How To: Alter a Dress

I just love a good refashion. I found this dress for $1 at a thrift store and even though it was ridiculous with its enormous sleeves, neck tie and shoulder pads, I liked the fabric and thought it would be a good project.

Here's what I did:

1. Remove the shoulder pads. Always the first step when taking the ugly out of old dresses.

2. Rip out the seams along the shoulders and sleeves, removing the neck ties and the sleeves completely.

3. Re-sew the shoulders, following the original seams lines.

4. Take the dress in on the sides to make the arm holes smaller and the dress more fitted. I wanted the dress to be more of a shift style, so I only took in the sides about 6" down from the arm holes. If you want a more fitted dress, you would take it in all the way down to the hem.

5. Reshape the arm holes. I used a dress that fits well to see how much to trim from the arm holes. This was probably one of the more difficult steps, but you can see in the picture above the chalk line around the arm hole, that is where I cut to make the hole smaller.

6. Take in sleeves. The sleeves on this dress were enormous and the cuffs were very tight fitting around my wrists so I knew I would have to do a lot of work to make them look normal.  Again using a finished dress for reference I determined the new length for my sleeves and cut the bottom 5" off each sleeve, then took each sleeve in another 4" (2" from each side of fabric, where the pins are).

7. Make the cuffs. I used the fabric I cut off of the bottom of each sleeve to make the cuffs. After determining how big I wanted them, I cut them to size and then ironed on a very lightweight interfacing to the wrong side of the fabric to give the cuffs some shape. I then sewed them into a circle, with right sides together, pressed the seam open and then folded down each raw edge about 1/2".

8. Attach cuffs to sleeves. First I basted along the bottom edge of the sleeve, then pulled the basting stitch gently to pucker the sleeve. Only pucker the sleeve enough to make the opening the same size as the cuff (you want a slight pucker, but don't want to go back to what the dress looked like originally). Next, I pinned the open cuff to the inside of the sleeve (the sleeve is right side out for this step), sewed it on, then folded the cuff over and topstitched.

9. Attach the sleeves. Sewing on sleeves is always a little hard hard for me, but especially when I am doing alterations because my sleeve and my arm hole often end up not matching as well as they would from a pattern. Getting the sleeves on took a little bit of time because I had to do several adjustments as I went. It's always a good idea to use a basting stitch first when attaching your sleeves and then go over it with a regular stitch once the sleeve is in place and has no puckers. Rather than give you my step-by-step here, I'll share the best tutorial I have ever seen on attaching sleeves: Teach Yourself to Sew: How to Sew A Sleeve

10. Make sash. I used the remnants of the neck tie to make a sash for my waist. First, turn the neck ties wrong side out. Following the straight seam on each half of the neck tie, I continued sewing to the end of the fabric and then cut off the excess. Then I turned each strip right side out and ironed them flat. I folded the end of one strip inside itself, then tucked the raw edge of the other strip into it and topstitched it in place.

11. The picture doesn't show it, but a good tip to make projects look professional is to always give them a good iron when they are done. And, you're finished!

How to: Let Out a Skirt

I found this skirt at the GoodBuys 99 Cent store in Albuquerque.

I would have paid a dollar, but was half off so I only had to pay 50 cents for it! I figured it was worth the money. I like the overall make, and the fabric is sturdy and in good condition, but it was just too tight around my waist. After inspecting it carefully, I decided it would be a good opportunity to try my hand at letting out a skirt, especially since I pretty much only ever alter things that are 5 sizes too big.

Here is what I did:

1.  First, I used a seam ripper to remove the belt loops in the front of the skirt since I didn't like how they looked and I knew I would never wear a belt with this skirt. I had to unstitch the seam that connects the waistband to the skirt (just around the belt loop) since the loops were actually sewn into the skirt, not just on top of it. Once I pulled out the loops in the front, I top-stitched back over the opening I had made. 

2.  Next I ripped out the seams attaching the waistband to the skirt in the back, starting from the zipper to all the way past the darts and the belt loop (again to remove the loop). You can see here that there is extra length (about 1/2") at each end of the waist band, this is what will give the the extra room to let out the skirt and tells me how much I can let it out. 

 

3.  I turned the skirt inside out and following the seam of the original dart, sewed a new seam, about 1/4" closer to the edge of the skirt. Then I ripped out the original dart seam, pressed flat the new dart, and repeated this step with the dart on the other side of the zipper. This gave me an extra 1/2" on each side of the skirt (the amount of extra waistband I had, as shown above). 

4.  I then pinned the skirt back onto the waistband. As you can see from the picture, there is no longer the extra length at the end of the waistband, but it matches up exactly with the end of the skirt. and, following the original seam, top-stitched to secure the skirt and waistband together. 

5.  Next, I removed the buttons, moved them about an inch to the left and sewed them back on.

6.  I gave the skirt a good press, and tah-dah! A 50 cent skirt that fits!

Before and After: Sport Coat to Tote Bag Refashion

We bought a sport coat for Phil to wear with his Halloween costume. Even though I found it at a thrift store it was still $10, which seemed a little expensive to me, but we needed it so I paid the price. Once Halloween was over and I started putting things away I wondered what we would do with it. I hated to just send it back to the thrift store since I didn't feel I had quite gotten my whole $10 back, so I started thinking of things I might be able to use it for. The coat itself, although it was too big for Phil and not really his style, was made of 100% wool with a nice lining and was still in really good shape, so I decided to turn it into a tote bag.

Before:

This is the first time I have ever sewn a bag, let alone one made out of an old coat and leather (I wasn't sure if my machine could handle it but is sewed right through that leather like it was butter)! It took a bit of trial and error figuring out the size of everything so that it the finished product was half decent, but I love how it turned out and think its a fun accessory for fall and winter. I especially love the lining, which of course came from the original coat lining and still has all of the original jacket pockets.

After:

I am hoping to post a full tutorial soon, but there are A LOT of steps for this one so its taking me a while to write it all out. For now, I hope it just inspires you to think twice before you fill up that goodwill bag and repurpose your old things!

Before and After: Denim Shirt Dress

I altered this denim dress without taking enough pictures to do a tutorial, but I love how it turned out so I still wanted to share it here. I really like the shirt dress style, but I can rarely find any that are long enough for me so I knew I would either have to make one from scratch, or find something to alter. I decided I would start by checking out some thrift stores (always a great place to find big, denim dresses) and I found one for $3 that I was able to alter in just a couple of hours.

Before:

This dress was a size 16 (I usually wear a size 4 or 6) so it was several sizes too large, but it definitely had plenty of length! When I alter dresses like this one, I always look at is how the shoulders fit. I don't like re-setting sleeves, and I especially didn't want to re-set them in this dress because of the top-stitching that I would have to try to duplicate, so I tried to find one that fit ok across the chest and shoulders. It looks pretty awful in this picture (and it doesn't help that my hair isn't done either), but I wanted my dress to fit somewhat loosely (the way a comfy denim jacket would) so I knew it work out after the alterations.

After:

The make of the dress was fairly simple, so I really only had to do a few cuts and seams to get it to fit the way I wanted. I took in the width of the sleeves (about 2 inches) all the way up from the cuffs, along the underarms, and back down the sides of the dress. Then I cut off about six inches of length and sewed a new hem. I used the same techniques for the hem of the dress as I used in this jean tutorial.

I wear this dress all the time now.  It has been perfect for fall and can be dressed up or dressed down and it's so comfy! What do you think of my before and after?

Buying vs. Sewing: Which is better?

Sometimes I hear people talking about whether it is better to buy clothes, or to make them yourself, and since I do a lot of sewing I thought it might be interesting to talk about this. Since we now live in a generation where very few women actually can sew clothing, the answer is usually "buy", simply because they know no other way. But for those who can sew, or who want to learn, you may be wondering if it is worth it at all.

When my mom was a teenager, she sewed a lot of her own clothes. At that time it was definitely more cost effective, not to mention completely normal to do so. Patterns, fabric and notions were often considerably less expensive than buying a new, ready-to-wear item.

Today, however, clothing can be made so cheaply (often overseas) that once you buy all the materials you need, plus consider the time it will take to make what you want, that you will often spend more money sewing than buying. However, when deciding if you should make or buy something, it is important to not just compare like items (ie: a store bought t-shirt vs. a homemade t-shirt) but also the quality of items (ie. materials used, weave and durability of fabric, linings, notions, etc). Handmade items are often better quality than store bought items.

For example, if you see a blouse you like at Forever 21, it will probably be priced around $10-$20. We can know from this price, as well as from taking a look over the shirt itself, that this item is probably cheaply made and may not last more than a couple of seasons. If that's ok with you, then it's probably better to just buy the shirt than try to make it, because it will be more expensive once you get all of the materials and account for your time (although you may be able to produce something of better quality).  However, if you see a blouse at Nordstrom, or a store with similar quality items, it will probably priced between $75-$100, and in that case you can surely re-create a similar item (in look and quality) for less.

Here are a few examples of my own recreations when I decided to try my hand at sewing instead of buying:

I saw this dress on Corilynn, and fell in love with it. 

I knew it was a good quality item based on the information given and product reviews, but at $145, it just wasn't something I could afford. In this case it was definitely less expensive for me to make my own version, which I did for around $40, plus lots of time. 

Another example of when sewing may be the way to go is when you want a more custom piece. I saw this dress on Merrick's Art and thought it would be great for summer. 

She made her own design, using a Stella McCartney dress as her inspiration. The Stella McCartney dress is no longer available, (and no doubt would have been beyond my budget anyway) so this is a time when sewing can allow you to create something you can't find in stores. (A custom dress made by someone else will almost always cost a lot of money).

I used the same pattern from my dress above, with a few tweaks, and created this dress for around $30, (plus lots of time). 

It should be noted that while the dresses I made were similar to those that I couldn't afford, they weren't perfect. Patterns vary, as do fabrics, and you may not get the exact fit you were hoping for. This is especially true if you, like me, are an amateur seamstress (I am learning new things all the time) and may not have all the skills needed to get a perfect fit. So while the materials may be cheaper than a ready-to-wear piece, you always risk the possibility of spending that time and money on something that doesn't turn out exactly like you hoped.

Sewing can also be a good option if it's just something you simply enjoy doing. I love to sew, so for me, the extra time it takes to make an item doesn't really feel like an extra expense. But if you don't enjoy sewing, the savings just might not be worth it to you.

What do you think? Is it better to buy or sew?

How To: Shorten a Pair of Jeans (without making them look homemade)

Altering the length on jeans can be a little more tricky than other types of pants or skirts. This is due to the thick denim, the thicker, contrasting thread, and the wash and distressed look on the finished pair. You really can't lengthen jeans, at least without it being super obvious and probably not looking very good, but you can shorten them. There are a couple of ways to do this, but I will only be showing one today.

I found this pair of jeans at the thrift store for $8. I was in need of new jeans and they fit me perfectly everywhere except the length. After giving them a good look over in the fitting room, I decided I would go ahead and buy them and alter them to the right length.

Here's what you need:
Measuring tape
Tailors chalk or marking pencil
Scissors
Straight pins
Hammer
Matching thread in both regular and heavy-duty or top-stitching weights (you may choose a contrasting color for your top-stitching thread depending on your pair of jeans).
Sewing machine
Heavy duty machine needle

1. Try on the pair of jeans and evaluate how you would like them to look. I didn't like how this pair was so bunchy at my ankles and knew right away that I would need to shorten them by at least 2 or 3 inches.

2. Measure the inseam of another pair of jeans that fits you the way you like. The pair I measured has an inseam of 29" so I knew that would be about the length I was going for.

3. Measure the inseam of the jeans you are going to alter. My new jeans measured 32", three inches longer than my ideal pair.

4. Mark with tailors chalk or a making pencil the length to match your ideal pair. Since there was 3" difference in the two pairs, I measured from the bottom of the jean up 3 inches and made a mark. Repeat this all the way around the jeans.

5. Fold and pin your jean up to the mark and try on the jeans again. Because various pairs of jeans will fit differently due to different styles and brands it's important to try them on several times before cutting. When I tried my pair on after pinning it up 3", I found that they looked a little shorter than I wanted, even though they were now a 29" inseam like my ideal pair. I decided to shorten them by only 2" instead of 3".

6. I repeated step 4, but measured up only 2" from the bottom. If your pair fit the way you wanted after the first marking then skip this step and go to step 7.

7.Once you have determined the right length, measure one inch longer than that line and mark, this will be your cut line. So if you plan to make your jeans 4" shorter, make a mark at 4" for your fold line and 3" for your cut line. Cut your jeans at your cut line.

8. Fold your jeans up half an inch and then again another half inch and pin in place. Iron the fold to help it stay put.

9. This step may be optional, but I have found it to be really helpful, especially if you don't have a heavy duty machine. Hammer the new folded hem of your jeans, especially on the seams where it is extra thick. This will flatten out the thick area and allow you to run it through your sewing machine more easily. It's best if you place your jeans on a hard surface (but not your hardwood floors), I just use a small piece of plywood left over from another project. Then hammer away until your seams are good and flat. Careful not to hammer right on your pins!

10. With jeans inside out, sew a straight stitch all the way around and close to the top of the hem using a matching thread. Then, turn your jeans right side out and use a top-stitching or heavy-duty thread to sew right on top of your first stitches, again following them all the way around.

11. Now it's time to distress your jeans. First, fold your hem inward along the stitch line. Using a light grain sand paper, sand gently all the way around this fold. Unfold your jeans and sand all the way around the very bottom fold of the jeans. Then sand a little here and there between the stitch line and the bottom fold of the jeans. The lighter blue color in the pictures below show the areas that I sanded. You may notice that some dye or fibers come off on your sand paper, this is normal.

12. Once you have sanded to your liking, run your jeans through a wash and dry cycle (or hang dry if you prefer). If you want more distressing, sand some more and wash your jeans again. My jeans turned out like this:

All done!