Refashion | An Old T-Shirt + Scrap Piece of Fabric

thee inspiration:

Giving color and pattern to a solid comfy t-shirt, looks simple enough to me. I had this bright red-orange tee and a remnant of fabric leftover from this wrap and tie pantskirt I made. This fabric piece just goes so well with the shirt. It was meant to be.

First I did was mark how high I wanted the center back. I basically made go to where the front neckline is. Then fold the shirt in half, with side seams meeting in the middle. Create the shape you want for the front and back "v"s. Well I guess the back is more curved than a "v" but you get it. I had the front "v" end right above the belly button.

Once that was cut out (leaving a 1/4" seam allowance) I took my scrap piece of fabric, evened it out and sewed it in half lengthwise. The piece was 37.5" long by 30" wide so 15" when folded in half.

I have a similar shirt that I like the back length of so I used it as a reference. Within this piece of fabric I was able to get both front and back pieces. Starting with the top back curve.

Then the front after the back is all cut out. Make sure the width is the same as where it meets up on the sides. After that I had it flare out some since this fabric doesn't stretch like the t-shirt does.

So the seams on the fabric will end up in the middle and should then be sewed to your t-shirt. I did the front first then the back.

I wanted the front middle corner to line up exactly with the middle seam of the fabric. It was a little tricky but got it eventually.

After the front is attached to the front and the back to back you can serge the raw edges. Then you can attach the sides together and serge those. After all that even out the bottom a bit, get it how you want and hem it.

All done!

Renew & reuse!

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Refashion | DIY French-Knotted Upcycled Cardigan

thee Inspiration:

French-Knotted Cardigan by Moth

I had been collecting and using thrifted embroidery hoops for years now. Not to sew on or with but as wall decor above my sewing space. Along with the hoops one day I found a bag of brightly colored doilies so I put them together on display. I also found some interesting frames I then turned into another decor piece featuring used measuring tapes (DIY post about it here) and two pin cushions. 

A few years back I got an embroidery thread set from an aunt as a gift and since then it piqued my interest to actually try embroidering by hand. I learned some stitches by watching tutorials on youtube. I bought more thread and I embellished this upcycled denim crossbody bag with it:

Then I saw that grey cardigan from Anthropologie and I thought to myself, it is completely doable. I had this fuchsia cardigan I've worn a couple times. It's not a V-neck but it's plain and could certainly use a little revitalization. The French knot confetti embellishment is perfect.

If you don't know how to make French Knots, check out this video I watched to learn how to make them (they are super simple!): How to Sew a French Knot Stitch by Professor Pincushion

Initially I thought I would be using an embroidery hoop to keep the cardigan nicely stretched but I ended up not really needing it. I guess I should've just used a much smaller hoop instead. It would've helped but I think it turned out fine, you might not need it. This is what I ended up with so far. It's definitely not as full as the Anthro cardi but I can always add onto it. If you have a plain cardigan in need of some flair, just add sprinkles!

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Vintage Finds | Vintage Blouse Butterick Sewing Patterns

These are vintage Butterick sewing patterns I’ve tried out. I think these button down blouse designs are basically timeless…just ignore any call for added shoulder pads lol. 

Butterick 6811 style A

Butterick 6531 style C

Butterick 6733 style B

On a side note with full emphasis: I Miss Joann.