Preppy Shorts Part Two

I apologize for not getting this post up Friday (like I had said I would). We ended up having a pretty full weekend.
The boys and I walked (I walked, they rode) our first 5K.

My brother ran (and came in fourth place). His girlfriend and my nephew walked with us. We were blessed with the most beautiful weather!
On to round two of the summer wardrobe.

(It is so hard to photograph these kids!)
This refashion started out as one of hubby’s discarded button-up shirts.

Like the last refashion, I wanted to incorporate the back details.

I cut the sleeves off, and lined up the pattern pieces to my liking. Then I sewed it together using this tutorial again. The elastic was leftover from the first pair of shorts (salvaged from a pair of leggings).

Front view.

Back view.
Total Cost: $0.00
I have had a blast sewing up these shorts. It seems to be easier to cut into clothes that are destined to leave the house than my fabric stash. (I tend to fear making mistakes and having to scrap the project.) Now I see so much potential in our unwanted clothing.
Next on my list are summer shirts to coordinate with the boy’s new shorts. I have one finished, and the second one cut out. (Hopefully I will be able to share with you this week.)
Your turn: Have you tried using unwanted clothing as a fabric source, or do you prefer sewing with new fabric? I love hearing your thoughts.
*On a side note, I have been cleaning, I promise. I hope to post an update later today.

Participating in these amazing parties:

Sewing For Summer, Preppy Boy Shorts

After going through the boy’s clothes, I realized they need a few summer staples. Taking a quick mental inventory, I decided to try and supply their wardrobe for free. My goal is to sew their essentials using clothes from my refashion tote, and fabric and notions from my stash.
First up, Preppy Shorts:

I started with a woman’s short-sleeved jacket.

I was in love with the pockets and stitching detail on the front.

I (loosely) used this pattern and tutorial. Fabric was a little short, so I pulled out my seam ripper. Ripping the seams yielded me enough extra fabric for the width.
*(I even pulled the elastic from a pair of my step-daughter’s well-loved leggings.)

I had a hard time trying to decide how to work around the bottom pockets. I cut right above them. Then I had ripped the sleeve cuffs, and attach them to the bottom by encasing inside the cuffs (like binding).

These are the Preppy Mullet Shorts, Business in The Front:

Party In The Back:

I love Dana’s flat front pants tutorial. It is so easy to follow, and has a nice fit. Perfect for beginners.
These shorts were quick to sew, besides ripping the seams apart for extra fabric.
Have you taken inventory of your summer clothes? Are you planning on DIYing a couple of staples? As always, I love to hear your thoughts!
*Stop back tomorrow for another preppy short refashion.

Participating here:

Celebrating Earth Day

Happy Earth Day!
I had a little time to sew this weekend. Knowing that the week started with Earth Day, I decided to sew for the boys. Yup, another t-shirt refashion.
The first shirt was a youth XL Earth Day shirt from a few years ago. This shirt was donated by their older brother.

I really wanted to keep the design, so that meant I wasn’t able to keep the original hem. I added 3/4 inch to the bottom to account for this.

The second shirt was an adult medium I picked up from Goodwill (in our favorite color). This shirt has been sitting in my refashion bin for quite some time.

*I had already picked the colors before pictures. (Sometimes I cannot wait to start a project.)

I used t-shirt scraps left over from a different refashion for the earth applique. (See, I am not crazy for saving those t-shirt bits.)
This was my first time freezer paper stenciling. This was so easy, and produces a very professional result. (Hubby thought I cut the earth from a screen printed t-shirt.) I searched ‘earth coloring printable’ for the image. If you are new to freezer paper stenciling, this is a good tutorial.
After the paint was dry, I ironed Heat’n’Bond to the applique. Then ironed the earth to the middle shirt front. Next I sewed around the circumference with a straight stitch.
I used Melissa’s pattern again.
A Few Tips:

• After making a few shirts for the boys, I prefer picking off the collar vs. cutting it off. I find that having that little extra fabric makes for a more finished looking product. It truly doesn’t take very long to take off either.
• It took a little fudging with the Youth shirt. It was doable, but took a little finagling. So try to use bigger shirts.
• I used that newly discovered lever again. I turned the speed down a little to sew the applique. In the past my machine used to eat my t-shirts when I was trying to applique. Not anymore!
• Save your t-shirt scraps. You can see from the earth shirt, dinosaur shirts, and long-sleeved refashion that scraps come in handy.
• Measure the ribbing (neckband) to be sure it will fit over heads. I made the mistake of skipping this step with the baseball shirts, had to seam rip it out, and scrounge around for more red ribbing.

How are you celebrating Earth Day?

Participating in these parties:

Spring Refashion, and More Spring Cleaning

Remember the to-do pile in my sewing room I mentioned a couple of weeks ago? I finally started tackling it!
This refashion started out as a hugely too big skirt.

I picked this skirt up at Goodwill the same day I bought these shirts. It was too big, but the tags were still on, and the material was so comfy. At $1.49, I couldn’t leave it behind.
This was such a quick refashion.

Here’s a breakdown:

1. Try the skirt-soon-to-be-dress on, and pin the (top) sides to fit.
   
2. Take the dress to the sewing machine and put under the needle at the pin mark.
   
3. Line a piece of masking tape up with the side seam. This will be your sewing line. (I was too lazy to measure and pin the dress.)
   
4. Sew from top to bottom. Make sure the side seam is lined up with the tape, and the ends are lined up. Sew using stitch appropriate for material.
   
5. Try new dress on. If it fits, good, if not- make adjustments.
   
6. When dress fits cut extra fabric from sides. This will be used for the straps.
   
7. Sew the fabric pieces into tubes, turn right side out.
   
8. Match the unfinished ends of tubes, and sew to the center top front of dress.
   
9. Finished!
   

My favorite thing about this refashion? It’s a two-for-one! Pull the dress over your bust, and tie the straps halter-style around your neck for a cute, comfy dress.

Pull down to your hips, and tie the ties around your waist for a belt. Now you have a go-anywhere maxi skirt.

What do you think?
On to Cleaning Business…Project #16 is deep cleaning the bathroom. Our bathrooms were in pretty good shape, but I still cleaned them. (Even though I tried talking myself out of it.)
When I tackled the bathroom closet last week, I didn’t have the chance to take care of the medicine cabinet, or under the sink cabinet. So that is where I poured my love today.

The medicine cabinet (top): The top two shelves belong to the hubby, so I didn’t do much there. I cleared everything out, wiped down the shelves, and put hubby’s stuff back. I went through my stuff (bottom shelf), tossing items I didn’t need.
Under the sink (bottom): Same process, I pulled everything out, washed it down. Then I purged products that were almost gone, or that we didn’t use, and put everything back. (I also decided to store the toilet brush in here. I kept picturing a toddler sword fight. )
It doesn’t look much different, but I know it is clean. All of the bathroom cabinets have been cleaned and purged!
Are you cleaning along? If so, are you finding that it is getting easier each day?

Partying here:

Mama’s Cutting Up Daddy’s Shirts, Again!

Do you remember this shirt? I made that shirt over four months ago, and the boys hadn’t worn it until last weekend.
Reason #1, I had only made one shirt. Reason #2, that upside-down decal was quirky, but annoyed the crap out of this perfectionist.
This is one downside to being a crafty mama of twins (and the reason I temporarily traded my knitting needles for crochet hooks). You have to corral your crafting ADD, and make two of everything. This is also why I do not knit socks, can you imagine having to make four!
Here’s the first refashion, refashioned:

I covered up the upside down decal with a Triceratops applique. The design was copied from a coloring book, cut out from t-shirt material, and fused on with Wonder-Under (doing a little experiment).

The second shirt was also one of hubby’s donations. I used the same method and pattern. T-Rex came from the same coloring book and was applied in the same manner.
I am in love with making these shirts for my boys. Absolutely free (always a good price in my book), simple and straight forward, and minimal time investment required. Not to mention how handsome my boys look.
Now that I have two under my belt, I am trying a couple of different methods to save a little finishing time. I’ll keep you updated.
I am thinking that we may need some pants. Do you have any favorite pants patterns? If so, leave a link in the comments, I would love to give it a whirl!
Thanks for stopping by!
Participating here:

Bring On Baseball; Little Man Refashion

The melting snow signifies one thing around here. Not the end of the school year, or tulips and daffodils, not even hot dogs and campfires. What else is there, you ask?

Baseball season! My stepson keeps us busy from spring through summer with baseball. Hubby plays men’s softball through summer. Needless to say, we are a busy baseball-loving family.

The boys were in need of team apparel. I had an image in my head, and boy was I excited. I actually jumped up and ran to the basement in search for a red t-shirt I could cut up. No such luck. Then after tearing my own closet apart, I begged every family member to search their closets, while I may or may not have been looking over their shoulder “in case they missed something.” Still, no red t-shirts.

What’s a mama to do? I patiently (or not so much) waited for the little guys to take their nap, then told hubby I was headed to Goodwill. “You better come home with a red shirt.” I guess he may have been a tad bit annoyed with my sudden urgent t-shirt need.

I found the perfect shirt, for half off; .99! The blue shirt was in our donate pile. An hour after washing the tees and .99 later, I had 2 shirts for the boys to sport their school spirit.

These shirts came together easily. I drafted a pattern based on the one I used here.

Can you believe that I used to be afraid of t-shirt fabric?

Want to know how I did it? Stay tuned, hopefully I have a tutorial to share in the next week or so.

Do you share our baseball love? Want proof of our love? The boys had been to six ball tournaments before they turned eight weeks old! (Talk about starting them young)

T-Shirt Refashion for Toddlers

Hubby has earned/collected a ton of t-shirts in his lifetime. He plays softball, bowls, and used to shoot darts. Every team needs a t-shirt right? What about if they win the championship? You guessed it, another t-shirt. (Hey, I guess it’s better than a trophy, how on earth would I upcycle all the trophies? )
My step-son is also involved in sports, so more t-shirts. We have hand-me-downs from my baseball/football/basketball playing nephew. Needless to say, we have a lot of t-shirts.
One of my 30 by 30 goals is to craft through my stash. Somehow these t-shirts ended up in my stash.
The twins need t-shirts. Specifically long-sleeved shirts. (Have you ever tried to buy long-sleeved shirts in February?)
Last week Melissa from Melly Sews posted a how to sew a t-shirt tutorial (and pattern). She made it look achievable, so I decided to tackle our t-shirt pile. Here’s the outcome:

The gray shirt was the first one I tackled. The project was a quick one, about half an hour. I used an XL men’s gray t-shirt for the body. The neck and decal came from a men’s large softball t-shirt.

This one was my problem tee. I was working at night, and that seems to be when I make stupid mistakes (like forgetting to not cut the fold, that’s why we have the layered sleeves). The quality is lacking compared to the gray shirt.
Melissa’s tutorial and pattern are wonderful! The hubby was so impressed, he mentioned going through his closet so I have more t-shirts. Thanks for supporting my stash busting hubby. Here’s a few tips:

• Use the biggest shirt possible. The orange shirt was small, causing a little frustration and creativity.
• To save time, and have a finished-looking project- use existing hems. This is why the sleeves are a little long, I didn’t subtract the extra seam allowance. Oh well, it works (and they grow, fast).
• Use the neckband from the old t-shirt. Just cut it off right above the serging. I unpicked the red collar during a car ride, too much work. The blue collar I just cut. They had the same effect.
• Want a cute ‘boy’ applique? Look in your coloring books. I traced the animals from a coloring book. Then I traced it onto fusible stuff. Ironed it onto scrap t-shirt. Cut it out, and ironed it onto the finished project. I didn’t sew them down, too many small details. (I’ll let you know how they hold up.)
• If existing t-shirt has details you like, use them. (For example, the name on the sleeve.)
• Toddlers are awesome to practice your skills. The project is usually small and quick. Also, they rarely stay still, so any imperfections that you are hung up on are not noticeable to the general public.

Have you done any boy refashions? If so, share them in the comments, I am always looking for more things to sew for my boys.
Here’s to a wonderful week!

Partied here.

Stash Crafting, Crossword Decor

You have heard about my hoarding issues. I’m trying to recover, I swear. Here’s my problem; I see a project I want to do, buy the supplies, and there it sits until I have the time. Call me an ambitious crafter. This wouldn’t be so bad except one thing, I forgot what project the supplies were for when I do finally find the time. Does anyone else suffer from craft amnesia?

I bought this Scrabble Turn Tile game at a garage sale two summers ago (er… may have been three summers ago…) I had grand ideas. But I forgot what they were.

While corralling my craft clutter I pulled them out, wanting to make Scrabble gift tags/ornaments like these. But the Turn Tiles are much bigger than regular Scrabble tiles. The gifts would have been at least ten inches long for some names, and that’s using nicknames. I’m looking more for classy, not gaudy. Scratch that idea.

So I started messing around with our kids names, and came up with a crossword style board. Luckily it works for our family’s names. I found a cute piece of scrapbook paper that I think will look decent in our living room once it is painted.

I used glue dots and stuck the tiles to the paper. I found a 12 x 12 frame at Jo-Ann, and used my coupon to get it cheap. I really wanted a shadow box, but knew if I waited until I found one this project would sit in that corner of the room where unfinished projects go to die. So I used two-sided tape, and stuck the whole thing right to the glass. (I may be a bit redneck…)



Some of the paper under the glass is visible(never should have trimmed that scrapbook paper…), but I can fix that if it really bothers me. I figure I’ll leave it as is. Eventually it will get on my nerves and I will find the shadow box.

This project was so quick, just like most of the others on my list. Obviously this is where I need help. I need to find the motivation to just start.

Do you have any quick projects waiting patiently to be finished? If so, go do it! It feels good to mark something off of your to-do list.

See you tomorrow for part 5 of Letting You In.

New Life for the Un-wearable

First, let me apologize. I know you were looking forward to egg-free Christmas cookies. I want to try a couple more recipes. Don’t worry; I’ll post about them as soon as I can.

Today I wanted to post one of my quickie refashions.

Do you have clothes that are okay, but you just don’t wear because they don’t feel right? Or they’re just not ‘you’? Maybe they are uncomfortable.

I have a huge pile of these clothes. Some are ‘transition’ clothes from when I was pregnant. Some still have the tags on. Some I have just grown tired of.

What do you do? Easy-peasey. Cut into the buggers, sew a little, do whatever it takes to make them wearable.

Let’s go back to my pile. I am not wearing these clothes. (Its been a year and a half since I’ve been pregnant…) The only good they are doing is insulating the walls of my craft dungeon. But…I was scared. What if I mess up, then perfectly good clothes have been ruined. Perfectly good un-wearable clothes. I had to tuck my worries away, and just do something.

My latest refashion:



I did wear this shirt once or twice, but that wonky hemline bothered me. Not a scoop hem-type of girl. The shirt itself was also much wider at the bottom.

I sewed straight down the sides, then tried the shirt on to make sure it fit. (This is the most crucial step. ALWAYS try it on before you cut!) Then I cut away the extra fabric.

Next I straightened the bottom hem. Roll it up, stitch it down. (This part can be skipped on most t-shirts, because they don’t fray.)

Finally, wear away:



This refashion was actually done a couple of weeks ago. I refrained from posting right away. I needed to make sure I was going to wear it. Yup, I wear it, a lot. This is now one of the shirts that I grab as soon as laundry is done.

Moral of the story? Just take the cut. Use your un-wearable clothes as a learning tool. If you mess up its not like you were wearing it in the first place.

*Please tell me that I am not the only one with this ‘pile’.

Have a wonderfully wearable weekend!

Little Man Refashion

While I was pregnant, I had dreams of making a room in the basement my craft room. I plugged away as best as I could, but never fully finished. (One of the downsides to being pregnant with twins, I was huge, so nesting was about impossible.) Needless to say, that room became a catchall, and my craft stuff is still spread out (or hidden…) throughout the house.

This past week, I decided to devote at least twenty minutes a day to cleaning up this space. Twenty minutes flew by, turned into an hour or so, and the room is much improved. I was so inspired, I spent Saturday’s naptime sewing in there!

First up, daddy shirt to toddler shirt:

I have a bit of a hoarding issue. A craft hoarding issue. I hate to see something go that could be turned into something we could use. After our garage sale this summer, I snagged hubby’s button-up shirts that did not sell. I have been holding on to them since… you may be wondering why...

Enter Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross. I am not much of a ‘pattern follower.’ And, I shy away from sewing clothing. So, I have to admit, this shirt took some time. The instructions were not as clear as I needed them to be. But the result was worth it! This shirt looks professional (almost, I’ll explain later). I am predicting that it won’t take as long for the next one either, because now I am more positive about what I am doing, and I have more of an idea of were I can use existing hems.

Speaking of which, do you notice anything? Look closely:

Remember that I am trying to use up my stash? Well, I have quite a few iron-ons. I figured I would use one of them to spruce up the shirt. The whole project went great, no unpicking. Then I ironed. I ironed that dang thing upside down! I was going to put a patch over it, but hubby insisted I leave it. We’ll see…

If you’re looking for a boy sewing pattern, this one looks nice- just give yourself time to read and re-read the pattern through the first time.

Do you have any favorite boy sewing patterns/tutorials?

Nap time Dress

Most of you mamas know. Once you have littles, you rarely sew, or craft, for yourself.

One of my 30 by 30 goals (#29) is to make a dress and wear it.

Well, I made a dress. I made a dress using what I had in my stash. (I may be a craft hoarder...)

I sorta followed this tutorial by Maggie of Smashed Peas and Carrots. If you looked at Maggie's and are wondering, no I'm not preggers (she made it as a maternity dress). I had this dress hanging out in my favorites since before my pregnancy with the boys. There are many dresses in Pinterest world similar to this one, but I figured 'I liked it two years ago- lets make this my first.'

Sorry, I don't have any in process pictures, or before pictures for that matter. Just follow the tute. Its pretty good.

The few things I did different:

• I skipped hemming the bottom of the top, and top of the bottom (confused yet?) before sewing to the elastic. I was trying to accomplish this during nap time, and since it was for me- I figured it would be okay.
• I used Marissa's tutorial for easy gathering. I AM SOLD! Every time I try to gather, I get so frustrated because my threads break. This girl is a genius!
• I made a sash, and tacked it on. I didn't care for the look of the white elastic (next time I'll dye it). I think it made me look fluffy. After I hemmed the bottom to the length I wanted, I used that strip to make a sash, and tacked it down in a couple of places. This seemed to tame down the midsection fluff.

Are you ready? Here it is:

What do you think? I'm hooked, I want to make more dresses. If you have any favorite 'nap time' dress tutorials, please share.

Raiding Hubby's Donation Pile- T-Shirt Refashion DIY

I have a problem. I am taller than the average woman.

This is not an actual problem. I quite like my height. The problem is buying clothing. Most jeans are too short. The talls are usually too long. I also have a problem finding t-shirts that are long enough.

What's a girl to do? Keep an eye on her husband's donate pile.

Hubby was given this shirt.

He was never going to wear it. It is a v-neck; a no-go for hubby. It is a medium (he likes large-x-large). It has what he calls 'girly' stripes. So this t-shirt floated around the house; getting stuffed one place, then moved to another.

I finally took matters into my own hands.

Here's what I did:

I pulled out one of my t-shirts that I love the fit of. Turn the big shirt inside-out. Place the little shirt on the big shirt. You can trace, or pin along lines. (Although I hate pinning, I pinned. I didn't want the side seams to shift.) I kept the extra length in the torso and sleeves.

Sew along marked lines (yellow lines). Try shirt on. This is important! Try it on before you make any cuts! (Remember measure twice, cut once.) If it fits, cut off the extra material.

Add extra embellishment if you wish. I had some iron-ons in my stash, so I slapped 'em on.

All done. Admire your new shirt. (Bonus: no more worrying about showing too much cleavage, front and back.)