From Frumpy To Fabulous

Hello again everyone. I want to start this week off by saying a big thank you to all those who voted for me last week!! Because of you I was able to create something special to compete in this week's competition. I know we all have a few clothes hiding in the back corners of our closets that are just screaming to be taken out and fixed up. If you know what I am talking about you might want to go scrounging about to find just such an outfit. Here is what I came up with from two of my closet outcasts. 

So You Think You Can Sew

Week 2: Repurposed Items

"From Frumpy to Fabulous"

Remember to Vote for me at Mommy By Day - Crafter By Night

Voting will start on Wednesday 

Jan 11th at 8am EST and go till Thursday Jan 12th at 8pm EST

This time the voting progress will not be shown... 

it's going to be a surprise. 

So help me out with all the votes you can!!

                 Frumpy                  Fabulous 

                         

The Pants:

Step 1: Find a pair of pants that still fit but are a little baggy. 

Step 2: Turn them inside out.

Step 3: Get a pair of your skinny jeans and flip them inside out. Lay them on top of the pants you want to fix up.

Step 4: Line your outside seams up. (You will have extra fabric on the inseam... don't count that in your front measurements... we will be adding that to the back leg.)
Step 5: Take out your chalk and mark the edges of where your pant leg begins to increase in size. My pant leg started at 5 inches.
Step 6: Chalk a mark to the side when you hit increments of 1/2 inch.
Step 7: Using your ruler connect your chalk marks moving up the leg of the pant. (All the way up to the crotch)
Step 8: Repeat on other leg.
Step 9: Flip pants over to the back side. Line up your outside seams.

Step 10: Trace the skinny jean lines in white. Add 1.5 inch chalk line in black continuing up the pant leg. (This is the extra fabric that we did not include in the front pant leg)
Step 11: Pin the black chalk line  (Aka: the back pant side) to the white line on the front leg.
Step 12: Check pin placement to be sure that your lines match up!!
Step 13: I tried my pants on with the pins in them... I didn't want to have to deal with unpicking it after I sewed them.
Step 14: If you do try the pants on with pins in them just know there is a good possibility of hurting yourself (The bruise is not related to the sewing) Who said sewing isn't a tough sport hu!!
Step 15: Using a straight stitch sew your chalked lines... remove your pins as you go.

Step 16: Once your reach the crotch backstitch a few times 

and trim loose threads.

Step 17: Repeat with other pant leg.

Step 18: Try pants on to make sure they fit correctly :)

Then cut off extra material. 

The Pink Bow:

Step 1: Lay the extra fabric you cut from your pants flat.

Step 2: Cut off the hem and cut down the seam line.

Step 3: Remove the other side of the scrap. 
Step 4: Turn fabric and fold in half. I made it about 4 inches wide.
Step 5: Fold and cut

Step 6: Now you should have two separate pieces 

Step 7: Lay pieces on on top of the other...
right side of fabric facing out.
Step 8: Using a needle and thread stitch a line through the middle of both fabric pieces.
Step 9: Continue stitch all the way through the fabric.
Step 10: Pull thread tight to create a bow like look.

Step 11: Wrap your thread around the middle section and tie off.
Snip threads off.
Step 12: Using the hem piece cut earlier, wrap around middle section.
Step 13: Place a small dab of fabric glue on the back side
of your hem piece.
Step 14: Don't put on too much (You don't want it oozing out everywhere)

Step 15: Place a bobby pin on the other non glue side of your hem. Stick both the hem and bobby pin in the glue. Hold until dry.
Step 16: Find a cute place in your hair to place your new bow :)

The Shirt:

Step 1: I used a Men's Small Dri Star shirt. I found a pack of three on sale at Walmart for around $3. I liked this kind because of the white stitching. 

Step 2: Turn your shirt inside out and place a well fitting shirt on top.

Step 3: Trace the well fitting shirt with a chalk line.

Step 4: Sew a straight stitch on your chalk line...
all the way around the armpit.
Step 5: Try on your shirt to make sure it fits correctly.
Trim extra fabric off.
Step 6: Turn so the right side is facing out.
Step 7: Switch over to white thread
Step 8: Locate the pressed line on your sleeves.
Step 9: Gather the sleeve in equal increments and pin in place.

Step 10: Sew a line up the sleeve to tack your gathers in place. Backstitch a few time to insure it stays put.
Step 11: Trim any threads and repeat on other sleeve.
Step 12: Using the excess fabric you trimmed from the shirt earlier cut 5 inch pieces out of your scraps.
Step 13: Cut two pieces.
Step 14: Keep in mind these pieces are supposed to be folded in half.

Step 15: Run a straight stitch around the edge of your rectangle.
Step 16: Trim strings and place down on a flat surface.
Step 17-19: Slowly pinch the middle of your fabric
piece to create a bow look

Step 20: Sew down the middle of your bow.
Step 21: Repeat on other rectangle.
Step 22: Find the scrap of fabric with your shirt hem.

Step 23: Trim the hem off your shirt leaving some black on the sides.

Step 24: Fold over black fabric slightly and wrap 

around the middle of the bow.

Step 25: Using a needle and thread hand sew your 

bow onto the gathered sleeve. 

Step 26: Tack down the middle edges of your bow on to the sleeve (this helps prevent them looking like wings)

Step 27-28: Strut your stuff and show off those cute bows!!

 Thanks for joining me again this week!! 

I hope you have success in rescuing those closet outcasts by turning 

them into something fun and stylish.

Craft Hard