• Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Subscribe
  • Contact Me

Mary's Thrifty Chic

Upcycling thrift shop clothing/sewing

  • Jackets
  • Blouses
  • Dresses
  • Skirts
  • Sweaters
  • T-shirts
  • Sewing
  • Refashioned Upcycled Clothing

Dresses

A Frumpy to Fabulous Refashion!

January 21, 2013 By Mary Peterson Leave a Comment

Finished and fabulous! I can’t wait to wear it. The belt was from my closet and did not come with the dress.

.

A Frumpy to Fabulous Refashion!6

.

.

A Frumpy to Fabulous Refashion!5
Before, Bleh! But it had good bones. 🙂

 

.

.

.

.

I had a three day weekend and was really on the lookout for a fun project. One trip to “Goodwill” and a few hours later, I have a new dress! I will show you the finished project first then share with you it’s frumpy beginnings…

.

.

.

.

.

A Frumpy to Fabulous Refashion!4

.

.

.

I removed the sleeves and it looks better already.

.

.

.

A Frumpy to Fabulous Refashion!3

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

I turned it inside out and fit the side seams. I also took about 4 inches out of the circumference of the skirt.

.

A Frumpy to Fabulous Refashion!2

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

I made a gusset to fill in the armholes. Many times when you cut off a sleeve the armhole must be filled in and redrawn. with this print you can’t even tell it is there.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

A Frumpy to Fabulous Refashion!1

.

.

.

.

.

.

I cut the new capped sleeves out of the old puffy ones!

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Put it all together, press carefully, and add a belt. Now I am ready to go!

.

Happy Sewing!

.

Mary

.

.

Filed Under: Dresses Tagged With: tropical print

Newest Project in Person!

January 17, 2013 By Mary Peterson 2 Comments

Newest project in person!

.

This totally works for my teaching job. I feel put together and comfortable and the dress cost under $15 in fabric (the black and brown purchased from Joann of course). If you check out my prior blog entry you will see how this started from a picture in a magazine, a rarely used t-shirt, a little fabric, and some time. My leopard cap toe flats and black tights are the perfect accessories to keep me comfortable and able to move around the classroom. I am working on a few more things…can’t wait to show them off!

.

Later,

.

Mary

.

.

Filed Under: Dresses Tagged With: refashion, t-shirt

My Newest Project and Happy Holidays!

December 30, 2012 By Mary Peterson Leave a Comment

You need to look closely to see the brown panel but it is there.  I couldn't get the lighting right!
You need to look closely to see the brown panel but it is there. I couldn’t get the lighting right!

Happy Holidays Everyone!

.

I hope this long awaited blog post finds everyone happy, healthy, and enjoying family and friends.

.

I’ve been working on a project but it has been a while in coming to you. Now that Christmas vacation is here I have a little time to sew. I’ll get right to it. Here was the inspiration. I just loved the look of this.

.

My Newest Project and Happy Holidays!4

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

My Newest Project and Happy Holidays!3

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

I decided to start with a cream colored t-shirt that I already owned. I just cut it off under the arms and reshaped the neckline.

.

.

.

.

My Newest Project and Happy Holidays!2

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Then, I had to reset the sleeves to adjust the fit. Because the original shirt was a v-neck, the neckline had to be a little deeper than the picture.

.

.

.

.

My Newest Project and Happy Holidays!1

.

.

.

.

.

.

Here it is before I added the brown panel. It still is not totally fit or pressed here. Because I dropped the neckline, the panels will not be the exact same proportion as the picture, but it will give me the same feeling.

.

I will accessorize and model it in a future post!

.

Later 🙂

.

Mary

.

.

Filed Under: Dresses Tagged With: refashion, t-shirt

A Refashion From My Closet

November 20, 2012 By Mary Peterson Leave a Comment

After!
After!

I needed a creative fix and a diversion from cleaning and doing report cards. So, I searched through my closet and to my horror, one of my favorite t-shirts had a hole in the hem!

.

NOOOOOO! I was ready to throw it away when I realized I could just change it into a dress with the bottom of another t-shirt. I had a brand new black t-shirt that was from my son’s baseball team and never worn. It did the trick nicely. I just cut off the offending hem from the striped shirt, then added the bottom of the black t-shirt. I can wear it as a dress with black tights and stack heeled loafers for work, or with black leggings and ballet flats for casual. I feel women in their 50’s can wear leggings providing the top totally covers the “behind.” I wouldn’t be caught dead with them otherwise!

Before clipping off the hole and adding the bottom
Before clipping off the hole and adding the bottom
Simple fix and my favorite "T" has new life!
Simple fix and my favorite “T” has new life!

Filed Under: Dresses Tagged With: refashion, t-shirt

Figuring Things Out

August 8, 2012 By Mary Peterson 4 Comments

Figuring Things Out2

This post is dedicated to how inept I feel at trying to figure out this whole process. I have fumbled my way through so far but I understand I must publish this post with the code in order to get a bloglovin button. Crossing my fingers and hoping it works…can’t wait ’til I can afford some tech help. Just so you won’t be too bored I will post a picture of my first design (totally mine) in years.

.

Figuring Things Out1

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

I am starting to remember all of those lessons I learned in design school, and learning some new things thanks to the net. Here is the dress!

.

.

Filed Under: Dresses Tagged With: retro print

  • « Go to Previous Page
  • Page 1
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Page 4
  • Page 5
  • Page 6

Primary Sidebar

Get New Posts!

When I add a new post, you'll get a notice in your inbox!

Patterns at a Great Price!

Recent Comments

  • Mary Peterson on Men’s Stripe Shirt Refashion
  • Jean Aiko Gee on Men’s Stripe Shirt Refashion
  • Mary Peterson on Upcycled Maxi, T-shirt & Micro Crochet
  • Mary Peterson on Upcycled Maxi, T-shirt & Micro Crochet
  • Janene on Upcycled Maxi, T-shirt & Micro Crochet

The Renegade Seamstress

the-refashion-handbook

Copyright © 2026 · MarysThriftyChic.com | Privacy