Thursday 26 May 2011

So I've been getting a bit distracted ....But back to work and with a new name...I'm going to call it the Make Do And Mend Wardrobe Refashion anyone care to join me?

This dress fits really well so I've taken a pattern from it
What with Sew mama Sew give away day who wouldn't be distracted.But  I'm now really getting back to the job in hand. I'd like to join some other sewers doing wardrobe refashions so have been looking around for people to team up with. If you know anyone doing something similar or who wants to do something similar please let me know.

 I've decided a little while ago that I'm really going to try not to cheat to much with this wardrobe refashion. In my ever growing library I have a copy of make do and mend, I read it all ages ago and when refashioning it suggest that you should unpick the clothes,wash and press them and then take your pattern and cut it out of the fabric.This didn't make any sense to me a couple of years ago when I could think of so many short cuts but right now after a few projects where although I certainly had success with a good few some of these things just aren't quite right so I'm going to do things properly this time wherever possible.
 So  I'm renaming my refashion the Make do and Mend wardrobe refashion.

The idea was to use existing clothes i love in my wardrobe,take patterns from them and use them to remake clothes I don't love so much.and off course use anything else you have lying around as well.fabric,notions etc,Would anyone care to join me?I'm also intending to make more homeware and accessories from my old clothes and scraps so any beginner seamstresses need not feel left out.

Just a bit too dirndl. The dress I'm refashioning at the moment. i do kinda like it but It doesn't look too good on me making me look like an extra in the sound of music and not in a good way!


I'm not real crazy about too many guidelines so I'm going to keep them kinda flexible but this is what I have in mind.

  • You can use anything you have in the house or can get from from friends or family.You could get friends and family to donate clothes for you to take apart if you don't have many.
  • It is fine to buy zippers,buttons,fabric etc as long as this is in order for you to make use of something you allready have but only after you've checked to see if you could use something  in your stash or could get hold of something for free, perhaps taking old clothes apart for the buttons and zippers.
  • You should try to use free patterns where possible either taken from the clothes you allready have.or things you have in your stash or maybe you could swap traced patterns with other sewers.or perhaps from burda.Be creative!
  • I do really want to keep a vintage feel to this so I'm thinking using vintage clothes to take patterns from,using vintage or vintage style patterns.drafting your own vinatge inspired etc.Although more modern refashions can be nice to I'd like to keep this vintage inspired.
  • Anyone can join and leave at any time.It's not a fixed time project.whether you  only want to do one refashion or a whole wardrobe.
The idea is to make your wardrobe better using the least amount of money possible. I started doing this because I had more clothes in my wardrobe which didn't fit or suit then ones which did, a small budget, and also lots and lots of things bought second hand with refashioning in mind which I never quite got around to. I'd like to end up with more clothes which do fit and suit me and less which don't

12 comments:

  1. Hiya,
    I'm up for this, got so much in my wardrobe that needs sorting out so I actually wear it more often! And even just quirking things up a little with more interesting buttons/detailing.
    I also have a bag of clothes that was destined for the charity collection, but they never collected!
    Shall I post something on my blog too, with a link to here?
    Cheers
    Helen

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  2. Hiya Helen. Nice to hear from you. Great thatyou're up for this,A link on your blog would be a good idea. I can't seem to find you though. Could you send me a link too?

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  3. Hello! I too am in need of a wardrobe makeover, and would rather beautify things I already own than spend pennies I don't have on new clothes. So I am definately up for some kind of 'pimp my wardrobe' challenge! I also love the idea of making new/modifying old garments using those I love as a basis, but I'm terrified at the thought of taking apart my favourite clothes incase I can't put them back together again!!!

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  4. Hi Kat,Nice to hear from you. Don't worry about taking apart your clothes there is another way called rubbing a pattern which doesn't require you to take them apart.On the blue dress I followed a sort of simplified version of that method.by basically turning inside out. pinning grease proof paper over it and tracing the stitch line.(will need to add seem allowance of course) This was easy to do on this garment because dark blue thread had been used but there are other methods.I did have to fiddle about with it a fair amount before I figured out how to put the garment so I could trace the pattern piece which at first seemed impossible. This link shows you how to rub a pattern onto muslin:
    http://sewing.patternreview.com/cgi-bin/review/readreview.pl?ID=83
    The link is not comming up for some reason so just cut and paste in your browser.
    I think this would be a good method if you had a pattern with darts which would be perhaps harder to do with my more simplified version.
    maybe you could have a good look at your wardobe pull out the things you love and then see what's simplest to begin with. Might be better to build up your confidence with something not to hard.I started of with another dress but decided it was a bit more complex then it looked.I only took it apart because it needed repairs doing on it anyway which would be impossible to do otherwise.the advantage to using clothes you have as basis is that you know that it's going to fit well as long as your fabric choice is fairly similar to the original. and you get to have more of your favourite dresses.I must admit after some procrastination I have just reached the cutting stage which always frightens me.
    Hope that helps kat.

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  5. Hiya,
    my blog is craftyweeone.blogspot.com.
    I'll post a link as soon as I can figure out how to. been having problems replying to comments and logging in to make comments which seems to be a common problem!
    Helen

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  6. Hi Helen.Thanks. I found you.Hope you get the problem sorted. I personally have not had problems with that but blogger does seem to have it's moments. Posting a link is easy. you just copy and paste the adress from the address bar.and then press enter . what looks better though is doing a hyperlink.where you don't see the whole address you just see a highlighted word which you can click on to lead you to the website. I need to learn how to do this.Am going to google it now.

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  7. I will join in and have a go too as I have never refashioned anything,so that will be a bit of a challenge, but always seem to do lots of mending!

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  8. That's great Urban Rustic. Welcome.I'm happy to help should you have any questions. There's also loads of fantastic tutorials out there so I'm sure I can stear you in the right direction should you need any help. Do you have a particular item in mind you think you might like to refashion?

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  9. Have just had a look at your blog urban rustic and by the looks of it you're a pretty accomplished seamstress allready . I really like the cute little dress with the ruffles.

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  10. I haven't got anything in mind just yet but I am sure I can find something soon.Thank you for your encouragement and kind comments!!

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  11. Hi Creative Miss W - how would you like us to submit refashion projects? Since nobody is mentioning that in this post you've probably given instructions already but I can't seem to fine them.

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  12. Hi American Nanny! That's a good point! I thought it probably best to blog about it on your blogs and link back here. I was going to start a flickr group if there is a need for it.
    so you can put your pictures in there. Do you think a flickr group would be helpful?

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