Sewing With Purpose and Repurpose

Polka Dots and Stripes I often buy baggy style clothing in the name of ease and comfort, then feel like I am out in public in my night gown. That was the situation with the dress below, I bought it because it was fun and whimsical but it turned out I looked like I was only my way to a pajama party. I still like the whimsical part of the garment, so I am going to re-purpose it into something a bit more bat wing-ish and fitted in the hips. You can re-purpose any dress into a bat wing top, great for garments that no longer fit in the waist but still hold some mystique. All you will need is some additional fabric to make the sleeves and waist/hip and arm bands. NEED TO PURCHASE: You will need 1 meter of 4 way stretch fabric for the sleeves and a half meter for the waist/hip and sleeve band. STEP 1: You will need to cut 2 bat wing pattern pieces. I used some large sketching newsprint, but you can use what you have on hand. These pieces you can adjust based on your heigh...

TIE PUZZLE This is a variation on the last post of a silk scarf made with re-purposed men's ties. This one has some interesting lines and can be worn in a variety of ways, but the one displayed I think is the most interesting. STEPS 1: Materials, you will need: 1. Half meter of silk, approx. 18 inches (or 45 cm) and 54 inches wide. Use a silk that has some body as it is easier to sew with. 2.  You will need 2 men's neck ties that match or contrast the half meter of silk. 3. Seam ripper, scissors, thread, etc. STEP 2:  Seam rip both ties so they are open flat and remove the cloth facing inside the tie. Do not seam rip the end of the tie, keep the end points intact. Iron both ties flat. STEP 3: Iron the silk and cut in half so you have 2 equal pieces approximately 27 in. x 18 in. STEP 4: Fold the 2 ties in half, wrong sides together then pin each tie to the longest side of one piece of the silk, raw edges touching. The pointed end of the tie should b...

SOMETHING BLUE I am always looking for a way to make a fun new scarf out of beautiful silks I come across at vintage or second hand shops. I love the pattern and texts of men's ties and am looking for ideas to re-purpose them. I mostly get the thumbs down from my daughters on my tie creations and they have in the past begged me not to wear my tie outfits out of the house. These tie projects are pretty safe and might not even be recognized as being ties in a previous life, well not the first one any way. STEPS 1: Materials, you will need: 1. Half meter of silk, approx. 18 inches (or 45 cm) and 45 inches wide 2. Although the image below shows only one, you will need 2 men's neck ties 3. Seam ripper, scissors, etc. STEP 2:  Seam rip both ties so they are open flat and remove the cloth facing inside the tie. STEP 3: Iron both ties and cut 2 each ties in 18 inch lengths trying to get the maximum width for each piece. STEP 4: Iron the silk and cut in...

In the quest to find clothes that are kind to my menopausal body, while filling my need to re-use clothing I am tired of wearing I came across the Burda 6851 pattern . This is a dress/top pattern and I was sold on it instantly, for 2 reasons: Muffin Top be Gone: It has side block panels to camouflage muffin tops or back bra strap bulges. Re-use Factor High: There are small pattern pieces which leave me open to re-use clothes I am tired of wearing but still like and have life left in them. I made 3 versions of this pattern, one dress and 2 longer tops, the tops can be worn with tights. I modified the neck line on all three version because when I asked my husband what he thought, during the sewing process, he said it looked like a scuba suit. Ask an honest question and get an honest answer. Version 1: I reused fabric I that was leftover from a previous project on the top sleeve fronts. I love this fabric it is a 60's design, crisp and fun. Version 2: I have a habit o...

JUST ADD SCARF Looking like you made an attempt to present yourself to the world, but don't like to shop, is a challenge. My fall back outfit is a safe neutral, usually black, accompanied by a fun scarf. For that reason, my collection of scarfs needs to be wide and varied, if I am going to put together something that looks unique and like I put in a few minutes of effort. Some of my scarfs need a new life, so I have taken on a project to re-purposed a few old scarves, making a fun scarf can be fun squared. FUN SCARF SQUARED! To begin my "fun scarf squared" project I started with a few old scarfs, for various reasons, I no longer wear. In the photo below, the centre scarf, my first husband brought me back from India, while I love the pattern and think it is beautiful, it is too scratchy, the other 2 don't have enough body and have frills and frills won't do. The colours go well together and I through in my brother-in-laws old tie for a colour anchor. STE...