DIY Summer Shorts Refashion Tutorial ~ 3 Different Hem Styles ~

There are lots of reasons one might want to make their own shorts from jeans or pants. 

The biggest complaint I've heard from my friends is they can't buy jean shorts for their kids that are long enough.  This would be perfect for that problem!  

Other reasons would be if you get a hole or a stain in the knee or bottom part of the leg of your pants.

Another reason would be if your child grew up but not out and their pants were now too short. Making them shorts would be a great solution. 

I  just want to point out, I've saved so much money refashioning clothes instead of buying brand new.

I really only shop at thrift shops and yard sales anymore.

Refashioning is a real money saver! =)

 

The first pair of shorts I did this time was for my jeans (capris?) I'm not sure what these were exactly. I got them at a yardsale and they are petites, so I can't decide if they are pants or capris. 

I wanted to make a nice regular hem on my shorts.

The first thing I did was try the pants on.  Then I took a white marking pencil and made a line where I wanted the final hem to be.  I also made a line 1.5" below the top line.

Next, I cut along the bottom line. On both legs.

Then I turned the (now) shorts inside out.  I made a line 1.5" above the raw edge with the white pencil.

I folded the raw edge up twice until it met up with the white line that I made. 

I pinned all around the fold to hold it in place.

I sewed close to the top of the folded edge all the way around the pant leg.

And here is the final product! 

=)

Next up...Cuffed shorts...

  

For this tutorial, I used a pair of my daughter's capri-type pants to transform them into a cuffed denim short. 

I purchased these at a yardsale at the beginning of summer and it looks like the previous owner must have tried to make a pair of capris from jeans.

I had my daughter try on the pants and

I marked where I wanted the final length of the shorts (while she was wearing them). Apparently, this tickled, because she started laughing uncontrollably. =)   Then I marked a line 1.5" below that line. I used a regular pencil this time because the white pencil line wasn't noticeable.

I cut along the bottom line to make shorts.

Keeping the jeans right side out,
 I folded the raw edge up twice until it lined up with the pencil line I made and pinned.

Lastly, I sewed along the top of the folded edge all around the jeans.

See how fun and cute they turned out? Love them! =) And my daughter said they are way comfy.

And finally...ruffled hem...

This tutorial also works great if you have already purchased a pair of shorts and they are too short. Or if your child's legs have gotten longer and their shorts look shorter. =) It's a great way to lengthen shorts. I suppose you could also lengthen pants or jeans this way as well.

I marked where I wanted the denim section of the shorts to end. (Pay no attention to the top line I made in the picture. This was done by mistake...I got confused, which, if I'm being honest, happens frequently when I'm sewing. =P  )

I cut along the bottom line.

The fabric I'm using for the ruffle came from a vintage sheet I got at a yard sale.  I have an obsession with vintage sheets...it's just so much material for so little money!  And I'm in love with this pattern! It's so pretty.

 

I measured around the pant leg and added a couple of inches. That's the length of fabric I cut from the sheet. I made the width 2" wide.  Because I'm lazy, I used the finished edge of the sheet, so I wouldn't have to hem it. =D

I sewed a gathering stitch on the raw edge of the flowered strip...this made an automatic ruffle.

With the right sides together, I pinned the raw edge of the ruffle to the raw edge of the denim.  (I overlapped a tiny bit at the end.) 

I sewed them together making sure to stitch just below the gathering stitch. 

Once I was done with that, I used a zigzag stitch on the raw edges of the ruffle on the inside of the shorts. 

The final step was to iron the ruffle down. 

Here is the end result! How cute are these?!?  I love them! They are so cutesy!

Thanks for reading! =) 

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Thanks!

Halloween 2013



Me as "Mary Poppins"
(Pay no attention to the fact that I
have an open umbrella inside my house...
I like to live dangerously)

Viv as "Olivia"

This isn't gonna be a step by step tutorial. Unfortunately,  I didn't take pictures of the costume making process. Mostly because I've been working on the Olivia costume since October 1st and only when I've had extra time. So I never remembered to grab the camera. But I'll do my best to explain what I did. =)


For the Mary Poppins costume:  The only things I had to make for this costume were the bow tie and the hat. Yep, I made the hat. Because of course, when you need something, no store ever has it. EVER.  I already owned the umbrella, purse, and boots.  I got the blouse and the skirt at Goodwill.  I made the bow tie using a tutorial like this one from The Pleated Poppy . 
As for the hat...I found a cardboard box.  I cut a strip a couple of inches wide (this will determine the height of the hat).
Then I bent that strip into a circle and stapled it shut.
Next, I drew a circle on another piece of cardboard bigger than the circle I just made. This will be the brim of the hat. I cut out the middle about the same size as the circle that I stapled shut.
 I used the middle piece of cardboard that I cut out as the top of the hat. I hot glued and duct taped all of the pieces together. 
To cover the cardboard hat, I used a black sheet and hot glue. It didn't have to be perfect, because I was going to use a red ribbon/strip of fabric to cinch the sheet down.  In fact, it turned out somewhat billowy. 
After the sheet was hot glued on, I used a red piece of fabric as a ribbon around the hat and I hot glued that down.
 I then searched my house for some white and yellow flowers. (I actually had to raid a floral arrangement in my living room, but it was totally worth it.) And I hot glued those on.  Once that was done, my Mary Poppins costume was complete. =)


For the Olivia costume:  I actually made most of this costume. I had a pair of red capri pants that I knew I would never ever wear.  So I seam ripped the legs and crotch open all the way to the waistband. Then, I sewed the seams straight down in the front and the back. With leftover fabric, I made the straps.  I found 2 big pink buttons in my sewing stash from a coat I had a couple of years ago.  So I sewed one at the bottom of each strap. I hemmed the bottom and the jumper was finished.
I found a long sleeve white t shirt in my daughter's closet that had a very small hole in the stomach, so I decided to use that t shirt since she probably wouldn't wear it again due to the hole. I used a ruler to mark off stripes and painted the stripes with red acrylic paint (*please note* I should have used fabric paint, but I had red acrylic paint on hand so I used that.) 
For the leggings....I searched and searched and could not find striped OR white leggings (see what I mean about stores never having anything I need when I need it? I couldn't even find a red and white striped shirt to make leg warmers), so I had to get creative. I bought cotton tights, cut off the foot and used a zig zag stitch to sew at the ankle.  I did waste a pair of tights trying to paint the stripes on them. Of course, I used the acrylic paint and it did not work. The paint was hard and it wouldn't stretch over my daughter's legs.  So we just made the easier choice of wearing plain white instead of stripes.
She already had black shoes so that was easy. =)
For the ears, I bought white foam sheets (because, again, I couldn't find baby pink foam) and peach acrylic paint. I cut out ear shapes from the foam. They didn't have to be perfect because Olivia's ears aren't.  I painted them peach and attached them to a plain white headband with hot glue and a couple of handstitches.
I think it turned out great! And she made the most adorable "Olivia".
 I will warn though, if it's raining even a little outside and these ears get wet, they will droop. We found that out the hard way....

See? 


Hope everyone had a fun Halloween 2013...We sure did! =)

***If you have some time, swing by my Zibbet shop and take a look around!***

http://www.zibbet.com/TheRufflyBuffalo

Thanks! =D



Easy Tunic Tutorial

I have had this fabric for a while now.

 I believe I bought it at a yardsale last year. I know I didn't spend alot. I think it was less than a dollar.  And I'm not sure how much there was. If I had to guess (and that's what I'm doing because, like an idiot, I didn't measure this before I started cutting), I would say it was about a yard of fabric.

I knew I wanted to make something to wear. I've searched and searched for the perfect tutorial, and I never really found one I was in love with. So today, I decided to make a tunic for my daughter without the help of a tutorial.  What I really love about this is I didn't have to put in sleeves!  

The materials I needed for this were:

Fabric- I had about a yard of knit fabric...but it just depends on the size of the shirt 

Thread - a color that goes with your fabric

Elastic - I used 1/4" wide for the sleeves and 1/2" wide for the waist

Scissors

Stick Pins

Sewing Machine

Measuring Tape

And a tshirt that fits to use as a pattern

I folded my fabric in half. I pinned the open sides together so the fabric wouldn't move around while I was cutting out the tunic.

I grabbed a tshirt from my daughter's closet. I chose one that fit comfortably and was a little long on her.

I lined up the shoulders of the shirt on the fold of the fabric. 

 I pinned the shirt down face down. I used a piece of red chalk to outline the tshirt.  I left about an inch between the top of the shirt and the outline. This was to make sure the tunic was a little loose and for a 1/4" seam allowance  I drew a curved line where the armpit is. From the armpit to the bottom of the shirt, I flaired out my outline. I wanted the shape to be more like a dress than a tshirt.  I freehanded the outline.  Once I finished outlining, I marked where the neckline of the tshirt was with 2 chalk marks.

Next, I cut along the chalk line. Be sure to keep the shoulder seams uncut, so once it's cut out, it will be all one piece. 

I cut the neckline into a boatneck style. I did this by measuring about 1/2" from the chalk mark I made at the neck and scooping down just a little until I reached 1/2" past the other chalk mark on the neckline.  

To sew the tunic, I flipped it.  With the right sides together, I sewed up the sides, bottom of the sleeves and at the top of the sleeves.

At this point, I had my daughter try it on to make sure I didn't make any mistakes.

While she had it on, I measured from her shoulder to a little above her waist.  This is where I will place the elastic. 

With the shirt inside out, I chalked a straight line where I decided to put the elastic. This will be the guide used when sewing the elastic into the tunic. This line needs to be straight all the way around or it will be noticeable once the elastic is sewn on.  

I measured around my daughter to get a measurement for the elastic. I subtracted 1 inch from this measurement.  I cut the elastic that length.  I pinned the end of the elastic to the side seam of the shirt and started sewing all the way around. I stretched the elastic while sewing to give it a gathered look.  When doing this, remember to stretch the elastic with one hand and guide the fabric through the machine with the other.

This is what it will look like on the inside after the elastic is sewn on.

When I sewed all the way around, I had my daughter try on the shirt AGAIN to make sure it looked even.

With the tunic inside out, I sewed a small piece of elastic (probably 3-4" long) on the top seam of the sleeve. I did this by stretching the elastic while sewing.

This is how it should look after the elastic is sewn on

The only thing left to do was finish the raw edges of the sleeves, neckline, and bottom of the tunic.

This tunic from start to finish only took about an hour, but it is super comfy and totally adorable! =)

 

***If you have some time, swing by my Zibbet shop and take a look around!***
 http://www.zibbet.com/TheRufflyBuffalo



I'll Wear Your Grandma's Clothes. I'll Look Incredible.

  About 2 years ago, I bought a gorgeous polka dot skirt for myself at a yardsale. It was 10 cents. It was a great deal as it was in perfect condition and my size. However, I never wore the skirt. It was a chiffon-y kind of fabric and the only tops I had to match it were knit. I just didn't feel like they would go with it.  One day, while refashioning other clothes, my youngest asked if I would make that skirt into a dress for her. I decided it needed something else with it in order to make a pretty dress so we headed off to Goodwill.  That's where I purchased a ladies yellow skirt (for $1). 
First, I reworked the yellow skirt for the dress and accented it with pieces from the polka dot skirt. It was pretty easy to do. I just had my daughter try on the skirt and pull it up under her arms. Then I pinned the dress on the sides to make it fit. It already had a button and zipper. Then I sewed up the sides where the pins were. I hemmed it to a length comfortable for her.
 I made the straps with leftover yellow fabric from the skirt and covered them with the polka dot fabric.  I sewed those on the top.  Then I made a belt with fabric from the polka dot skirt. I sewed the belt to the yellow skirt on each side so the dress wouldn't move around much while she played in it.
I LOVE how it turned out! My daughter wore this to the Mother's Day Tea at school and she looked so cute! (Of course, she looks cute no matter what she wears.) =)  This dress only cost $1.10. YAY!
PS- I also made that bow on her headband. ;)

I also made this dress. I used to same format. I thought it turned out pretty good.

 

The blue dress cost $2.

***If you have some time, swing by my zibbet shop and take a look around!***

http://www.zibbet.com/TheRufflyBuffalo

Thanks! =D