A sure way to make your closet ever fresh, long lasting and money saving is by the code of the three R`s. Re-cycle, re-purpose, re-fashion. Looking fabulous for lees is not all about sales and 90% off, some times it requires just lil' ol' you to do the trick. Here are some tips for this fall.
Old t-shirts:
Floral-applique shirts
YOU’LL NEED:
- Long-sleeve V-neck or scoop-neck shirt (one size larger than you wear)
- Ruler
- Fabric pencil
- Scissors
- Sewing needle
- Thread in same color as shirt
- Fabric glue (such as Unique Stitch)
- Hook-and-eye closure
- Silk flowers (available at sewing stores)
- Straight pins
1. Turn shirt wrong side out. Measure and mark center point of neck and center point of front hem. Use fabric pencil to draw a line connecting the two points. Cut along line.
2. Turn right side out. Fold cut edges under ¼” and press. Fold under 3/8” and press down. Hand stitch or use fabric glue to secure.
3. Sew hook-and-eye closure at even points on each side of neck.
4. Lay shirt on flat surface, front facing up. Arrange flowers and pin. Sew individual flowers. To make bottom layer of petals lie flat, add a drop of glue underneath.
Necklace tank
YOU’LL NEED:
- Tank top
- Bead necklace
- Fabric pencil
- Needle-nose pliers
- Fabric glue (such as Unique Stitch)
- Small scissors or seam ripper
- Sewing needle
- Thread in same color as necklace
1. Turn shirt inside out and lay flat surface. Arrange necklace around neckline, from shoulder seam to shoulder seam. Mark where necklace should be cut, leaving enough at each end to tuck in and secure (about ¾”). Mark where necklace will attach to shirt at shoulder seams.
2. Remove clasp of necklace using needle-nose pliers. Knot loose strands to keep beads in place. Add a dab of glue to reinforce knot.
3. Use small scissors or seam ripper to make a tiny slit (start with 1/8”; increase if necessary) at each shoulder seam, as marked.
4. Turn shirt right side out and carefully tuck ends of necklace into torn shoulder seam. Sew ends in place securely, and sew holes closed. Reinforce with a dab of glue.
5. Tack necklace in place by sewing it to neckline, then along outside edge. Add stitches as needed to keep necklace in proper position.
Sash tank
YOU’LL NEED:
- Long-sleeve T-shirt with either a V-neck or scoop neck (the one shown here has buttons)
- Scissors Fabric glue (such as Unique Stitch)
- Ironing board
- Iron
- Sewing needle
- Thread in same color as T-shirt
1. Remove sleeves by cutting along seam line, leaving seam itself attached to shirt. Set sleeves aside. Turn shirt wrong side out, apply a thin layer of fabric glue ¼” from cut edge of armhole and fold fabric over, all around armhole. Press down to close. Repeat on other armhole.
2. To make sashes, cut each sleeve open along seam. Fold each in half lengthwise and cut at crease to create two equal pieces. You should have four total.
3. Glue two pieces of sleeve fabric together at hemmed ends, overlapping one on top of other about 1”. Join remaining two pieces in same way.
4. Lay one sash on ironing board, wrong side up. Turn one long edge of strip under (toward wrong side) ¼” and glue in place. Repeat for other long edge, and one short edge. Fold sash in half lengthwise, right side out, and press. Make sure that folded sash is the same width all the way down. Glue hemmed edges together, leaving one short edge raw. Repeat for other sash.
5. To attach sash to shirt, line up closed end of one sash with shoulder seam and glue in place so sash falls to front of shirt. Repeat with other sash.
6. Cut raw ends of sashes at a 45-degree angle. Turn edges under ¼” and glue.
7. Reinforce as needed with a simple hand stitch.
Cowl-neck sleeveless
YOU’LL NEED:
- Scissors
- Long-sleeve scoop-neck T-shirt
- Fabric glue (such as Unique Stitch)
- Straight pins
- Iron
1. Remove sleeves by cutting along seam line, leaving the seam attached to the shirt. Set sleeves aside. Turn shirt wrong side out, apply a thin bead of fabric glue ¼” from cut edge of armhole and fold fabric over. Press down to close. Repeat on other armhole.
2. Cut each sleeve open along the seam. Fold in half lengthwise and cut along the crease. You should have four pieces total.
3. Arrange pieces end-to-end, wrong side up, on a flat surface. Make sure they are all going in the same direction, so that each hemmed end is next to a raw end. Overlap the pieces ½”, so raw edges are on top of hemmed edges. Glue pieces together to form a long strip. Working on length of strip, fold one edge under (toward wrong side) about ¼” and glue in place. Leave other edge raw. Fold short ends under about ¼” and glue in place.
4. Turn shirt right side out. Align one end of strip with a shoulder seam, right sides together, and pin so that raw edge of strip and edge of collar are aligned. Continue to pin edge of strip to edge of collar all the way around. Trim end of strip so it overlaps about ¾”. Working in small sections, glue cowl strip to shirt, about ½” in from collar’s edge. Glue ends together so they overlap.
5. Turn shirt wrong side out. Fold cowl strip over and pinedge to inside of collar. Working in small sections, glue pinned pieces together, about ½” in from collar’s edge.
6. Iron collar to make a crisp fold.
Ribbon-striped tank
YOU’LL NEED:
- 1 to 2 yards ribbon
- Scissors
- Tank top
- Ruler
- Straight pins
- Fabric glue (such as Unique Stitch)
1. Cut ribbon into four equal strips.
2. Arrange shirt on flat surface, front facing up. Measure distance between bottom of arm holes, then mark center point with a pin. Pin one end of a ribbon ½” to right of center, and a second ribbon ½” to left of center. Pin remaining pieces so there is about 1” between. Try shirt on and adjust spacing. Decide how long you want ribbons and trim accordingly (mid-abdomen tends to be most flattering).
3. Attach ribbons, using a thin bead of glue on back of each. Press down to set, making sure lines are straight.
Ribbon-neck tank
YOU’LL NEED:
- Tank top
- Tape measure
- Scissors
- 1 yard ribbon
- Fabric glue (such as Unique Stitch)
- Sewing needle (optional)
- Thread in same color as ribbon (optional)
1. Measure circumference of neckline and add 1”. Cut ribbon to that length.
2. Lay tank on flat surface, front facing up.
3. Make a thin bead of fabric glue down center of ribbon’s reverse side. Starting at one shoulder seam, adhere ribbon to shirt, lining up ribbon and collar edges. Continue until ribbon ends meet. Trim so that there is an extra ¼” of overlapping ribbon. Fold raw edge of ribbon under ¼”. Secure with fabric glue, then glue to shirt so ends of ribbon join. You can sew ribbon in place using a loose running stitch.
Fitted V-neck cardigan
YOU’LL NEED:
- V-neck shirt, one size larger than you wear
- Ruler
- Fabric pencil
- Scissors
- Fabric glue (such as Unique Stitch)
- Sewing needle
- Thread in same color as shirt
- Five buttons
1. Arrange shirt on flat surface, front facing up. Using ruler and fabric pencil, draw a straight line from point of V down to shirt’s bottom hem. Cut along line.
2. Arrange shirt on flat surface again, opening it up so that reverse side of fabric faces up.
3. Working on a raw edge, apply a thin bead of glue down length, close to edge, and fold over. Repeat on other raw edge. To finish hem, wait for glue to dry, then make another thin bead of glue down length, close to edge, and fold over. If desired, reinforce by sewing hems with a simple hand stitch.
4. Arrange shirt on flat surface so cut edges meet in the middle. Use fabric pencil to mark where you want buttons to go. They should start right at the V, about ½” in from the edge. Sew in place. Note: Buttons should go down shirt’s left side (right side when shirt is facing you).
5. Pull other side of shirt to overlap button side by about 1”. Use fabric pencil to mark center point of each button, where holes will go. You might want to try on shirt to make sure everything is aligned.
6. Measure diameter of buttons― you will create holes that are ½ to ¾ that size. (The stretchier the fabric, the smaller the hole.) Start hole by pinching fabric over the marked button spot and cutting a small vertical snip. Release fabric and continue to snip until hole is correct length, about half as long as diameter of button. Repeat for each hole, testing hole as you work to ensure you have proper alignment and size.
7. Turn wrong side out and sew
around each buttonhole, looping thread through hole so that edges are fully wrapped in thread to prevent fraying.
So with these tips you can get your fall fashion rocking and trendy. Fashion does not have to be a hassle although it could be a chore. So gather your girlfriends and have a Saturday of fun and fashion where you each bring new ideas coupled with these to create unforgettable unique pieces. What other ways do you know to re-purpose your closet? Share your ideas and pictures with us.
