLDING YOUR HAND THE WHOLE WAY. :)

P.S. Our final shirts will not look like the one pictured. It is simply a pattern we are going to base our shirt on.


A few things to note about patterns.

1. Pattern Pricing.

We are refashioning to save money. Pattern's are expensive. Luckily, fabric stores often have sales on patterns, especially during the holidays. You can call your local Joann's or Hancock and ask when their next sale on patterns is. Usually, the pattern will be .99 - 1.50, which is super cheap. However, if you want to follow this tutorial day by day and want to start now then just click here and order it. The cost is around 10.00, which isn't a lot of money for a shirt especially if you are going to use your husband's old shirt to transform. Then the total cost of your shirt will be 10.00, + plus thread, elastic thread, and interfacing. However, each additional shirt will be substantially cheaper. Around free. We are going to make different variations of this shirt, so it will be a good pattern to own.

2. Pattern Size Selection

You aren't fat, patterns run large. Gap, Banana Republic, Abecrombie and Finch have all have learned that women like to feel skinny. Through the years these companies have made the labels to their clothes smaller and smaller while pattern companies have remained consistent. If your pattern says you are a size twelve, don't be offended. I know you are a size two, it is okay. I have given a lot of sewing lessons through the years and this is always a discussion with my students. Look at the back flap of your pattern envelope. You will have to enlarge this picture to get a good look at it. Then take a measuring tape and measure yourself. If you have any questions about measuring yourself click here or leave a comment. On the flap of your pattern look at the body measurement chart. The most important measurement for this pattern is Bust, Waist, Hip. Here are my measurements. 35 inch bust, 31 inch waist, 38 inch hips. As you can see from the flap there is no size I fit in. My bust is a size 12 1/2. My waist is a size 16 1/2. My hips are a size 14. Yeah, now what? It would be easier if we could all fit in a mold. Sigh. I am going to start in the middle. I will make myself a size 14. If you have any questions on which size to choose write, "My friend is ____ measurements in the comment box below and ask for a suggestion." No one will ever know it was your measurements. Or, just send me an e-mail. Then get your pattern and get ready to start. We are going to have some fun.