Category Archives: Clothes

June 13, 2012 · 6:54 pm

Add Sleeves to a Tank!

This is a quasi-tutorial for adding sleeves to a tank-top.

Here’s an unloved tank-top I had that I never wore, because you couldn’t wear a real bra under the shirt.

For this refashion, I simply used t-shirt sleeves from an old t-shirt, so it’s a bit of a cheat : )

Grab an old t-shirt

Cut off the sleeve. Cut the armpit seam open, leaving the shoulder in tact.

Tuck the raw edges of the sleeve under your tank top! Sew on the right-side of the tank-top, close to the edge.

I added a funny little pocket, too.

Enjoy wearing a real bra, everybody!

I’m going to try a different tank to tee refashion soon, so keep checking the blog!

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June 6, 2012 · 1:50 pm

Lace Sided Shorts Tutorial

This is a simple refashion you can do to any pair of shorts or pants you’d like to make a little flirty.

Sorry – can’t find the original source for these…

I saw these shorts and liked the idea, but for my personal preference, I didn’t want the lace to be in such a stark contrast to the jeans.

This lace was about 3 inches wide and was found at JoAnn Fabrics. It was originally white, but I died it to this smokey blue.

I cut out a triangular shape and sewed it to the side of my jean cut-offs (centered on the side seam). I used a tight stitch, since I expect the lace will fray a bit with repeated washing.

Once I sewed the lace in place, I cut out the jean fabric from inside the triangle. It’s a flirty little peek-a-boo!

And here’s me sneezing during the photography session : )

Tale of Two T-Shirts: A Tee Refashion

I took two t-shirts I wasn’t wearing very often and made one shirt I like a lot!

I cut about two inches down from the armpit on my top light-grey shirt, and then one and one-half inches down from the armpit on my dark grey t-shirt.

Two shirts, both alike in cheapness.

From forth the fatal loins of these two shirts, we’ll make a gooder shirt and stuff

I met them at the seams – these shirts were almost exactly the same size, so, thanks to the stretch of jersey, I didn’t have to make any adjustments to width. I put a pin at both side seams first and then worked the middles together.

shirts met at the side seams – right sides together, with the inside-out light grey shirt nested inside the darker grey.

I sewed a shallow zig-zag stitch with a 3/8inch seam allowance all the way around, using a walking foot and a stretch needle. Then I went around again, doing a wider zig zag stitch on the seam allowance. I’m guessing a serger would come in handy here : )

Definitely something I’ll wear more often than either of the two plain tees!

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May 8, 2012 · 5:12 pm

Scallop Shorts Tutorial

On Pinterest (of course) I saw these adorable scalloped shorts from J.Crew. But the price tag ($100?!) and the pleated front made them unlikely to ever be purchased. So I decided to alter a pair of shorts and make my own!

Find a pair of shorts or pants

Draw a scallop pattern.

You want to have a whole number of scallops – no half scallops – cover the bottom hem of your new shorts. So take the circumference measurement of the leg from where you want the tip of the scallop to hit. On mine it was 20 inches around – divided by 6 scallops gave me 3 1/3 inches. It takes a little guessing. I made my scallops be 2 1/4 inch long and sketched my curve. Once it looked right, I folded the scallop in half and cut out the shape.

Trace the scallop shapes on a rectangle of lining fabric and pin it to the RIGHT side of the shorts fabric.

Start in the inside thigh seam of the shorts – that way if things don’t end up lining up perfectly, it’ll be in an inconspicuous place.

Sew **on** the trace line, using a very tight straight stitch.

When you’re done sewing, cut off the excess fabric leaving a very scant (less than 1/8″) seam allowance. Clip into the valleys between the scallops. Be careful not to clip the threads.

Flip the lining fabric into the shorts. The valleys between the scallops may look a little funky. Use your seam ripper to knock out a couple of these threads and things will lay flat.

After ripping out a couple of stitches in the valleys, things look great! If you are going to top-stitch your shorts, no worries here. If you are not planning on top-stitching, you will want to blind stitch the valley where you snipped the stitches so things don’t fall apart.

Top stitch the scallops for a finished look. You can also blind stitch a folded over edge of the lining material to the inside of your shorts. This will keep everything laying nice and smooth even after washing.

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May 7, 2012 · 1:00 pm

More Stoles

A while ago I finished more Priest Stoles for our family friend. I wish I had better pictures, but c’est la vie!

Red for special celebrations!

Pastor Reggie in his Easter stole

Easter or Christmas stole (wrinkly, in shadows, being blown by wind)…

Sorbetto Tank Top

A goal for this year is to make a couple of items of clothing for myself. I have a unique body type (super-long torso, zero chest, birthing hips), so it would be super-smart for me to be able to make my own wardrobe, or at least master tailoring.

I was ecstatic to trip across the Sorbetto Tank Top FREE PDF pattern from Colette. I have some lovely peacock-printed cotton fabric gifted to me by my sister-in-law, so I whipped up this perfect beginner-project.

I made the top out of muslin first (minus the bias tape and hem) and realized I needed to add some serious length – I ended up adding about 4 inches – 3 in the waist and 1 on the bottom. The darts were perfect, but I did drop the armpit holes a little bit.

I used pre-made bias tape that I had on hand, but it’s a bit heavier than my shirt fabric (an exceptionally soft, lightweight cotton) so it kind of makes the collar sag a little. Not too much, but next time I think I’ll suck it up and make my tape from cotton fabrics.

Anyway I’m really pleased! It’ll be a nice top to have on hand in the summertime.

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February 24, 2012 · 1:36 pm

Holy Holy Holy!

So I’m making priestly garments now… (spit take cue for anyone who knows me).

My brother-in-law’s dad is a priest. He asked me if I would make for him a flashy stole.

Here’s what he wrote:

Clergy stoles are colorful fabric yokes, worn in worship over robes, hanging around the neck of pastors. The colors usually match the color of the liturgical season. They signify a “yoke” of service … like a draft animal might wear while plowing or pulling.

Here’s a super secret Jenna, the most expressive ( and stylish) pastors often use them as an expression of God’s great creativity and joy. These are often wearable “works of art”.

Certain colors of stoles are special for certain seasons…

1. Red – (Special Celebrations/ Festival & Feast Days)
2. Purple – (Lent / Repentance)
3. White – (Easter / Christmas)
4. Green (Pentecost / Growth)

So I made Pastor Reggie a purple one for lent. I really love this project. What a fun creative outlet! And after doing some research I’ve seen that hand-made stoles are really really expensive! Maybe this is a future business opportunity?

The Power of Christ Compels You!

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February 21, 2012 · 2:46 pm

Presidents’ Day

Sew Liberated’s Sweet Pea Pilot Cap + Hand Sewn Felt Tubes = Adorable Hilarity.

We have fun.

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November 16, 2011 · 6:15 pm

Fur Vest

Hey Gang! Libby the Bat got a new present from yours truly, an adorable (if I do say so myself) faux-fur vest. I used this pattern from living with punks, but I made it a little longer and I used a wooden toggle button instead of ribbon.

Isn't she the cutest?!

Dinosaur Hoodie Costume

Here is our most complicated costume yet! It’s not too difficult to construct (the tail can be a little tricky), but there are quite a few components…