I have mentioned before how my sewing skills are so-so. I can do simple, straight line things that don’t require a whole lot of exactness. Curtains, simple skirts and a blankets. Basic stuff. I want to be better. I keep coming across fabulously refashioned clothing and am green with envy. Why can’t I do that? I will keep focusing on improving and maybe someday…
I do like to challenge myself though. Back in May, Old Navy had a really big sale, like 50% off the stuff in the clearance section. So I dragged MJ and the two kiddos there to check it out. Having just had Sweet J, I joyfully picked out a few non-maternity summer things and snagged a few items I thought I could alter. As I said before, these are really simple changes but even little successes feel nice.
First up, a blue print dress I got for $7.50 and altered into a skirt.
Sorry the color is lousy but I started the project in the evening so my lighting wasn’t very good. I think the print is fun and different (though my mom says she had something similar in the 60s).
I hacked the dress apart, separating the skirt from the top.
Because I don’t have a serger, I used a zigzag stitch to go around the raw edge of the top of the skirt to finish it off. Then I folded over the top edge to create a channel for an elastic waistband. The channel is 1.5 inch wide to account for the 1 inch elastic and 1/4 inch space on either side.
I sewed around the skirt but made sure to leave a 2 inch opening for the elastic to go in and out.
Then I did a straight stitch all the way around really close to the folded edge. In other tutorials I’ve read, this stitching is said to help the waistband sit up a little straighter. Plus it looks nicer.
Using a safety pin attached to the elastic, I threaded it into the channel and did a zigzag stitch to connect the two ends of elastic where I wanted them (I am also not good at taking pictures of sewing steps. Please forgive me.)
Sewed up the final 2 inches of the channel and viala!
Simple, simple.
For the second one, I went even a step simpler. This summery dress was a steal at $6.00.
There was already elastic in place for the dress itself so I cut away the top strappy section and had myself a skirt!
However, because I am modest/a mom/don’t like showing off my underwear/not a model/old/no fun, I didn’t feel comfortable with the sheerness of the white layers. So, using some basic white fabric I already had, I added another layer on the inside to help make it more opaque.
Here I am, rocking the one-arm look.
Ah, both arms are back.
No undie color here!
And there you have it, my feeble, elementary attempt at clothing alteration.
I’ll just keep getting better, right?!
That’s what I tell myself anyway.
Take care.
-amy c
