20 quick and easy refashions for beginners

Refashioning is a great way to get the most out of your wardrobe. In fact, every season I go through my wardrobe and take out things that I haven't worn and think of ways I could update them to get more wear out of them. Even after just 6 months of moving to Germany with my capsule wardrobe, I'm finding things that aren't working for me.

Maybe they're just a tad shapeless, or I don't feel comfortable because I fear my boobs might fall out (we all know how tricky those strapless dresses can be). Whatever is stopping me from wearing those garments, there's almost always a way to fix it and make it more interesting, comfortable, or wearable. So, I thought it would be fun to round up some quick fixes from the archives to inspire you to spring clean and update your wardrobe.

You really don't have to be DIY queen to do these. Anyone can get into refashioning - you just need to be able to see the potential in every garment.

1. Dye is the quick fix with a lot of impact. Sometimes, all it takes are a few rubber bands an a little dye to turn a boring white tee into a colorful summer staple. Find the tutorial here.

 2. If you're not that into tie dyeing, you should dry dip dyeing for an ombre look. I don't think were quite over the ombre trend yet.

 3. If you're not that into messing with dye, or you have dark items to refashion that won't take in any dye, try bleach for a change. You'll get the same drastic color change, but with less of a mess. I love this shibori-style t-shirt dress I bleached (it was black before).

4. Just throwing something into bleach is really one of the easiest refashioning tricks I know. You never know how exactly it's going to turn out, but that half the excitement anyway. You can read moe about this pullover refashion here.

5. You don't need to dye the whole garment to add some color. Fabric paint is a great way to change up a garment by adding a colorful pattern - like this spotted T-shirt. 

6. You can go a little crazy and try this splatter technique. I love it!

 7. Here's a fun way to add a tribal or geometric pattern to a jacket.

8. Pearls are a super easy way to add some fancy to otherwise simple garments. All you need are some basic hand-sewing skills. Add some pearls and sequins on a shoulder....

9. ...or around a neckline....

10. ...or bedazzle a pair of jeans!

11. Why not use buttons to add some personality to jeans or trouser pockets? I'm definitely a fan of buttons (I have a whole box full of them).

12. If pearls nor buttons rock your boat, what about zippers? This zipper embellished T-shirt is one of my all-time favorites.

13. Or, try adding some zippers to an open-back dress with slippery shoulders.

14. Sometimes it's the fit of a shirt that makes you pass each time you look at it in the morning. Try shirring the waist to add some more definition and shape.

 15. Have a nasty stain on a comfy t-shirt? Maybe putting a lace heart on it will do the trick.

 16. Lace hearts are super cute on the back of a tee as well.

 17. Sometimes, all a blouse needs is a lace collar. You'll be amazed at the difference a little lace can make.

18. Adding lace straps to a strapless dress can turn it from something you fear wearing into something you love. It certainly turned this dress into one of my favorites. 

 19. When in doubt, add fabric flowers. It helps. Every time.

20. Last but not least, you can take something away. Whether it's taking some length off of a skirt, or a the sleeves of a jacket. Snipping off what's not working, can sometimes be the simplest solution of them all.

I hope you're inspired to give your closet a good clean-out and refashion some of those unloved garments to give them another go. Sometimes an easy fix can turn a "meh"-garment into a wardrobe staple.

xo. Hanna

Refashionista // Add a lace layer to a bland cardigan

Sometimes, a refashion idea takes time to form. This is NOT one of those times. This refashion came together pretty fast on one afternoon this week. I was going through my refashion material pile (it's amazing how quickly I've gathered one, considered I just moved to Germany a few months ago), looking for inspiration for the next few weeks of refashionista posts, and this cardigan just popped out.

The next step was to come up with an idea of what to do with it. So, I went through my notions and fabrics, and the lace scraps from my wedding dress popped up. Well, let's just say it was a no-brainer for this lace-lover.

 After the idea and materials were in place, it was just a matter of execution. And since I've already done a similar technique, it was a quick make.

I've said this before, but quick and easy makes will probably always be my favorite pastime. I mean, I love a good power project to build skills and create something you'll be proud of for years to come, like my concert gown, but if you just want to spend a couple hours creating and have a finished project at the end of it, these simple remakes are the best.

 Here's what you will need:

• a cardigan
• some lace fabric
• basic sewing gear

STEP 1

 First, lay the lace over the cardigan at the upper front area. Just play around with the placement until you're happy with the way it looks.

 Then, cut out the pieces of lace to be sewn onto the shoulders. Make sure to cut them 1-2cm larger than the finished size. this makes them easier to sew on, and the finish will be neater once you cut away the seam allowance later on.
Pin the lace onto the cardigan. Make sure to only pin through the front layer of the cardigan.

STEP 2

Repeat the same process with the back of the cardigan. I wanted to create a motif out of my lace, so I cut away some of it along the edges of the lace motifs. Again, cut out the the piece of lace you're going to layer, making sure to add 1-2cm for seam allowance. Pin into place.

The lace patches should overlap at the shoulder seam.

STEP 3

 Sew the lace to the cardigan. Use a zigzag stitch for this and follow the seams of the cardigan. It's best to sew right next to the original seams of he cardigan. Start by sewing the two patches of lace together at the shoulder seams and move to the front from there.

Once the smaller patches have been sewn, go to the back.

To sew the uneven motif edges, I used a lightning bolt/stretch stitch and sewed about 2cm from the edge. This way the edges are still loose over the cardigan and give it more layered structure.

Once you're done with all of the sewing, remove all pins that might still be there and cut away the excess lace seam allowances. All done!

If you need more guidance on how to sew on the lace, check out this tutorial!

I feel that this is a 100% Hanna-like refashion. It's a cardigan, I added lace, and the result is just the right mix of feminine and classic. That's basically me in a nutshell!

I'm slowly but steadily building up my summer wardrobe (you can see my wishlist here). So far, I've made this cropped cardigan, a skirt and a blouse (part of the Start Sewing Club and to be blogged about in full in just a few days) in addition to this lacy cardigan, and of course the reversible tote bag. I really want to make a pair of floral trousers and a maxi dress. Everything else is an added bonus :).

Is anybody else interested in sewing their own summer wardrobe, or part of it? You know I have a sewing course coming, right? And you know we're going to sew a handmade garment, right? Just checking! (You can get on the list to get updates and special offers right below this post.)

Have a wonderful extended weekend! Make fires and enjoy the spring!
xo. Hanna

15 quick and easy lace fixes for old garments

I'm sure my love for lace doesn't come as a surprise to anyone. I've sung my love song to lace ever since I started this blog, and really, I've been in love with it forever. Lace and I are super tight! 

So, for me, it comes naturally that whenever I need to refashion or mend a garment, I think of lace first. Like "Hey, how about adding some lace?" or "I wonder if I have any lace in my stash that matches this fabric?" This also means that I do a ton of refashions using lace. I've actually had to consciously stop myself numerous times because I bet you'd get super bored of seeing only lace added here and lace squeezed in there every week.

That being said, I still find lace amazing, and so I wanted to highlight 15 projects and 5 easy ways you can utilize lace in your refashioning projects. 

1) Use lace to add length. There's been many times that lace has literally saved my ass, as in covered it when the garment couldn't. Like the red minidress in the top photo - I wouldn't be able to wear it if i hadn't added a wide panel of lace to make it longer. And, just out of curiosity, who wear a dress that short? I mean, I'm 162cm and it's way too short on me. Maybe it's meant to be a shirt??
I've also used lace to add length to a blouse, and to make up for my mistake of cutting this skirt too short.

2) Use lace collars to add a fresh layer of texture. Ready-made lace collars are a great way to add some functionality or texture to an old garment. Adding a lace collar can really elevate a simple blouse, and give a whole new look to an out-dated vest. The last one is by far my favorite 10-minute project.

3) Use lace to cover up and/or cut out stains. Adding some lace on top of a stain is a great way to visually lose the stain. I love cutting out the original layer of fabric away from underneath the lace and bringing some see-through action to garments. It add so much more interest and sophistication to a garment.
Here are a few ways to get started: the heart cut-out tee, the lace neckline tee, the bubble tee, and of course the sheer back tee.

4) Use lace to add visual interest. Sometimes a garment just lacks oomph, and lace is a quick way to add some "vavavoom". I love adding a lace panel to the hem of a skirt (like HERE and HERE). It's also a great way to update a granny jacket, or spice up a pair of simple cut-off jeans.

5) Use lace to fix a fit issue. Lace is pretty and compliments a lot of different garments, which makes it the perfect material to use when you need to fix a fit issue, but don't have extra fabric to work with. I've used it to add straps to a strapless dress, and to add width to a garment (like in the bottom photo).

I hope this sparked some ideas in you how you could use lace to refashion or even mend old garments. If you're not that into lace, it's cool too (but really, I don't think we can be friends anymore). But, I challenge you to try it out before you discard it. Lace doesn't have to be "pink" and overly girly. It can also be sophisticated and classy. It all comes down to the way you use it.

xo. Hanna

Refashionista // Use sleeves to lengthen your sweater skirt

You might not know this about me, but I believe in refashioning my refashions. Whenever I alter a clothing, it's always about finding better use for it. Sometimes that means turning it into a completely new garment, and sometimes it's just a little fix.

When I turned this sweater into a skirt, I had every intention of leaving it that way and using the sleeves for a whole other refashionista project. But, the length of the skirt started to really bother me. You'll only see me in a mini-skirt ince in a blue moon, if that. So, I figured I had to fix the length in order to make this wearable. Insert the sleeves.

If you haven't seen it, check out the first part of this refashion here. And then, if your skirt is too short as well, come back and add some length using the sleeves.
Here's how:

1) Cut up your sleeves.
2) Place the skirt on top of the sleeve and mark the width needed. Add seam allowances. Measure the length you'll need to add and mark that on the sleeve as well. Add hem allowance (about 3cm would suffice) on the bottom, and seam allowance (about 1-1.5cm) on top.
3) Cut out according to the markings. Place the rectangle on the other sleeve and cut out the back rectangle. Place right sides together and sew the sides together (meaning the short ends of the rectangles).
4) Place the wide tube on top of the skirt so that right sides (the outer sides) are together and side seams match up. Pin them in place.

5) Sew the tube to the skirt.
6) press the hem allowance to the wrong side of the fabric.
7) Sew the hem.
8) Give it a good press and you're done!

To get some tips for sewing with knit fabrics, check out this post.

Hopefully, this little fix will help me get more wear out of the skirt. Sometimes, it's ok to refashion a piece more than once to figure out the best fit for you.

I have so much creative juice in me lately, but I just haven't had time to channel it into projects as I've been working on a pretty big project behind the scenes. It's something I'm so excited to share more about tomorrow.

For now, though, what do you think. Do you like the first or the second iteration of the skirt better?

xo. Hanna