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Tips on Quickly Refashioning Clothes

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Super Easy DIY Refashion of White Halter Top (via vivatveritas

Refashioning clothes is one of my favorite things to do in between projects. It’s fast and I like giving old clothes new second life. I’ve salvaged an old pleather leggings to make a baseball cap, turned an old cardigan into a cropped sweater, and gave a cocktail dress  new life. (Check out more for DIY archive) Because my friends know that I like to sew, I get clothes donated often. Through out my refashioning journey, I’ve learned a few tips to speed up the process.

1. Don’t unpick seams, but cut along the seam line. 
This is the biggest time savor. I used to unpick seams and it took hours. I hate the fuzz it makes after I unpick seams. Now instead of unpicking the seams, I cut along the seam line, or cut as close as possible to the seam line. This won’t work if you are making a very minor adjustment, like taking in the waist 1cm, but if you are changing up the design entirely or taking in more than 3cm, it works.
2. Spend time on salvaging notions
You can save unpicking time for salvaging zippers, hook and eye, bones, ribbons.
3. Think of a design to preserve the good original details
This can be pretty hemlines, necklines, sleeve cuffs or pocket details. For this white halter top, I kept the design as is, and just hem it short to make it into a top and took in 10cm all around to fit myself better.

Before and After of White Halter Top DIY (via vivatveritas Before Pictures of Halter Top DIY (via VivatVeritas cut out for new seamssalvedged notionsnew seams for the white topAdding bra padsAdded a bra cup so I don’t have to wear a bra. Easy DIY Refashion of White Halter Top (via vivatveritas.com)Wearing it with DIY distressed jeans.

What is your best refashioning tips? Do you prefer making things from scratch or refashion old clothes?
Quick Refashion of White Halter Top (via vivatveritas.com) One Hour Refashion of White Halter Top (via vivatveritas.com)

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Comments

  1. eimear says

    i tend to re-make things from scratch from most of what i buy from the charity shops. I totally agree with you on cutting down the seam line, which i do when the seams are serged together, but otherwise i used the seam ripper red ball part inserted in seam and run the length of the seam in a minute to give me the extra 2 cm just in case! i was most pleased with a bias cut skirt which had a frill on it, and i made it into a sleeveless top but kept the fill end which was a great detail.

    love your halter, looks so great with the jeans also.

    • Chie says

      Hi! I saw your blog! Your refashioned clothes are amazing. You totally transform them! I haven’t had a chance to go to thrift shops since I moved to Tokyo since I feel like there are less here than outside of Tokyo. I have to get there at some point to buy a lot of old maternity clothes:)

  2. Valérie says

    I really love your refashion. I think it is better into a top instead of a dress.

    Cutting instead of unpicking is the best tip I think

    I also have tons of clothes given by family and I think I could make an entire wardrobe without buying fabric!!!

    • Chie says

      Hi Valerie! Thank you for your comment. The skirt part of the dress had a lot of yellow stain, so I could not keep them. Maybe I should have tried bleaching it but as you said, I like it as a top than a dress. I think I’ll get more wear out of it as a top!

  3. Dalia says

    I often end up not wearing refashioned clothes for some reason. Unless it is more of an alteration than a new garment or I just used the fabric as fabric. Sadly my Button-down-shirt to skirt had not yet seen daylight. Neither has my bag full of old favourites, waiting to be used.

    • Chie says

      Sorry to hear that Dalia! I wonder if that is because we (I, often) tend to do refashion on impulse without much planning. When it comes to wearing, we end up not wearing much since we make something that we really didn’t need but looked good on Pinterest, whereas making something from patterns require much more planning.

  4. Sonja says

    I seldom remember to refashion things- I just get more excited about stuff made from scratch! But I need to change that habit- it’s much more eco-friendly to refashion!