T shirt dress upcycle

Little imp was given a hand-me-down dress that she has worn until it tore on the bodice. She loved it so much I wondered if I could use the skirt part to make into a new favourite. This is how it turned out.

This is the first edition, taken apart at the seam.

I found a long sleeve top that would become the new top half of the dress, perfect for winter. I used the original to roughly gauge where to cut the new top - making the bodice a few inches longer this time given Little Imp has grown somewhat.

Somewhere online I saw this trick - add a piece of iron on interfacing just above where you will cut the bodice - this will help the tshirt material keep its shape once the skirt is added. Given the skirt I am adding is quite heavy I thought this would be worth doing. **Note- I later ripped the interfacing out as I had used waistband interfacing that was way too heavy & so you could see a solid, stiff band through the t-shirt fabric.

interfacing ironed on just above the line where I will cut the shirt

cutting the shirt at the line just below the interfacing (photo upside down)

With right sides together I pinned the skirt to the shirt bodice - you can see the interfacing in the picture below. Then I stitched this together using a sewing machine.

 This is what it looked like turned right side out with a heart applique (from another well loved top!)

A bit too hot to wear it today....

But this day was the perfect day to wear it:)

Ashbury Peasant Top and another hairclip

I made one of these for Little Imp a few years ago and she has had so much wear out of it. It is an online pattern Ashbury Peasant Top that is super easy to make - no buttons or zips - and pretty forgiving.

I used a lightweight cotton for the first version & it is perfect for summer (saves the need to go through the battle of applying suncream to arms), or when it is a bit cooler with a layer underneath.

I have used the size 8 bodice sizing for the one I have just made, and the size 6 arms. Probably could have done a size 6 throughout, but too late now! Little Imp likes it, so that is the main thing.

                        

 

Can't have a new dress without a matching hairclip & this is a super easy method.

Cut a strip of fabric about 16" x 2". Turn over short raw edges 1/4" wrong sides together and iron. Then fold in half lengthways and iron, wrong sides together. I then used pinking shears to trim the tiniest amount off the long raw edges to stop fraying. Set machine to the longest straight stitch length and then sew close to the raw edges to form a long tube. Pull up thread to begin to gather. Keep going with the gathering & the fabric strip/tube will start to twist. Once it is all gathered up work with the twist to sort of roll it up into a flower shape. Secure with some hand sewing and add a button in the middle to hide the messy bits. Attach to a clip - hey presto!

A late Easter post

Look what we made for Easter decorations. I blew all of those eggs. Hard work.

Guess it is still easier than laying the eggs though...Thank you chickens...