We get a great deal of our clothes from my network of friends. Every season or so a bag of clothes arrives from either my friend who has three girls older than mine or from another two friends who send us stuff too. Eventually when we have finished with them, we pass them on to younger children. It works for us all: it is cheap, sustainable and fun.
In a bag that came to us this summer was an M&S maxi dress aged 9/10yrs. Megan will not wear spagetti straps or a full length dress but she loved the butterfly fabric so we popped it on the refashion pile 2 months ago.
Firstly, I made a skirt using the shirring chest as a comfy waistband. I cut off the straps and folded it over to make two layers. Make sure you use a stretch stitch to sew this down to allow the shirring to continue doing its job. I used a zig zag on 0.5 width and 3.0 length. Hemmed, there was a skirt before my very eyes!
With the remaining piece I really wanted to use the maximum amount of fabric so I made a peasant top. Megan loves these and wears them on their own or with a long sleeved T-shirt underneath.
I squeezed one out using pattern pieces from an Ottobre pattern. I managed to get the length by using the original maxi dress hem. Recycling to the very end, I used one spagetti strap to make a bow for the front.
I don't know if she will ever get to wear them together but as two pieces from one unwanted dress it was very successful.
That left over fabric pile is getting smaller. The spare room of a crazed sewing woman!
Have a good week whatever you are up to. Jo xx
nice use of a lovely fabric. I like the top worn with the jeans. A plain t-shirt would be better , I think, with the skirt. Megan looks happy. ( my grandaughter is called Megan. )
ReplyDeleteWhat a great little up-cycle and they look great!
ReplyDeleteI think it’s great when they know what styles they like - good for her! It suggests independence of mind and a confident relationship with clothes in the future. The top and skirt are lovely and look like new.
ReplyDeleteThese are brilliant refashions and certain to be worn a lot.
ReplyDeleteLovely remake my friend and that gorgeous girl of yours looks thrilled.
ReplyDeleteI was always a 'second hand Rose' as a child, Mum often used to come home from work with a bag of clothes outgrown by friends daughters. Mum could sew, so she could make alterations. I was always so thrilled to have pretty new clothes. Being 4'8" I buy my clothes from ebay. |I love Monsoon and F&F :)
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