Sewing Projects Archives - Page 4 of 6

August 20, 2021January 21, 2023

Men’s Shirt Upcycle

How to Upcycle a Men’s shirt to a Woman’s Jacket

In a former life, this women’s jacket was a pin-striped, button-down men’s shirt.

Inspiration for this men’s shirt upcycle

How did a men’s shirt upcycle to a woman’s jacket? It had been several months since I’d sewn and the creativity bug was nudging me. Though still blazing hot where I live, cooler days would be coming. I wanted to make a lightweight wrap, cardigan, or jacket to wear over a T-shirt and jeans. My initial inspiration came from the All Well Cardigan Coat pattern https://allwellworkshop.com/cardigan-coat

Materials

The All Well Cardigan can be made in a variety of fabrics. The pattern guide also suggested experimenting with vintage or recycled fabrics for a unique look. I was about to head to the local thrift shop when I remembered I had a sack of clothing recently purged from the closet. Here I found two pin-striped, button down shirts my husband was discarding. They were in good shape and made from a sturdy, wrinkle-resistant oxford cloth. Could I use these? Searching through my sewing closet, I found this unusual print and some antique buttons my sister had sent me. Could I make this work?

http://seamslikeastory.com/the-simply-complicated-dress/

Button down shirts, fabric remnant, and antique buttons. Hmm…

The Process:

I decided to upcycle the blue pin-striped shirt into a woman’s jacket. At first I was planning to cut the shirt apart and try to salvage enough fabric for the pattern. On second thought, I decided to keep the existing structure in tact. The sleeves, side seams, and front placket remained unchanged. I removed parts that made it look like a man’s shirt…the chest pocket, collar, and buttons.

This pocket could be used on another project.

I carefully cut off the collar, leaving the band. The attached band was later turned under and stitched to make the neck facing.

Next, I used the All Well Cardigan pattern to mark the cropped hemline on the shirt. This cut off enough fabric from the bottom of the men’s large-tall-sized shirt to turn the short sleeves into long sleeves. I pieced them together, then stitched the pieces onto the existing short sleeves. This took some starts and stops, as I was making it up as I went along. The stripes for the “added on ” part of the sleeve runs opposite to the stripes on the existing sleeve, but I like the effect!

I like the effect of the banded sleeve and directional stripes.

Finishing touches:

Edges and hem

To finish the front edges of the shirt, I folded under the front plackets where the buttons and buttonholes had been and stitched them in place. Remember the collar band that I had NOT cut off of the neck edge of the shirt? That was folded under (after I removed some of the bulk) and stitched down to form the neck edge facing. This resulted in a clean, collarless look in keeping with the All Well Cardigan style. I hemmed the lower edge of the garment with a double-fold-and – stitch.

Pocket and back pleat detail

To add a touch of whimsy, I cut out a panel from the fabric remnant, lined it with a complimentary print from my stash, and sewed it to form a pocket. I cut a small square from the same remnant and stitched it onto the back pleat to make an interesting detail and take away the “men’s shirt” look.

It’s the small details like this pocket that really turn this from a men’s shirt to a unique woman’s jacket.

Coming or going, this jacket makes an impression!

Button and Buttonhole

From the beginning, I knew I wanted to use one of the oversized antique buttons on this project. (Remember, the existing buttonholes had been turned under and no longer visible). The addition of the button was challenging. This one-and-a-half-inch- diameter button needed a buttonhole that was too large for my machine’s buttonhole attachment. I googled “how to make custom buttonholes” and figured out (with a great deal of practice) how to make one using a zig-zag stitch.

I was determined to make this button work even though I needed a custom buttonhole.

The End Result

I’m happy with my new jacket. It was fun to play around with what I already had. I started with a basic idea or plan, but in the end, the materials themselves dictated the final look. I think it looks cute with the gold-linen, wide-legged pants I made this spring.

seamslikeastory.com/how-dare-I/

I think it would be nice with boyfriend jeans as well.

Speaking of boyfriend…my husband walked in as I was cutting off the collar of the shirt. “What are you doing to my shirt?!” he exclaimed. I had to remind him that the shirt had been in the “Goodwill” pile for more than a year. Still he eyed me suspiciously. Now he keeps a close watch on his closet.

Threads of Thought

Upcycling is “creatively repurposing old materials while maintaining some of their original characteristics.”

That perfectly describes this project, but the term doesn’t only apply to sewing. Many things could be upcycled: wood scraps, furniture, jewelry, dishes…the possibilities are endless!

Have you tried your hand at upcycling? I’d love to hear about it!

When I’m not sewing, I’m writing! Look for Out of the Crayon Box: Thoughts on Teaching, Retirement, and Life at amazon.com/author.debravandeventer

July 2, 2021April 16, 2025

Made in the Shade

How to Make No-sew Porch Curtains

Don’t you just want to sit on Liz’s porch with a glass of lemonade?

A Guest Post from Liz Lindsey

My good friend Liz doesn’t sew, but she is very creative. She found a brilliant way to solve a summertime problem. I asked if she would share this story with my readers:

I miss my tree….

I miss the giant maple that shaded our front porch. I miss it a lot. My first memory of a front porch was at my grandma’s house. Her porch had a swing and a big shade tree that shaded the porch. Even as a kid I knew, one day, I wanted a porch swing and a big shade tree.

I got my wish, and all was good until the foundation of our old farmhouse showed some intrusion of roots from the big shade tree. The repair company recommended we take down the tree. After it was removed, I knew my porch would be extremely sunny and very hot in the summer. I had to find a solution.

The Inspiration:

I went to Pinterest, a great place for ideas. https://www.scatteredthoughtsofacraftymom.com/no-sew-drop-cloth-patio-curtains/

I think I searched for “ways to create shade on a porch” and discovered porch curtains! It was the answer I was looking for! I studied a lot of pictures. I had to find a DYI solution that did not require sewing. I don’t have a sewing machine, nor did I want to bother friends who had one! The easiest idea suggested was to use painter’s drop cloths. I wondered how that would look and to my surprise, they turned out great!

The Materials:

I bought four 6×9 muslin drop cloths. Remembering what I’d learned in 8th grade sewing class, I washed the drop cloths to pre-shrink them. I purchased 2 metal conduit pipes that my husband and I found in electrical supplies at Menards. They were already black, like I wanted. Then I found four hooks in the closet section of Menards. I ordered a package of 20 clip-on ring hooks, also in black.

The Steps:

Step one was to create the curtains. I measured the length I needed. I had to fold down the top about a foot to make them the right length. It created a valance, which I like. I used the rings to clip along the top of the curtains
Step two was to hang the rods. I admit I needed a little help from my husband. He is pretty good with a drill and was able to attach the hooks better than I could.
Step three was to thread the pipe through the rings and hang the rod, with the curtains, on the hooks.

The results:

I love how they look and they will create the shade I want. It’s not my shade tree. I plan to plant another tree to shade the porch someday, but until it becomes the perfect shade tree, I will enjoy my porch curtains.

The project cost about $80. What a deal!

Thanks Liz! This turned out great! Can I come over for a glass of wine?

Threads of thought:

What are your front porch memories?

Looking for a good Porch Read or a fun selection for you book club? Check out my latest books: Out of the Crayon Box: Thoughts on Teaching, Retirement, and Life and Until Italy: a Traveler’s Memoir. Available now on Amazon. Get your copies here: http://amazon.com/author/debravandeventer

out of the crayon box book and wine glass

the author holding her book Until Italy: A traveler's Memoir

June 6, 2021January 21, 2023

The Simply Complicated Dress

Persevering through sewing challenges

This dress should have been simple but….

In a recent post, I mentioned how my sister inspires me and supports my creative endeavors.http://seamslikeastory.com/the-shirt-off-her-back/

A clothing boutique she frequents in Chicago was having a sale on their designer fabric remnants. Knowing I was blogging about sewing and creativity, she bought a few items and made a surprise package for me. When the box arrived, I found 3 yards of navy blue window-pane checked rayon, a yard of interesting upholstery fabric, and two packs of vintage buttons.

A box from my sister contained these treasures!

I decided to make a summer dress with the rayon and had just enough for this NEW LOOK pattern(N6651). It looked simple enough, but it wasn’t long before my challenges with the project began.

I had just enough fabric and the exact amount of buttons needed for this project.

Challenge #1: Cut it out.

Continue reading “The Simply Complicated Dress” …

May 28, 2021January 21, 2023

The Shirt off her Back

100 Acts of Sewing Dress #2 hack

Ok..I didn’t actually take the shirt off her back. My sister is eight years younger than me. We never got the chance to share clothes when we were growing up. But when visiting Chicago this fall, I envied my sister’s buttercup-yellow print top. It was the kind of thing you could pull on with a pair of jeans and be stylishly comfortable. I could make that, I said to myself. When I got home, I looked through patterns online. I finally decided to use 100 Acts of Sewing dress #2 and cut it down to make a top. ( Looking back, I think I could have used the Tunic #1 pattern instead.)

I had 2yds of yellow print cotton in my fabric stash. I discovered that wasn’t quite enough, so I decided to experiment with adding contrasting colors. If you look at pictures of 100 Acts of Sewing projects, often you will see the sewist has added contrasting borders, pockets, and trims to create interest to these simple styles.

https://www.pinterest.com/longis/100-acts-of-sewing/

The top went together smoothly. When trying it on , I discovered the neck opening was a bit too large so I made a simple pleat in the back. A fish tag fashioned from a scrap of fabric added a touch of whimsy. (I have no real interest in fish…I just thought it was cute!)

The pattern called for making your own bias tape. I had never done that before so I did a little research and purchased a bias tape maker. After a few false starts, I made enough bias tape to use for the neck facing and the border trim.

What started out as a copycat of my sister’s shirt turned out to be a unique creation! We didn’t get the chance to share clothes, but now we share inspirations! Maybe this shirt will come with me on my next trip to Chicago.

Threads of Thought

Did you ever share clothes with a sibling?

If you are a sewist, have you tried making your own bias tape?

Where do you get inspiration for your creative works?

Read more from Debra:
Out of the Crayon Box:Thoughts on Teaching, Retirement, and LIfe http://amazon.com/author/debravandeventer

May 21, 2021January 21, 2023

This Apron Rocks!

Sewing with Lillian part 2

A few years ago, I taught my granddaughter Lillian to sew. She learned how to thread the machine, wind a bobbin, and practice straight stitching on paper patterns. When she was ready, we made some fabric bookmarks.

http://seamslikeastory.com/stitch-up-a-memory/

On a recent visit, older and wiser Lillian expressed an interest in doing another project together, so I suggested we try a simple apron. You know me… I’m ALL about aprons! http://seamslikeastory.com/apron-strings/

A “Swift” trip to the fabric store…

Off to the fabric store we went. Along the way, we cranked up the radio and belted out a Taylor Swift song. Having recently taught fourth graders, I was familiar with the song and Lillian thought it was funny that Grandma knew some of the words.

Once in the fabric store, Lillian had definite ideas about what she wanted. She was drawn to anything pink, purple, or sparkly. We decided to make the apron reversible and chose a yard each of a pink cheetah print and a turquoise-rainbow-unicorn-kitty fabric. We also purchased a small amount of rainbow-cheetah- print for pockets.

To complete our girls’ day out, we stopped by Starbucks where Lillian confidently ordered “a tall hot chocolate, kid temperature, with whipped cream.”

So now we sew…

Continue reading “This Apron Rocks!” …