Snazzy Circles Tunic - A Refashion

Ever get sick of the clothes you own? Yeah, we all do. When I bought this cute skirt a while back for my daughter, we both were attracted to the fun black and blue dots on the two fabrics.  Well, she gave it back to me recently... to refashion. I told you before but I love a cute tunic, so of course I turned this snazzy skirt into a snazzy tunic. 

I started with a boring black knit shirt.  After cutting off five inches from the bottom, I proceeded to add the skirt to it to turn it into a tunic.

To determine the width of the skirt, I measured the width of the shirt and added 10 inches to the width.  Using this measurement, I cut that amount from the dotted fabric. Next, I sewed the side seams together so my dotted fabric formed a circle.  I added a gathering stitch to the top of the fabric and gently gathered the fabric to the knit shirt.  After pinning the fabric, I sewed the skirt to the shirt using a stretchy stitch.

If there is enough dot fabric, my daughter has a shirt she's hoping I'll make for her out of the leftover skirt fabric.  So check back next month while she's visiting me with my cute grandchildren to see how I used the rest of this fabric. - xoxo Grandma

Shared:  Threading my Way, Lou Lou Girls, Crafty Allie, Nap-time Creations, The Dedicated House

Make a Baseball Cap - a Refashion & Free Pattern

It's refashion month over at House of Estrella and today I'm joining in the fun by showing you how to make a baseball cap from a onesie or a tee shirt. Speaking of refashioning, the white sundress you see here on my granddaughter has also been refashioned.  For more details on the sundress go HERE.

To make your own baseball cap, grab a onesie or tee shirt that your child has out grown. Next, download the free pattern HERE - this cap pattern was sized to fit a 2-4 year old. Follow along as I show you how to sew your own toddler size baseball cap. 

Supplies needed:

Heavy weight interfacing, thread, scissors, seam ripper

1.  Trace the downloaded pattern onto your onesie using a washable fabric marker.  Now cut out all pieces. Unpick the ribbing because this will become the trim for the cap's brim and the back opening on the cap.

2.  Sew using 1/4" seams all the panels together.  Sew the short seam of the back panels together. 

3.  Top stitch 1/4" from the seams.  This keeps the seams down inside the cap.

4.  This is a close-up of top stitching the seams.

5.  Sew the ribbing (which you unpicked from the onesie) onto the back "U" shaped opening.

6.  Sandwich the interfacing between the top of the brim and the back of the brim.  I found that the brim looks great if you want to use a different fabric for the back brim.

7.  Sew on ribbing to the outside of the brim.

8.  Top stitch along the ribbing's edge - as close as possible to the edge of the ribbing.

9.  Pin the brim to the center of the hat's outside edge.  Sew all layers together.

10.  There are two ways to finish the back of the cap.  Take 1 1/2" x 5" of leftover fabric and fold in half lengthwise.  Stitch to form a casing.  Turn right side out.  Thread 2-3" of 1/2" elastic through.

12.  Sew close to the edge, extra wide seam tape to finish off the edge of the cap.  Sew a casing by stitching near the top of the seam tape.

13.  Insert about 2-3" of 1/2" wide elastic into both sides of the casing.

14.  Stitch the ends of the elastic.

15.  Cover a button with a contrasting fabric.

16.  Sew the button to the center of the cap.

Have fun refashioning!  xoxo Grandma

Shared: Threading My Way, Creating My Way to Success, Frances Suzanne - Free Patterns

"Skirting the Issue" Sewing Night!

Last Thursday night, I went to the "Skirting the Issue" event sponsored by Simple Simon/Project Run and Play. During this event, the blogosphere-sewing world was invited to participate by making skirts which would be donated to girls in local foster care programs so they'll have a new skirt to where when they go back to school in the fall.  By the time I left this activity, I had five skirts completed to donate to this cause.  On Saturday, I finished three more skirts.  The grey skirt pictured above was one of those skirts.  It was made from a hoodie and white knit fabric recycled from a camisole.  It is one of my favorite skirts out of the ten I created for this cause.  It's casual, could be worn with any shirt and it was easy to sew together with items donated to me by a friend - thanks Lindy!  Monday night I finished the skirt pictured below which was refashioned from a men's shirt and a little leftover grey knit binding.

This black skirt  with white ruffles was finished on Tuesday night. It is sized for a 4 - 6 year old and was refashioned from a women's tee and accented with ruffles cut from a camisole.  I added white side pockets to - I just love pockets in my skirts!  HERE is a tutorial on how to make this super easy skirt.

 A big thank you to these two women, Liz and Elizabeth (the wonder women from Simple Simon and Company/Project Run and Play and Project Sewn ) for putting together such a great service project and allowing all of us to join in the fun. You can read more about this cause HERE.  Please join us, you'll be glad you did!

As far as I know, this 11 year old was the only male who attended this activity (except a photographer whose three photos I borrowed for part of this post).  In the photo above, I am helping Gaven use a serger.  He sewed really fast and when I tried to explain that he needed to slow down, well, he likened the serger to a race car and said it was so much more fun to go fast! Dang, he was a cute kid!  I'm so impressed with his mother for teaching him that service can be fun and allowing him to participate.

Here are the first five skirts I made:

One of the piles of skirts completed toward the end of the activity:

Skirts for teenagers:

Take it from me, serving is fun (and skirt making is too)!  xoxo Grandma

Linked to: Skirt Fixation, Projects Sewn, Nap Time Creations

Other skirting the issue posts:

A Flock of Birds Skirt

Layers of Ruffles Blessing Dress - Pillowcase Refashioned

When my newest granddaughter was born a few months ago her mother requested I make a white blessing dress for her special day at church.  Below is a photo she e-mailed me of the "look" she wanted - layers and layers of ruffles:

With that photo as inspiration, I searched my stash for the perfect white fabric. I found two soft, white pillowcases in my linen closet that I no longer used.  So, I cut one of the pillowcases down to 20 inches. This is how I cut the skirt for this dress below:

I didn't have any eyelet in my stash, so I had to purchase four yards of  3 3 /4" wide white eyelet. From the second pillowcase, I cut out eight, 4" stripes.  With those stripes, I sewed two together to make 4 - 4" wide circles.  

Then I finished the hem of those stripes, ruffled them and added seam tape to finish off the seams as shown below.

For the bodice, I used this 1979 christening dress pattern although any baby bodice pattern would work for this project:

I cut the bodice out of the fabric cut from the top of the pillowcase to form the skirt.  From the remaining eyelet, I formed cap sleeves, because this little baby lives where it is hot and humid and I wanted to keep the dress cooler for her.

Doesn't she looked like an angel in her layers of white ruffles? One of the most angelic things about her is that she actually sleeps like a newborn should... all the time! I'm so grateful this blessing dress fit her so well, and so grateful my husband and I could join her on her special blessing day!  - xoxo Grandma

Linked:  The Dedicated House, Nap Time Creations, Skirt Fixation

Featured on: All Free Sewing

Baby Girl Gingham Smocked Dress

Last week, I spent the weekend with my siblings at a family reunion on the Oregon Coast. It was so much fun!  I also got to spend a day with this beauty: my 7 month old granddaughter who is one of the happiest babies I know!

For this dress, I started with more of that yellow & white gingham fabric which I inherited from my mother. It just never seems to run out.  I smocked this dress using white embroidery floss and accenting with purple floss that I stitched into flowers with soft green floss for leaves.  Smocking is tough!  Anyone have any smocking advice?  I've read that if you smock using gingham, it's easier.  My older sister suggested making the dress first and then smocking it afterward.  Here's my thoughts on the matter- maybe it's easier for some people but for me, NO, it was not.  So, this is it, I'm not smocking another thing ever or at least not again until I loose my memory and forget that I made this vow. Despite my smocking woes, this dress still turned out pretty cute... especially on this sweet little girl! 

In one week's time this little trooper flew internationally, crossed the country, made several 3 1/2 hour drives and through it all, she kept smiling.  By this time, I'm guessing this cutie was thinking "Yea, they let me out of my car seat!"

Yes, that's me getting a little loving before this granddaughter had to get back into her car seat and drive over three hours again back to her home. So grateful for family! - xoxo Grandma

Pattern: Simplicity #7239 - cira 1975

Fabric:   yellow & white cotton gingham, white cotton for the collar and the interfacing.

Linked:  The Dedicated House, Nap Time Creations

GUEST POST At Mother's Niche Making a Lace Sundress Refashioned From a Skirt

Hi, today I'm over at Mother's Niche with details on how to make this white lace sundress. For my fabric, I refashioned an adult skirt.  Please join me HERE.  Below are a few extra photos of that sundress - I know you want to make one so hop on over and let me know what you think.

 

xoxo Grandma

Refashioned Pillowcases

I refashioned two identical pillowcases, one as a dress and the other as a skirt.  The skirt was super simple.  Now, where are my granddaughters now that the skirt and sundress are finished?  I think I need to book a trip to see one of them... if only I had more vacation time - sigh!

Have you tried either of these sewing projects?  When I first saw this skirt on Pinterest, I knew I had to try this because I recognized that pillowcase, I had two folded in my linen closet. When I went to the website, I wasn't impressed! There wasn't a tutorial on how to make this, so I had to figure it out on my own. Last week, I found a video tutorial on how to make this kind of skirt.  Simple Simon and Company called this a paperbag skirt.  

I'm excited because this Thursday evening, I'm planning on going to the sew-along to help make skirts for girl's who are in foster care. If you're interested in joining me, you can find all the details HERE - doesn't this sounds like fun?  -  xoxo Grandma