Refashioned Upcycled Clothing

My Site Has a New Look!

August 8, 2019 By Mary Peterson 10 Comments

Have you ever wanted a new look? Well, I recently turned 60 and felt the need to update a few things in my life. I dreamed it could be this easy:

After– Not without a daily makeup artist (or a good filter)

Ha Ha! Nothing in life is this easy 🙂

Just pick a filter and go right?….NOPE! not so fast. Refashioning and sewing is a big passion in my life. My website has served me well over the last few years, but it’s age was showing and things were slowing down. My site needed an update and just choosing a filter was not going to cut it.

So, after a little due diligence, I found a wonderful web developer who has been very patient with me. She is awesome at “Refashioning” websites so if you need someone she is your gal!

It has been a lot of work, and still needs some tweaking and organizing, so pardon my growing pains if things are not yet perfect. The reality of my new site is all of the changes will make it easier for me to reach out to you more often!

If you have a moment, take a look at my last post Sleeveless Summer Shirt Refashion. I think many of you didn’t get the notice for this one during the changeover. I have many more fun things coming down the pipeline. Stay tuned and happy refashioning.

Love,

Winter Coat Part 3

January 11, 2015 By Mary Peterson 7 Comments

Hello Everyone!

OK everyone! When last you saw my winter coat, I had just made changes to one side in order to combine the two jackets. The next step was to mark the changes and transfer them over to the other side.

.

Trace basting is the method I use to mark the new changes. Just “trace the new line with a needle and thread like you see here. After the tracing is done, I released the herringbone piece.

.

I cut the seam allowance to fit the new design lines, put right sides together, and cut the other side to match without disturbing the interfacing!

.

My design professor would shudder if she knew how I did this step. I left the pins in the altered piece put it on top of the other side and pinned it until it matched. Not exactly the way it should be done, but I am patient and I got it right!

.

Next I put the panels back together. Looking better already…Don’t you think?

.

Whew! This IS a lot of work! Hopefully it will be done before out winter is over here in SoCal.
As always, let me know what you think? Are you brave enough to make a coat this year?

“til later…

Love Ya,

Mary

Winter Coat- Part 2

December 26, 2014 By Mary Peterson 5 Comments

Hello Everyone!

.

Time for part 2 everyone! I have been dancing around this project for a couple of weeks now! What have I gotten myself into? My first step was to take off the black sleeve and open up the side seam. I only work on one side at a time. I didn’t meticulously pick the seams open and as you will see my tendency to rush will cost me a little time on this one! In this picture you can see where I pinned my new design line for the front. I am still not sure how the herringbone will work into the sides at this point.

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I closed my eyes and cut the new design line for the front of the jacket.

.

I should not have taken the back panel out of the jacket and realized it after the fact. My bad, I had to put it back in. Sometimes I just get ahead of myself.

.

Here you see I totally took apart the herringbone jacket and shaped the new side panel. I am still not sure how the back is going to look or if I will be able to add to the bottom of the coat. At this point a shorter coat may be the only option. We will see how things move along.

.

It took me a while but I think I finally have the herringbone panel settled.

.

Here is the side seam and back panel as it stands now. I am beginning to see that I will have to add a gusset to the underarm. All of my usual tricks to raise the armhole are not going to be enough here.

.

Now it is time for me to mark the new design lines and transfer them to the other side. That will be part 3!

‘Til then,

Love ya…Mary

Animal Print Dress Refashion

December 15, 2014 By Mary Peterson 4 Comments

Hello Everyone!

.

Sometimes it really is as easy as you think! Check out this after! Her you see it with my leggings and ballet flats ready for work, but I have also worn it with boots and jeans! I love it!

.

It started out as this very unfortunate yet once expensive dress by Carole Little. It had a horrible handkerchief hem!

.

All I had to do was cut off the awful bottom and 1/4″ top stitch a new hemline and I was ready to go!

.

Look for Part 2 of my winter coat series this weekend!!!!

.

’til then…

Love ya,

Mary

WInter Coat Part 1-The Plan

November 29, 2014 By Mary Peterson 9 Comments

Hello Everyone!

.

Did you know the hardest part of refashion blogging is not the sewing? The hardest part is blogging and putting together your steps together coherently so others can follow what you did! It is especially hard for me because I tend to be a bit of a multi-tasker. At any given moment I have 5 or six projects in the front of my mind and 5 or 6 in the back simmering. I can’t quantify what makes me attack one project as opposed to the other, and sometimes I walk away to think it over before I know how to keep going with it. This leads me to forget if I took pictures of my steps. Then there have even been projects that were too hard for me to go back and figure out the steps, so you don’t see them.

So, for this project I am going to try something new. I will post the steps of this refashion as I complete them. At the end I should have a finished coat. This I have to tell you is scary for me. Will it be a success? Or will it be a flop? Stick with me and we will find out!!!!

.

It all began when I saw this article about “Contrast Coats” in the magazine InStyle.

.

This got me thinking about all of those great men’s suit jackets I see in the thrift stores. I purchased the two you see below at the American Way Thrift Store for a mere $5 for the two of them. The black one is wool and the herringbone jacket is a silk weave. Both are “about” the same weight.

.

The next thing you see is my plan. I guarantee it will probably change from this, but what you see is the way I am thinking of combining the two. At this point I am not even sure where I want each to go. Gotta step away and think! 🙂

.

Part 2 to come soon! And don’t worry, I’ll be sure to fit a few other projects between episodes

Stay tuned!

’til next time…

Love Ya,

Mary

Refashioned Upcycled Clothing

Hello Everyone!

OK everyone! When last you saw my winter coat, I had just made changes to one side in order to combine the two jackets. The next step was to mark the changes and transfer them over to the other side.

.

.

Trace basting is the method I use to mark the new changes. Just “trace the new line with a needle and thread like you see here. After the tracing is done, I released the herringbone piece.

.

.

I cut the seam allowance to fit the new design lines, put right sides together, and cut the other side to match without disturbing the interfacing!

.

My design professor would shudder if she knew how I did this step. I left the pins in the altered piece put it on top of the other side and pinned it until it matched. Not exactly the way it should be done, but I am patient and I got it right!

.

Next I put the panels back together. Looking better already…Don’t you think?

.

Whew! This IS a lot of work! Hopefully it will be done before out winter is over here in SoCal. As always, let me know what you think? Are you brave enough to make a coat this year?

“til later…

Love Ya,

Mary

Hello Everyone!

.

.

I closed my eyes and cut the new design line for the front of the jacket.

.

I should not have taken the back panel out of the jacket and realized it after the fact. My bad, I had to put it back in. Sometimes I just get ahead of myself.

.

Here you see I totally took apart the herringbone jacket and shaped the new side panel. I am still not sure how the back is going to look or if I will be able to add to the bottom of the coat. At this point a shorter coat may be the only option. We will see how things move along.

.

It took me a while but I think I finally have the herringbone panel settled.

.

Here is the side seam and back panel as it stands now. I am beginning to see that I will have to add a gusset to the underarm. All of my usual tricks to raise the armhole are not going to be enough here.

.

Now it is time for me to mark the new design lines and transfer them to the other side. That will be part 3!

‘Til then,

Love ya…Mary

Hello Everyone!

.

Sometimes it really is as easy as you think! Check out this after! Her you see it with my leggings and ballet flats ready for work, but I have also worn it with boots and jeans! I love it!

.

.

It started out as this very unfortunate yet once expensive dress by Carole Little. It had a horrible handkerchief hem!

.

.

All I had to do was cut off the awful bottom and 1/4″ top stitch a new hemline and I was ready to go!

.

.

Look for Part 2 of my winter coat series this weekend!!!!

.

’til then…

Love ya,

Mary

Hello Everyone!

.

So, for this project I am going to try something new. I will post the steps of this refashion as I complete them. At the end I should have a finished coat. This I have to tell you is scary for me. Will it be a success? Or will it be a flop? Stick with me and we will find out!!!!

.

It all began when I saw this article about “Contrast Coats” in the magazine InStyle.

.

.

The next thing you see is my plan. I guarantee it will probably change from this, but what you see is the way I am thinking of combining the two. At this point I am not even sure where I want each to go. Gotta step away and think! 🙂

.

Part 2 to come soon! And don’t worry, I’ll be sure to fit a few other projects between episodes

Stay tuned!

’til next time…

Love Ya,

Mary

Whew! This IS a lot of work! Hopefully it will be done before out winter is over here in SoCal.
As always, let me know what you think? Are you brave enough to make a coat this year?