Project Run & Play: Repurposing

I have a bag full of old clothes and sheets in my studio (yeah, that’s what I call my sewing/knitting/computer room).  It’s so full it’s practically bursting.  I started saving them somewhere around the time I got a Pinterest account.  So many great ideas there!  And then, I just never got around to doing anything.  Except for a newborn kimono style wrap blouse for souricette 2.  Made out of daddy’s old shirts so that she would be wrapped up in some daddy love.

I’ve been meaning to wrap souricette 1 in some daddy love as well but somehow never got around to it.  Somehow, when I have a project in mind, those old shirts are never quite right…  This challenge was the perfect time to wrap her up in family love.

I forgot to take pictures of the original garments so the only way to sort of see them is to go through my Instagram account (click on the picture on the right).

From daddy: cotton shirt in blue/white flower print (from the Target Liberty of London collection)

From mommy: cotton T-shirt, grey with black embroidered flowers (she wouldn’t have gotten it if the knitting machine hadn’t eaten holes into the bottom of it!)

From little sister: navy ribbed cotton maternity tank top (I know, it’s a bit of a stretch but the only item from souricette 2 that was in my bag just didn’t work)

From herself: slim fit jeans that fit perfectly in the waist but had gotten too short (because you have to give yourself some love too)

I couldn’t find everything I needed in my bag of old clothes so I had to dig through my stash for a few extra items.  In the spirit of repurposing, I thought I would use only leftovers from other projects.  It isn’t exactly repurposing but I though it went with the spirit of it.

First up, I made a skirt.  I was inspired by this pin.  I took apart the inner leg seams and a part of the crotch seam and cut the legs to the length I wanted.  Then, I bound the raw edges of the inner legs with 1 inch wide bias tape that I made with leftover fabric.  I overlapped the fronts and then the backs and sewed them in place.  I drew both the front and back openings onto some leftover scraps of denim I had.  I curved the bottom edge and added a seam allowance to the sides.  On the front, I layered some of daddy’s shirt.

For the back, I cut strips from the same shirt, finished the edges and gathered them before sewing them on.

I love how that back panel sticks out a little.  I wanted the ruffles to create some volume in the back and I got even more from the stiffness of the scrap denim.

Then, I made the top.  I used this Jalie pattern.  I cut out a crew neck size 6 with long sleeves.  I modified the neckline in order to eliminate the seam, curving out the angle between neckline and shoulder seam.  I cut the front and back out of my old T-shirt. Then I bound the top edges and added a snap to each side.

I split the sleeve pattern at the short sleeve line and added a 1/4 inch seam allowance to both.  The lower part was cut out of the maternity tank, using the hem of the tank as the sleeve’s hem.  The top part was going to be cut out of daddy’s shirt but I was afraid it would be too tight, given that it’s a woven used on a pattern made for knits.  I split the upper sleeve pattern in 7 places, adding 1/4 inch at the bottom and a full 1/2 inch at the top at each one.  To keep the stretch in my gathers, I sewed the edges of the woven onto 1/4 inch elastic, stretching the elastic as I sewed.  It worked perfectly!  And souricette 1 loves the puffed upper sleeve with the tighter lower sleeve.  Apparently, it’s like the sleeves on one of Belle’s dresses!

And… she likes it!  I had her put the skirt and top on for the photo shoot and she asked me if she could wear all day.

About deuxsouriceaux

Creative mommy at home to two wonderful little girls, trying to juggle family, sewing, exercise, family, knitting, photography, and did I mention family?