Another Re-Made Tee

As I make new spring clothes for the Me-Made-March challenge next month I'm trying to make at least every other item a reconstruction, either from something I already own or something I got at the thrift store. The shirt I just finished was from a gigantic XXL man's orange polo shirt that I found on the Walmart sale table for $3.    The color struck me as something I could wear with my new Marcy Tilton brown pants (Vogue 8395) so I cut it up, added odds and ends of fabric I had lying around and here is the result.

You can see that one sleeve is made from left-over fabric from the Vogue 1219 dress I just completed

And from these items from the Thrift store I'm using for "trims"

Here's a back view where you can see the side gusset I used

 It's so much fun to "remake" clothes and certainly much faster!  Next though, I MUST make the new Marcy Tilton top pattern, Vogue 8709.                                                                          
                                                                                               
                                                                

Re-constructed Tee

I have been a Marcy Tilton fan for many years, ever since almost 10 years ago when I went on one of her shopping trips through San Francisco (I'd love to go on one of her Paris trips that she's doing nowadays!). I've collected just about all her Vogue patterns and love her design philosophy which seems to be "make what you think looks good" and have gotten many ideas from her tee- shirt gallery    Marcy's Tee's

I've just re-made one of her tee's that I made last winter .  Here's the original which I loved in cold weather:

 And here I am wearing it with my Au Bonheur tunic last winter  

   

 

  It was wonderfully warm and snug for winter wear but that tight neck and sleeves already feel too hot to wear for sping.  So I "reconstructed it" and came up with this:  (I'm wearing my new Vogue 8712 Tilton pants with it)

                                                           

        I started with the neck, which was very snug, high and hot on the original, took off the old neckband and used some different fabric to make a "twisted neckband" inspired by this pattern from Marcy, Vogue 8582 "twisted collar top"

Next, using Marcy's ideas from her tee-shirt gallery, I gathered more fabric that I liked to add onto the tee, this time using inspiration from an Au Bonheur pattern I had made and review previously: Au Bonheur Top

           I especially like the added gusset on the front side, which breaks up up the wide horizantal expanse and used the ruffle that is only on the back of this pattern all around on my tee.  This helped add some length which my original needed in order to be worn out over this length of pant.

What fun I've had with this "remake", using as inspiration my 2 favorite designers---Marcy Tilton and Au Bonheur patterns (which you can order here    http://www.patron-de-couture.fr/  )   They are very user friendly even if you don't know French and I encourage every sewer who likes something a little different to give them a try!  Sew on and happy long weekend----pegsewer

Where have all the SLIPS gone?

I seem to be making and wearing a lot of skirts lately.  In my opinion they look better on me than pants (which all but the very fullest make me look like a giraffe).   I'm currently working on this designer knock-off skirt and it seriously needs a slip---both for feel and looks.

 It would be impossible to line so I went looking for a slip to wear under it. Have you looked at slips in the store lately?  They are pricey, limited and ugly! Plus none that were the right size and length happened to have just the right slit length.

 So I decided to make one from some lining material I have, which of course would be just the right size and length and I could make a slit in the slip to match the one in the skirt.  But no matter how much of a "slit" I put in the slip, some of it kept wanting to peep out around the skirt's slit!

       I suddenly realized that the slip really doesn't need to be attached at all on one side.  So I left it flat and put in an elastic waistband which it can kind of slide around like a shower curtain on a round rod. This works great!  I can open the side as much as I want or pull it closed when I don't have a slitted skirt.  Here is my result and you can see that on the right side it is completely open and I've pulled a bit of elastic out to see.                                                                
   I'm quite pleased with the result. The cost was probably under a dollar as I got the whole bolt of fabric for $3 at my favorite thrifty fabric store, and the elastic came in a "mystery package" from Fabric Mart .  So Voila---a designer slip!




                                                                                                                                

3 Pairs of (small) pants = One SKIRT

Here's my first attempt at "re-constructing"

I took the 3 pair of sporty pants that I got at the Thrift Store yesterday and remade them into a funky skirt. I would have taken more pics of the original pants and the process if I'd known how much I'd enjoy the creation, but since this is my first attempt I had no idea what I'd come up with!

I used some ideas from an Au Bonheur pattern I'd made with pockets and flaps hanging all over it    http://www.patron-de-couture.fr/uploaded/1/big/JCE09002.jpg  but in this version I decided to use as many of the pockets on the pants themselves as I could.  What fun---there was even one with a ribbon closure!

Only one of the pair of pants fit me at the waist so I used that as the "base", taking apart all the pants seams up to the waist. Then I just added interesting pieces of fabric from the other 2 pairs until I got a result I liked! After the pieces were all sewn together I made tucks and pleats at different places like some European designer skirts I've seen, which hopefully gives the skirt some interesting "movement".

I tested many ways and places to put the pockets and here is a close-up of the process:

                                                        
                         

               I learned some lessons from this first re-constructing adventure.  I should only wear one funky piece in an outfit----had a wilder tee-shirt on at first and I looked like a clown!   This had been do much fun and I'm looking forward to making more creations.    Thanks for reading my new blog!   I'm looking forward to your comments.    PegSewer                                             

Welcome to "Deconstruct"

Welcome to my new Blog where I will show my attempts to sew unusual outfits for myself.  I like to use some of the more complicated Vogue patterns and have just discovered the French pattern company Au Bonheur  http://www.patron-de-couture.fr/ and these patterns will be the starting point of many of my creations. I'm also going to attempt some "re-makes" by shopping in second hand stores and "deconstructing" (love the word!) these items into something new, funky and trendy that looks good on me. I love being an "older woman" who can dress to please herself  and plan to do just that.

I will be entering the "Me-Made-March" challenge sponsored by Zoe from Stitcher's Guild where we will wear something different we've made each day in March.  You can sign up or find out more about it here  http://sozowhatdoyouknow.blogspot.com/2011/02/me-made-march-11-join-me.html    She will soon have a Flickr page with every person's creations.

Here are some of the things I plan to use to sew my 31 creations:

                                            

   Some of my fabric collection pieces.                                       

              The results of my trip to the Thrift store for items to deconstruct---looks like I'll have lots of green!

So, I hope to learn more about blogging and enjoy my sewing by sharing it here.   Let the deconstructing, altering, and creating begin!     PegSewer