Category: Upcycled Fashionista

Refashioning a Dress Into a Peasant Shirt

Refashioning a peasant top from a dress #upcycle #refashion #sewing http://www.upcycledfashionista.com
~ Maureen ~ 3 Comments

So I read that red was supposed to be a hot color (pardon the pun!) for the summer.  I picked this up at the Salvation Army thinking to be in style, but I hate maxi dresses.  (I look like a drowned rat in them!)  Time for some restyling.

Refashioning a peasant top from a dress #upcycle #refashion #sewing http://www.upcycledfashionista.com

I was perusing the mall … and came across this cute little top at NY & Company. That chain is so cute!!

Refashioning a peasant top from a dress #upcycle #refashion #sewing http://www.upcycledfashionista.com

I had to have it.  So I cut the top of my dress off and then sewed up the side, leaving some room for the armpits. Continue reading “Refashioning a Dress Into a Peasant Shirt” →

Refashion Plain T-Shirts into a Tie-Dye 4th of July Dress

~ Maureen ~ 9 Comments

I made a 4th of July outfit a few days ago, but I wasn’t feeling it.  It came out pretty nice, but I felt I could come up with something more festive for our Independence Day.  So when I found these two plain white t-shirts on sale at the Goodwill the other day, I came up with a flash of inspiration for a refashion.  Since they were on sale, they both cost $1.50.  Tie-Dye, here I come!

Remaking Tie-Dye 4th of July Dress #upcycle #refashion #sewing http://www.upcycledfashionista.com

I wanted to create some swirly designs with the colors, which is the closest that I know to making stars.  So I twisted the fabric around and secured with elastic. Continue reading “Refashion Plain T-Shirts into a Tie-Dye 4th of July Dress” →

Refashioning a Skirt from a Dress, Part II

Refashioning a skirt from a dress #upcycle #refashion #sewing http://www.upcycledfashionista.com
~ Maureen ~ 3 Comments

I got out my skirt today that I upcycled a while ago, and I decided that I hated the hem.  So today, I’m going to refashion my refashion.  It’s not going to make it look significantly different, but it is going to help the waist.  I’m going to teach you how to make a nice waistband, since I messed this one up so badly. Remember this skirt?

Refashioning a skirt from a dress #upcycle #refashion #sewing http://www.upcycledfashionista.com

Well, the skirt has side ruffles in it, which completely messed up my hemming.  See my bad job at sewing? 🙂 Continue reading “Refashioning a Skirt from a Dress, Part II” →

Refashioning a Dip Dyed Dress

Remaking a dip dyed dress #upcyle #refashion #sewing http://www.upcycledfashionista.com
~ Maureen ~ Leave a comment

I found this great dress at the Salvation Army and it was only $3. It was also brand new, with the tags, which said it was a bridal dress.  I’m not so sure any bride would wear it … as it was definitely see through as well.  Almost looked like a nightgown actually.  But with a few refashions, it will be a daytime dress!

Remaking a dip dyed dress #upcyle #refashion #sewing http://www.upcycledfashionista.com

I’ve wanted to try dip dyeing for a while now, so I went out and bought some wine-colored RIT dye.  Here we are in the bath. Continue reading “Refashioning a Dip Dyed Dress” →

Remaking Capris with a Lettuce Hem

Refashioning capris with a lettuce hem #upcycle #refashion #sewing
~ Maureen ~ 2 Comments

My daughter and I share one really annoying problem: we both can’t fit into any pants.  She is 11 years old, and fits into a size 8 except for the length.  Come summertime, this problem is generally easy to solve since I crop off all of her jeans and make them into shorts.  (Adding length, on the other hand, is a real pain.) So for today’s project, I am going to show you how I refashioned a size 8 pair of pants into a pair of capris.  This is more of a tutorial rather than a remake.  I don’t own a serger machine, so I have to make do on a regular machine.

Refashioning capris with a lettuce hem #upcycle #refashion #sewing

First step is to make them shorter. If you can see, these pants also had a bleach spot on them.  The easiest way to hem any pants is to fold them in half and then fold one pant leg over where you want to hem, making sure to make the fold perpendicular to the existing hem, since pant legs tend to be slightly angled. Continue reading “Remaking Capris with a Lettuce Hem” →

Refashioning a Skirt from a Shirt

Refashioning a skirt from a shirt #upcycled #refashion #sewing
~ Maureen ~ 4 Comments

My niece Courtney gave me this fabulous idea on Pinterest.  I hunted around the Goodwill until I found the perfect shirt.  So today, we’re going to refashion this one into a skirt.  As soon as you figure out how wonderfully easy, and how wonderfully sexy the result is, I bet you’ll make a dozen of them.

Refashioning a skirt from a shirt #upcycled #refashion #sewing

Cut off the top, making sure there is enough at the bottom to cover your bottom. Continue reading “Refashioning a Skirt from a Shirt” →

Making a Bag Holder

Remaking sweater sleeves into bag holders #sewing #upcycle #refashion http://www.upcycledfashionista.com
~ Maureen ~ 2 Comments

I love short sleeve tops because they are so versatile.  I wear them the entire year with shorts, jeans, or skirts.  If it’s cold, I throw on a sweater or a scarf on top to complete the look.  But since I’ve been doing so many blog posts about refashioning tops into short sleeves, I thought I would do something different today.

Remember this top?

Remaking a long sleeved knit shirt into a short sleeve summer top #sewing #upcycle #refashion http://www.upcycledfashionista.com

I ended up with two sleeves. Continue reading “Making a Bag Holder” →

Refashion a Vest Into a Feminine Ruffle Shirt

Refashion a Vest Into a Feminine Ruffle Shirt
~ Maureen ~ 4 Comments

Salvation Army had its annual 50% off day and that’s the perfect day to pick up some great finds for your refashion collection!  But I find that most people don’t head to the new section — anything with a tag still on it is marked up about 40% more than the used stuff.  At 50% off, though, it makes it worth it.  This vest is one of the things I found and today, I’m going to remake it into something better.

Refashion a Vest Into a Feminine Ruffle Shirt

I love vests but a recent fashion trend (which I STILL don’t get!!!) is not to put buttons on the vest. Um, hello, cheap manufacturing?!?!  My kids tell me “get over it” all the time, but it still bugs me.  What if I want to close up the vest and wear it over a shirt, like, um, a vest is SUPPOSED to do?  My solution to this vest, however, was to close it up permanently.  I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it the moment I saw it. Continue reading “Refashion a Vest Into a Feminine Ruffle Shirt” →