I just couldn't pass up this striped t-shirt dress (with pockets!) on a recent trip to Goodwill. It is originally from Land's End so the knit was substantial and high quality. I had originally planned to transform it into a little boat neck shift dress but my sewing skills weren't quite up to par so I settled on a skirt. Working with stripes was a minor hassle as well as reattaching the pockets but all in all, it wasn't too bad and I'm pleased with the results. Hooray for stripes and hooray for $4 skirts!
Showing posts with label thrift store revival. Show all posts
Showing posts with label thrift store revival. Show all posts
Friday, July 1, 2011
Stripes!
I just couldn't pass up this striped t-shirt dress (with pockets!) on a recent trip to Goodwill. It is originally from Land's End so the knit was substantial and high quality. I had originally planned to transform it into a little boat neck shift dress but my sewing skills weren't quite up to par so I settled on a skirt. Working with stripes was a minor hassle as well as reattaching the pockets but all in all, it wasn't too bad and I'm pleased with the results. Hooray for stripes and hooray for $4 skirts!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Thrift Store Revival - Men's Shirt
My apologies for the cruddy before and after pictures. The before picture has some major white balance and exposure problems so it doesn't look like the same shirt but I promise it is. If you are interested, scroll down for the how-to.
Thrift Revival Q & A
When it comes to reviving old clothing, several people have asked me the same two questions:
1. "How do you do it?"
I usually take the garment apart, and then sew it back together, making a few adjustments along the way. Hopefully the photo tutorial below will give you a better idea of what goes on during the transformation. However, if you really want to get into sewing, I suggest buying a simple pattern of something you would like to make. (SIMPLE is key word here.) Also, be sure to buy cheap fabric, have really low expectations of how it will turn out and take your time making it. The first and only pattern I have ever bought (and highly recommend) was this one. A Simplicity "Built By Wendy" shirt and dress pattern. With it, I made the shirt I blogged about here. By using a pattern, you will get used to how the various fabric pieces fit together to make the final garment. You will also familiarize yourself with some different sewing techniques.
2. "What do you look for?"
This is tough to answer because when I go to the thrift store, I am typically not looking for anything in particular. Most of the time things just jump out at me. I would say look for things in colors and fabrics you like. (Note: stretchy fabrics are easier to work with.)
With the men's shirts, I look for large sizes (XL or XXL) in softer cottons and solid colors (a budweiser logo in the middle of the shirt doesn't do much for me). The bigger the shirt, the more material you will have to work with. I have found that sewing, in general, always takes more fabric than you think you will need. Extra fabric is also useful for any embellishments you want to add, like a ruffle, a bow or a fabric flower.
When you are looking for dresses to revive, once again look for patterns, colors and fabrics you like and are flattering on you. Then envision the dress in a smaller size, with shorter sleeves and a shorter hem, perhaps. If you like what you see then go for it! For dresses, I usally always have a basic idea of what I'm going to do to change the dress before I buy it. You can always change your mind and fine tune it as you go along but a basic idea is helpful. The best thing about sewing projects from the thrift store is the cost! If it doesn't work out, you're only out $3 and a few hours of your time.
1. "How do you do it?"
I usually take the garment apart, and then sew it back together, making a few adjustments along the way. Hopefully the photo tutorial below will give you a better idea of what goes on during the transformation. However, if you really want to get into sewing, I suggest buying a simple pattern of something you would like to make. (SIMPLE is key word here.) Also, be sure to buy cheap fabric, have really low expectations of how it will turn out and take your time making it. The first and only pattern I have ever bought (and highly recommend) was this one. A Simplicity "Built By Wendy" shirt and dress pattern. With it, I made the shirt I blogged about here. By using a pattern, you will get used to how the various fabric pieces fit together to make the final garment. You will also familiarize yourself with some different sewing techniques.
2. "What do you look for?"
This is tough to answer because when I go to the thrift store, I am typically not looking for anything in particular. Most of the time things just jump out at me. I would say look for things in colors and fabrics you like. (Note: stretchy fabrics are easier to work with.)
With the men's shirts, I look for large sizes (XL or XXL) in softer cottons and solid colors (a budweiser logo in the middle of the shirt doesn't do much for me). The bigger the shirt, the more material you will have to work with. I have found that sewing, in general, always takes more fabric than you think you will need. Extra fabric is also useful for any embellishments you want to add, like a ruffle, a bow or a fabric flower.
When you are looking for dresses to revive, once again look for patterns, colors and fabrics you like and are flattering on you. Then envision the dress in a smaller size, with shorter sleeves and a shorter hem, perhaps. If you like what you see then go for it! For dresses, I usally always have a basic idea of what I'm going to do to change the dress before I buy it. You can always change your mind and fine tune it as you go along but a basic idea is helpful. The best thing about sewing projects from the thrift store is the cost! If it doesn't work out, you're only out $3 and a few hours of your time.
Monday, March 23, 2009
It's a Movement
In addition to her oh-so-cute kid creations, Kathleen, author of the lovely blog Grosgrain, is now doing clothing for grown-ups! I just checked out her blog and one of her latest give-aways is a thrift store revival dress! While perusing her site, I also noticed a link to another blog, Wardrobe Refashion, which is dedicated entirely to recycling old clothes. Apparently this is a movement! I say hooray for refurbished fashion!
Friday, February 6, 2009
Thrift Store Revival: Men's Shirt
I'm telling you, this thrift store revival stuff is a little addicting. Here's my latest creation made from a men's t-shirt I bought for 90 cents. I have had a request for some step-by-step instruction. I have another shirt that is almost complete but the next one I do after that I will try my best to take pictures during the transformation process. I will also try to post coherent instructions so it sounds like I know what I'm talking about. If you do a thrift revival leave me a comment or shoot me an e-mail. (I recently added an e-mail address to my sidebar: hellohotdiggity@gmail.com.) I would love to see your creations!
UPDATE: Many pinteresters have expressed interest in step by step instructions for this shirt. Unfortunately, I did not take pictures during the process and have no plans to recreate this project. Sorry! My best advice is to buy some 90 cents shirts and have fun experimenting! :)
UPDATE: Many pinteresters have expressed interest in step by step instructions for this shirt. Unfortunately, I did not take pictures during the process and have no plans to recreate this project. Sorry! My best advice is to buy some 90 cents shirts and have fun experimenting! :)
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Thrift Store Revival
This is technically another Urban Renewal post but I think the title "Thrift Store Revival" more accurately captures the essence of what I am doing- which is, reviving ugly, over-sized clothes from the thrift store. You know, bringing them back from the dead and turning them into fashionable/wearable attire.
This project took a few hours longer than my first dress because the fabric wasn't stretchy which made it harder to work with. Also, don't look too close because, as I've said before, I'm a pretty mediocre seamstress and there are several things I would do differently if I had to do it all over again. With that said, I'm still pretty pleased with the results and I'm thinking it is going to be really hard for me to pay more than $3 for a dress ever again.
Before: A $3 navy blue polka dot polyester dress, complete with shoulder pads.
After: The same dress (sans the shoulder pads) with shorter puffed sleeves, a hem that hits just below the knee and a slightly lower neck line accented with a little tie. I topped it off with a pretty yellow flower belt I found on sale at J.Crew.
This project took a few hours longer than my first dress because the fabric wasn't stretchy which made it harder to work with. Also, don't look too close because, as I've said before, I'm a pretty mediocre seamstress and there are several things I would do differently if I had to do it all over again. With that said, I'm still pretty pleased with the results and I'm thinking it is going to be really hard for me to pay more than $3 for a dress ever again.
Before: A $3 navy blue polka dot polyester dress, complete with shoulder pads.After: The same dress (sans the shoulder pads) with shorter puffed sleeves, a hem that hits just below the knee and a slightly lower neck line accented with a little tie. I topped it off with a pretty yellow flower belt I found on sale at J.Crew.
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