Thrilled with the refashion

I went from a stack of linen shirts and jackets, all from Op shops at a total cost of $8

To a casual colour blocked shift dress. I used a dress that I enjoy wearing and overlaid it as I cut items for this. That pattern worked out quite well considering I did not even make a paper pattern.  

I really like natural fabrics being linen, cotton and wool. This being 100% linen shirts has made it a bit stiffer than the shift I modelled it off. I need to start thinking about the flow of material. Recently I have purchased a few "fake" material tunics and the drift about the larger body frame rather nicely. 

I was really struggling to get enough dark material for the bottom of the dress so made a bias binding and used that for the hemming 

Absolutely thrilled with the secret pockets in the front of the tunic. I get really annoyed that ladies gear often does not have pockets. What to do with my phone and car keys? Drives me nuts. So these are quite deep. 

Now I have some sleeves and lots of buttons to do something with. Can't waste a thing. 

This has been on my to do list for about two years. I put it onto this quarters projects to finish with "2016 finish a long" to motivate me. And yay it is done.

 as well as these other links and now a new link up with one of my favourite refashion blogs "Sew Outside the Lines"

A finish - upcycling via the sewing table

Yay, I started and finished something in the same day. A hat. Just in time to head off to Fiji.

I have been meaning to make another hat for summer and think about it often (the last three summers!!). So finally realising my hat was in the caravan and I needed to pack for the tropics, I pulled out an old linen shirt and started cutting.

I used McCalls 2163 with a huge amount of adaption. I quilted the top of the head piece and the brim. Made the brim wider, did not follow their instructions - all the typical behaviour of someone who does not want to be told what to do!!

I am so thrilled with it that I have already pulled out an another linen shirt - in black - and have cut out a new one already. More alterations than before. So there will be another update (soon I hope).

Now on to finishing all those headbands for Christmas.....
I link to these places.

Refashion - linen top for me

I have been stashing this long sleeved 100% linen shirt for ages intending to make a summer top. I had wanted a wee capped sleeve but the armholes on these shirts are huge. When sewing under the arms it was still too big for a sleeve and I even had to put a little facing in to make it decent.

The linen shirt I started with

So I took the main collar off as it was really large and on a summer day when the back of my neck is sunburnt I like my collar to stand up. Using some cute patchwork material I made a much smaller version.

The side view - with a high low bottom

Fixed the arm holes and took the arms off altogether. One arm ended up being the binding for the armholes. I was going to use my quilting material but could not bring myself to cut through my metre of fabric to make a bias strip!! So I did a square cut and put it around the bottom, after I had changed the shirt tails to a high / low look. A bit of a cheat really.

I link to these places.

Refashion a business man's shirt - sewing for me

From this

To this

I really liked the material that this shirt was made from. 100% organic cotton and it has a natural look and image to it. I should have taken a close up of it to really show. Anyway. There was enough material in it to make a little cap sleeve top for me. I actually used a pattern this time (very unlike me!). I have decided that the front looks OK but I do not like the back, it is all puffy and doesn't drape. So I am going to try putting the pattern on the bias and see how it goes as I think that will give it a lot more shape. As Gilli pointed out - it could do with being longer, but because it was a refashion I did not have enough material to do that.

Linking to these places.

It's not just me!!

When I was away on my yearly quilting retreat I sat by Colleen. Now that it not unusual in itself but it was really funny that we were in the same seating this year and we were the only two people using recycled fabric. I wished I had a photo of what Colleen made. She had all her husbands old business shirts that had worn through at the collar and cuffs and had cut them into rectangles and made it into the most gorgeous summer beachy look quilt. 

Colleen and I upcycling a storm

I was also using business shirts big time. My nightie had ripped as the back was just so worn. But the bottom material was still really good (it also had been a refashion). So I still needed a nightie as I was short. Add one blue and white pinstripped business shirt and voila, a new nightie. All the binding ws made by me too. The blue binding at the bust and sleeve was another cotton shirt and the neck binding was a stripe business shirt.

So for those who know the band "Flight of the Concords", due to the material this nightie is made from I have named it "business time"!
I link to these places

Using Men's Business Shirts

Anyone who knows me knows that I collect fabric. Well a long time ago I realised that a man's business shirt has a lot of fabric in it and so I started collecting 100% cotton or linen ones. I have made many things from french inspired cushion covers to aprons.

This time I made a nightie. This is a pattern that I use a lot as it is simple, comfy and reasonably decent if someone knocks on the door. The bias binding that I posted about the other day was for specifically for this.

the shirts - total cost $3

I needed a new nightie and got inspired when Miriam posted about her dress made from two different men's shirts. So behind the machine I whipped this up just in time to take to Rarotonga. The pink shirt was a bit more see through than I realised at first, so it is completely lined with the pink check shirt.

The labels.

Just for a bit of fun I put all the labels from the shirts onto the back of the skirt.

I link to these places

Shirt Apron - How to

A while ago I posted the beginning of my Xmas present making and it was for a shirt Apron. This is a apron made from a recycled business man's shirt. I now am the proud owner of a Pierre Cardin apron!!

When I made it a lot of people were looking for a tutorial. So two weeks ago when I was on my quilting retreat with the Material Girls, I made the last four shirt apron's. I took some photos and what follows is my tutorial for how I make them.

First start with the shirts you want to turn into Aprons. I only use 100% cotton as I know how it reacts and it is easy to clean. Find some bindings or ribbon that you can use for ties and to bind two seams. Also get any other decoration etc you may want.

Cut the side seams from the bottom of the shirt to the armhole. Cut along the stitching on the edge that is the back of the shirt. You want the stitched and neatened seam to remain along the side of the apron so that you do not have to do anything more to finish that area.

Cut from the bottom of the armhole to the seam on the shoulder. Draw and cut a straight line to the collar.

Once cut it should look like this. Do the other armhole.

Cut the shirt back and yolk off the collar from one side to the other. Again cutting just under all the seaming for the collar so that you do not need to do anything more to finish this area.

Your shirt should now look like this. If it had an amazing label like Pierre Cardin etc then I remove that from the collar or shirt yolk and restitch it somewhere obvious on the front. 

Use the sleeve of the shirt to make a pocket. This is the shape I tend to use. If it is a short sleeved shirt you can use the cuff of the sleeve for the top of the pocket. If not then cut your shape and turn the top down and stitch in place. Add any trims you want and stitch them in place. Fold under the sides and bottom and iron down flat.

Put the pocket onto the left front of the apron and pin in place. Stitch the pocket on - I tend to do a double row as it secures it well and looks smart.

Bind the edge of the shirt where the sleeve was removed. Bind from the collar down to the side seam. You can use Bias binding, or fold under and use ribbon or make some binding from the back of the shirt.

Add ribbon or binding or whatever you have to the side as ties. Make sure they are a good long length for tying around.

et Voila - you posh finished shirt Apron (you can see on this one that I also put ric rac on the breast pocket. But the world is your oyster when it come to embellishing.

Do let me know if you make any. I link to these places.

Super prepared - making Xmas Presents

Finished. 

Well I have started the mission that is called the Christmas Present List. Tick off the second. (The first was some zip pouches). Last year I made my first apron from an Op Shop (Charity Shop) man's shirt. A lot of kids that I have among my group of friends have admired it. So I decided that it totally fits my ethos for Christmas presents.
1. Does not take too long
2. Is not expensive (I got this shirt for $1)
3. Utilises what I have on hand
4. Is useful
So I am now going to Op Shops with this present in mind. I sewed this one in the hour while waiting for dinner to cook. I have one more cut and ready to go. Should finish it tonight. I love getting things on my list actually completed!

To keep it looking good I would have used Red bias on the edges and for the ties, but I did not have any in my stocks and I want to use what I have rather than go shopping.

The shirt getting chopped - use a sleeve to make a pocket

Adding a bit of trim to give it pizazz

I link to these places.

Refashioned Shirt

The newly shaped shirt

Ezibuy - capture 100% cotton shirt. I got it at the Op Shop for $2 as it seemed a bit out of date and I was going to chop it up for quilting.

Cuffs altered.

Then Aaron commented on how good the colour looked on me. So I rethought. I put the cuff buttons onto the other side of the cuff so that it now does up as though they are cuff-links. Then I removed the collar, put stiffening in it and sewed it back on but with a slightly thinner collar so it will fold down or stand up. Then in the front I put a dart / shaping from under the breastline down to the bottom. At the back I put in two large shaping darts and two much smaller ones.

It may not look much in the photo but it now looks really smart, well shaped and extremely wearable.

The shirt to start with.