Saturday, June 22, 2013

Three Ways Top (Or, "A Closet Crisis Averted")

My closet has been in a sad state of late! Since Rosa's birth last fall, I've been giving my wardrobe a makeover. Perhaps it's due to my new status as mom of two littles, or perhaps it was just time for a change. Either way, I've been doing really well at "out with old" -- but not so well at "in with the new." Yes, I could spend a fortune and buy exactly what I want right now. But sadly, I haven't found any fortunes lying around lately. I've also been trying to minimalize my closet, and only buy/make garments that fit my needs and my lifestyle. 

In the meantime, my summer "closet crisis" has become acute. When I say "I have nothing to wear," it's almost true -- about seven skirts, a pretty good collection of sleeveless tops and tanks sans necessary layering shirts/shrugs/cardigans, and a few sleeveless and short-sleeve tops I can actually wear by themselves (that don't really go with my current skirt selection). Hmm.

I'm now very interested in sewing my own knits. I've finally gotten over my terror of stretchy fabrics, to the point that I'm ready to tackle simple projects like tops, shrugs, and cardis. However, I'm nervous about experimenting when it's difficult to find nice knits inexpensively. I also love the idea of refashioning women's knit t-shirts, but don't love that most of the tutorials I see involve buying two brand-new shirts (so that you have extra fabric for embellishment). 

With that in mind, I decided to shop the XL women's section at my favorite local thrift shop.

Score!

I found three identical sleeveless tops in teal, chocolate, and fuchsia. The knit is super nice, and they looked easy to modify. And they were a dollar each. 

Here's one of the original tops on "Yvonne," along with the line I marked after pinning the top on myself "inside out." By the way, it's extremely painful to remove a fitted top when you've lined the edges in pins. In case you were wondering.


 


After sewing along my line, I fine-tuned the fit and also took about an inch off the shoulders. I removed the excess side fabric with my serger (though finishing the edges isn't really necessary with knit). Excess fabric? Sounds like an excuse for some embellishment! Besides, three of the same top is kind of boring, right?

So here's the new version of my top, three ways:


1. Teal banded shoulder top 

The shoulders are quite wide, and for some reason this top seemed more "binding" than the others. Problem solved by two self-fabric tubes and some gathering stitched on the shirt.


 

     
2. Fuchsia Shirred Top
This one is pretty simple. Four 1-inch bands cut from my excess fabric, ruffled with elastic thread in the bobbin (I find this faster and easier than regular gathering). They're topstiched on with a medium zig-zag -- medium width, medium length.  




3. Chocolate Ruffles and Roses

Perhaps my favorite (and currently being worn), I used my elastic bobbin thread again to gather the top edges of the ruffles and the roses. I got the techniques from this wonderful tutorial: Tea Rose Home -- Ruffle Shirt Tutorial.





I found a few other re-fashion candidates at the thrift store, so now to figure out how to create more functional pieces for my wardrobe! With a handful of new tops and some skirt fabric on the way, my closet situation is finally looking up. 


12 comments:

  1. Those are so beautiful! I completely understand the "not having anything to wear" problem! I have such a hard time finding clothes that transition well from pregnancy to post pregnancy to nursing... and we don't have the space or the budget for three seperate wardrobes. I've recently begun sewing with knits as well, and made myself a small collection of maxi skirts! They are so comfortable! You've definitely inspired me to try my hand at remaking a few shirts too :) Hugs!

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  2. Oh my goodness, Shannon! These are the cutest and most modest looking knit top refashions I've ever seen! I truly can't decide which I love the best. :)

    I know what you mean about your closet situation. Low finances have meant I haven't spent on clothes in quite a few years, but with getting rid of old worn out pieces from my wardrobe I've been keeping an eye out for sales and how I can refashion thrift items, too. Good summer projects!

    Praying you and your little family are all doing well and enjoying a blessed year. :)

    Love in Christ,
    ~Rachel~

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  3. Very nice! Shopping in the extra large section of the store is really handy. I did however, recently buy some knits from Girl Charlee. They have some reasonably priced knits with awfully cute stripes, chevrons and various types of knits. Just in case you run out of extra larges. :)

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  4. Hi Shannon!
    I found you via Pinterest, and I love this tutorial. They look classy, are pretty, and modest to boot!
    I would love to try to sew these, but I'm pretty clueless; I have a machine and understand how to use it, but I haven't really used much and would like to start - maybe even with these!
    Do you have any tips for me? I'd love to learn! :)
    Thanks!!
    Christie

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  5. Great job! The chocolate brown top is also my favorite, but they are all beauties. I never would've guessed they started at the thrift store. :)
    My wardrobe has been a mish-mash, too. I finally felt good about my winter options, then summer came! I received some pretty fabrics for my birthday, so I have to decide what to do with them and then find the time to sew.

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  6. So apparently I'm not the only one with wardrobe issues! :-)

    Laura, I'm in exactly the same boat -- my winter wardrobe was great and versatile, but summer has totally thrown me! I hope we get to see the results of your birthday fabrics... :-)

    Lauren Christine, figuring out transitional pieces is definitely a challenge! I used to wear button-up blouses a lot (because I sewed wovens), but I now find them totally impractical for nursing. Hopefully I'll be mothering little ones for years to come, so I got rid of anything that doesn't work now. I do have one medium tub of mostly-thrifted-and-handmade maternity clothes, and I have some maxi skirts on my horizon...

    Janel, it's so funny that you mentioned Girl Charlee, because I just placed an order with them a few days ago! Their prices seem so reasonable (even cheaper than JoAnn's extremely limited selection with a 40% or 50% coupon). I can hardly wait to start sewing!

    Hey Christie, nice to meet you and thanks for stopping by! My best advice for starting out is to start simple and work your way up -- and don't be discouraged if your first projects don't come out perfectly! Experience is a great teacher. Also, here's a site with links to videos on various techniques (I haven't watched all of them, but they look pretty good): http://www.couturiermommy.com/p/beginners.html. There are TONS of tutorials and videos on every imaginable sewing topic, so that's a great way to explore -- if you come across a term or technique you're unfamiliar with, Google it! And if you ever have a specific question, I'd be happy to try to help you with it.

    Rachel, you are always so sweet and encouraging! Sales and thrift stores can be so hit-and-miss that sometimes I wish I could just buy everything brand-new. But I think I'd miss the thrill of the hunt, if you know what I mean. :-) I hope you're successful with your search for some new clothes!

    Blessings,
    Shannon

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  7. Great work Shannon!! Lauren and I greatly enjoyed your post.
    Blessings,
    Mrs. Hope

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  8. Beautiful job! I think these knits are the most comfortable, especially in the summer!

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  9. I love all of the shirts, you did a fabulous job. I love t shirt refashions, it is my favorite thing to look for at the thrift store.

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    1. Thanks, Katie! It's so nice to breathe new life into a discarded garment, isn't it?

      Blessings,
      Shannon

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  10. thank you for tee shirt upcycles that are cute and professional looking - at last !

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    1. You're very welcome! :-)

      Blessings,
      Shannon

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