Like many families with more than two children, clothes are a hot commodity in my house. Everything worth passing down is passed down and clothes are most definitely mended and not discarded when damaged. I know people who throw a shirt out when a button pops off and it makes me cry -- such a waste! Even clothes that are truly ruined can often be used for rags and quilt squares. I'm not a depression baby, but I do know how to get every last dime I spent from clothing.
This lesson is for all my friends out there who can sew a straight line. A few of you confessed a while back that you can only sew straight lines, and thus, you cannot sew clothes. This lesson is for you.
I buy Peach a few dresses every season that have a short waist and a long skirt. There is one brand in particular that I seek out because I love their seersucker fabrics and they are made very well for very little money (the brand is Youngland and you can usually find them at Sears). Well, when a dress with a short top and long skirt gets too short, you can simply cut off the top and make a skirt out of it .
This dress started out with its top attached.
I just used my scissors and cut at the seam.
I then ironed a 1/8-inch hem on the cut edge and then folded it over
and ironed a 1/4- to 1/2-inch hem to create a casing
(just make your casing to fit the elastic you have. I used a 1/4-inch piece.)
Sew the casing, leaving an opening to thread the elastic.
Measure your "model's" waist and cut your elastic
(I cut the elastic exactly the size of her waist so the skirt doesn't slip down her hips).
Thread the elastic through the casing and sew it together, overlapping about an inch.
Sew the casing shut and then sew vertically through the side seams of the casing (manufacturer's side seams) so that the elastic doesn't flip.
All done.
Since the dress skirt was short-waisted and the skirt now sits at her waist,
it has plenty of length.
Now when the skirt gets too short, it will be cut into quilt squares
and made into something else. Gotta love recycling.
.
I just used my scissors and cut at the seam.
I then ironed a 1/8-inch hem on the cut edge and then folded it overand ironed a 1/4- to 1/2-inch hem to create a casing
(just make your casing to fit the elastic you have. I used a 1/4-inch piece.)
Sew the casing, leaving an opening to thread the elastic.
Measure your "model's" waist and cut your elastic
(I cut the elastic exactly the size of her waist so the skirt doesn't slip down her hips).
Thread the elastic through the casing and sew it together, overlapping about an inch.
Sew the casing shut and then sew vertically through the side seams of the casing (manufacturer's side seams) so that the elastic doesn't flip.
All done.
Since the dress skirt was short-waisted and the skirt now sits at her waist,
it has plenty of length.
Now when the skirt gets too short, it will be cut into quilt squares
and made into something else. Gotta love recycling.
.
That is SO cool!! I actually like the skirt better! With 3 girls though and the youngest being only 2, I'm not quite ready to recycle, but I will have to do this one.
ReplyDeleteOne question: HOw do you thread the elastic through, with it being sewed already? Do you just kind of pinch it through til the end, with a safety pin?
Jamie, Yes -- just thread it through like you would a drawstring -- remember you leave a little opening that you sew up completely after you thread the elastic.
ReplyDeleteThat is brilliant Barbara! Is the recycling clothes 101 going to be a series??? Hint hint! :)
ReplyDelete