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Thrift store dress refashion

I found this dress at Thrift Town for $1.99. The color and general shape of the dress are cute, but it needed some tweaking.

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Overall, it was a bit big. The sleeves were awkward, and I’m more likely to wear a dress when it’s warm, so the sleeves needed to go. I also think it feels a little frumpy at that length.

Here’s what I did:

The shoulder seams were low, so I was able to just remove the length and hem. I added two darts in the back at the waist to trim it down but keep the fullness of the skirt. I kept the top a little loose, but that makes nursing easier and will allow me to wear it over a long sleeve black tee in the winter if I want. I do need to find a new belt or trim down the one I used for the “after” photos. I really like the belt with the dress, but it is way too long. I like how the width of it breaks up the business of the print, though.

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I had planned to take about six inches off of the length, but Finn thought it looked nice the way it was. I still might, but honestly, for chasing after a toddler the longer length is probably more practical.

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T-Shirt to TV Pants

I went on a little Pinterest binge a couple days ago looking for ideas to help clear my refashion stash. Saturday night I decided to make a pair of yoga pants out of a t-shirt using this tutorial. I wear a size eight on average, and used an XL adult t-shirt.

I did make a few changes to the design. First, instead of cutting the shirt down the middle, I cut it down the sides from the middle of the underarm to the hem. This also means you’ll have an inseam and no side seams. That keeps any design on the front or back intact and moves them to the hips. For the waistband, I cut the underarm seam from the sleeves and squared them up to be two equal rectangles, leaving the hem intact. I sewed the short sides together making a big, short tube from the sleeves. I then put the tube inside the waist of the pants with the pants right side out and the right side of the tube facing the inside of the pants. The raw edge of the tube lines up with the raw edge of the pants. I serged the top together like that. This made it so when the tube is folded down to the outside, the seam is covered.

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Sorry for the awkward pictures. No one was around to take the pictures and Doctor Who was about to start.

I sewed it all on my serger and it took less than ten minutes. I probably should have added two minutes and switched from white to black thread. Or not.

They are a little loose at the waist. If I were planning to actually do yoga or wear them in public I should probably add some elastic at the seam. Since they will probably be used mainly for watching Doctor Who while sitting on the sofa, I probably won’t bother.

T-Shirt to TV Pants was originally published on SubEarthan Cottage

T-Shirt to TV Pants was originally published on SubEarthan Cottage

T-Shirt to TV Pants was originally published on SubEarthan Cottage

T-Shirt to TV Pants was originally published on SubEarthan Cottage

T-Shirt to TV Pants was originally published on SubEarthan Cottage

T-Shirt to TV Pants was originally published on SubEarthan Cottage

T-Shirt to TV Pants was originally published on SubEarthan Cottage

T-Shirt to TV Pants was originally published on SubEarthan Cottage

T-Shirt to TV Pants was originally published on SubEarthan Cottage

T-Shirt to TV Pants was originally published on SubEarthan Cottage

T-Shirt to TV Pants was originally published on SubEarthan Cottage

T-Shirt to TV Pants was originally published on SubEarthan Cottage

T-Shirt to TV Pants was originally published on SubEarthan Cottage

T-Shirt to TV Pants was originally published on SubEarthan Cottage

T-Shirt to TV Pants was originally published on SubEarthan Cottage

T-Shirt to TV Pants was originally published on SubEarthan Cottage

T-Shirt to TV Pants was originally published on SubEarthan Cottage

T-Shirt to TV Pants was originally published on SubEarthan Cottage

T-Shirt to TV Pants was originally published on SubEarthan Cottage

T-Shirt to TV Pants was originally published on SubEarthan Cottage

T-Shirt to TV Pants was originally published on SubEarthan Cottage

T-Shirt to TV Pants was originally published on SubEarthan Cottage

T-Shirt to TV Pants was originally published on SubEarthan Cottage