Denim Skirt upcycle from cut off jeans

I recently cut off some jeans to make jean shorts.  As I looked at the cut off legs, I thought they'd be cute as a skirt for Kewpie.

I washed them first, to get it to fray a little.  Then I opened up the two pant legs and sewed them to each other.  To finish the skirt, I took some blue elastic and sewed it to one end.


I love how easy it was, and how cute it turned out!  She wears it all the time, and it matches pretty much any shirt she's got.

Size down a nightgown

I apologize for the lack of process pictures.  This was done at a whim.  It took about 30 minutes, and when I looked at it, I thought, "I should have done a tutorial on it."  Oh well.  Let me tell you how it happened.

Kewpie loves nightgowns.  I scaled one down for her way back here, and it's gotten too small for her.  My mom donated a nightgown she had that she'd never worn.

I used the same method as I have in the t-shirt dress.  That is, lay a shirt that fits, with the sleeves tucked in, on top of the nightgown with the shoulders matched together.

Trace the armholes and sides of the pattern t-shirt onto the nightgown until a few inches below the armholes.

Cut out what you've traced, angling out from the tracing until you've reached the edge of the nightgown.

Sew the sides back together.

To make a hem, I measured how long Kewpie wanted it to be, and cut the nightgown off a few inches above that.  Then I used the original hem as a ruffle.  I hate hemming knits, so I use the original hem as much as I can.

I was going to make sleeves the same as I did in the t-shirt dress, but then I remembered that this is a summer nightgown, and Kewpie gets hot easily.  So I took the hem of the original sleeves and used them to make a ruffle around the armhole.  

Finished!

Circle Skirt from T shirt

I must give credit where it's due.  I first wanted to make a circle skirt after seeing Dana's of MADE.

But to actually make the skirt, I used the circle skirt calculator from the snugbug.  It is precise and amazing.

Since Kewpie has decided that she likes skirts more than pants or shorts, I wanted a skirt that she could wear like shorts.  Casual, fun, not show the dirt.

So I used an old heather gray t-shirt.

For the waistband, I did the same as a skirt I made for myself here. Super comfy, no need for elastic.

I must make more circle skirts. They even make walking more fun.

And it hangs so well.

As a side note, it might be noticeable that I haven't posted much as of late.  At the moment, life (baby and sickness) has taken over, and sewing was shoved into the back seat.  But I've woken from sewing dreams lately and my mind is brimming with ideas of fun things to do.  We'll see if real life will allow for those to become real.

Meanwhile, I'll post a few projects I didn't have time to post before, to appease my hunger to create again.

Maxi skirt from a dress

I love a flowy-long skirt.  Always have.  I love that they're back in style.  

I set out with some super cute knit fabric to make me one, and got side-tracked by this dress.

What was wrong with this dress, you ask?  Well the reason it had been sitting in a box for fifteen years was because of an accidental sharpie mark right in front at the waistline.  It was also a little short--it hit my shins right at the point to make them seem bigger.  And I didn't have the slender stomach to wear it anymore.  But I never threw it out because it was such a comfortable dress and I loved it.  

You can see where I cut it off.  I figured the sharpie part wouldn't show past the folded-over waistband.

I was going to cut more off to make a waistband, but then I tried it on and realized that it was already tailored to sit on my hips.  So I just folded it down until it was exactly the length I wanted.  

This is excellent, because some of my shoes are taller than others, and I can lengthen or shorten the skirt accordingly.  Accidental genius.

PS. I'm Baa-ack!