Blogging- Take 2

So, I'm back. It's only been, you know, like 5 months. Oops. Somehow, the time for doing projects and posting  about them was gone, just gone when school started back up. It was a busy semester but it is over and sweet summer is here. Actually, I guess it has been for a about a month now. Really, I'm just jumping back on the band-wagon rather slowly. So, bear with me please.

But, I am very excited to start everything again. I've been working on some things recently for the Encores Consignment Sale, which takes place this Saturday. So, if you're anywhere near Bloomington, come check it out; it's gonna be great, I just know it. And, expect more posts soon that have more to do with sewing and less to do with not sewing. :)

The Best Home-Schooling Outfit Ever

Take a second and think. What's one thing you are pretty much guaranteed to find at a thrift store? Guess. (I dare you.) The answer: a blue jean jumper. I was looking the other day and decided that you could find one about anywhere. You know the kind- as long as a tree, pretty baggy, shaped like a box and just not flattering on most anyone. 

Now, this is my kinda predicament! How can I take something that just looks..well...frumpy and make you want to wear it? Where's the potential in this? How would I change it? Those questions pop in my brain, quickly followed by many ideas and itching fingers. And then, oh, then I have to sew. 

Among my garbage bag assortment of clothes mentioned earlier was this:

And...

it was a maternity one. For me, that feels like a triple-word score. It just can't be beat. 

I like a challenge, so I jumped right in. First, taking off the side ties was a must. After using a seam ripper to get those off, I sewed the two ties together to make one long one. Set this aside to tie around the dress later. Moving on.

To make it more like a dress and less like a jumper, I wanted to take it up at the shoulders. I used the seam ripper again to open up the seam at the straps.  In the picture, the shoulder strap on the right is just opened. Then, I flipped the dress inside out to begin sewing. I lined the straps up again, cut off about an inch and sewed straight across.

After working on the top half, the next step was to take it in down the sides. The dress was kind of rounded and I wanted to get rid of all the extra fabric and make it more fitted. With the dress still inside out, starting at the top of the armhole, about an inch and a half in

  

I sewed straight down along the edge, gradually getting bigger as I neared the end. By increasing the amount of fabric between the original seam of the dress and where I was sewing, it took in a lot of the extra fabric that made up the skirt. After doing that to both sides, I could turn the dress right side out and try it on. If it was still too big, I could do another seam further in, taking in a little bit more fabric until it fit. After I got it to where it fit well, I cut off all of the extra fabric, leaving about half an inch from the seam.

At this point, all that was then left to work on was the length. I usually prefer things to hit either just below my knee, or just above. Since this one was down by my ankles, I started by cutting off a large amount, getting it closer to where I would want to sew. While it's still inside out, I folded it up about a half an inch and then fold over that again, leaving a clean edge.  Then, I just sewed a straight stitch all the way around the bottom hem.

And, voila! It's done. Here are some photos of the finished product: a close-up, a summer version and a winter one.

  

I am pretty excited with how it turned out. And, there's an endless supply, with each dress being a little different and adding it's own flavor. Maybe this isn't technically upcycling, as the dress stayed a dress, but I'm counting it.

The Goods

So, thrift stores are cheap. But, when one is going out of business, it gets even cheaper. This happened a few weeks ago and I stocked up. You know, fill a trash bag for like $13 bucks of random items that have some potential. After all, if I mess up, it probably only cost a quarter. 


Since garage sale season is long gone, I was pretty happy to hit upon this. It will keep me busy during a cold winter. The first few upcycling creations will probably be from these goods. One man's junk is definitely another man's treasure. Or woman's, in this case.