Dress to Skirt Refashion – Rosari Skirt

August 27, 2020 trishstitched4 Comments

I’ve been re-assessing my wardrobe, and filling in with a lot more thrifted pieces than handmade! I haven’t been spending so much time on making clothing, and over the past few months I’ve spend a lot of time away from my studio to enjoy Drew being home. But since I’m home I’ve been trying to cut back on my fabric purchases to sew through what I already have. It’s been making me dive deep into my fabric stash and my refashion stash. I found this dress that was hidden away, already partially seam ripped, ready for a second look.

I wore this dress quite a bit in my early 20s. It was a great work dress, but I grew out of the cutesy style of it (and it was getting a bit tight and short!). I still love the print so I was happy to turn it into something else! Originally I was going to turn it into a high waisted gathered skirt with a zipper in back but I have a few skirts like that already in my wardrobe. I remembered I had the Rosari Skirt from Pauline Alice in my pattern collection and thought it would be a great style!

The original skirt of this dress was heavily gathered, so after removing the gathering, there was quite a bit of material to work with. I was able to cut the new skirt front, back and waistband from the original skirt. The pocket pieces were able to come from the bodice. I had to use extra cotton for the button placket facing and the waistband lining, but it all worked out well! I opted for gold snaps instead of buttons for a cleaner finish.

This was my second time making the Rosari Skirt, and it’s a really cute pattern. I had previously cut a size 36, and used the same pattern.

Over the years I have been taking a critical eye to my wardrobe and getting rid of styles that no longer suit me. I was really inspired by Marie Kondo’s method and Kondo’d our house last year. Every so often I go back over my wardrobe to upcycle/donate the pieces that no longer “spark joy”. Doing this has also very much inspired my sewing! I used to want to sew basics, and thought part of my sewing journey was creating the perfect handmade t-shirts and jeans. But now that I don’t have as much time for personal sewing projects, I don’t want to spend it sewing pieces I find a little boring. I love prints – especially floral prints- and that’s what gets me happy to sew. But with my wardrobe still needing basics, I’ve turned to secondhand shopping for everything I don’t want to make. ThredUp has made my secondhand journey so easy during this quarantine when I haven’t felt comfortable going to thrift stores. My shirt and shoes in this post are from ThredUp!

I’ve posted about ThredUp before, and it truly has become my go-to source for all things secondhand. If you are interested, you can get $10 to shop using this link! (My personal referral link, purchasing through here will give you $10 & I’ll get $10 to shop as well!)

And with so many thrift stores turning away donations during COVID, you can order a clean out kit from ThredUp for some extra cash or shopping credit for your clothes: link here.

I have a few more projects I’m working on, a new bag pattern (+ tutorial!), and another refashion that’s taking longer than expected. So hopefully my blogging will be back on track soon!

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Clothes Are Not Trash – Where To Recycle Your Old Clothes

July 1, 2020July 10, 2020 trishstitched6 Comments

One of my new favorite outfits, a refashioned top and secondhand jeans from ThredUp.

ThredUp recently came out with their 2020 Resale Report, which is a wealth of information about their company and the world of secondhand.

A few stats that were mind blowing right off the bat were as follows: in the next five years, the secondhand market is set to hit $64 billion in revenue, and by 2029 will be a bigger industry than fast fashion. These numbers are huge – and world changing.

There’s a lot about the fashion industry I don’t talk too much about here on the blog, but it’s something I am continuing to learn about every day.

I fight for sustainable fashion by refashioning and hand-making my wardrobe. I share this with the world in hopes to inspire others to do the same. I don’t have a refashion to share today, instead I wanted to take a moment to talk about one other piece of information that still makes me mad.

1 in 2 people are throwing their unwanted clothing directly in the trash. It has also been discussed in previous years that the average American throws away 80 lbs of textiles in a year. Now, let me start by saying, I am guilty of throwing away old underwear, socks, and old camisoles that lost their elasticity. While its been awhile since I’ve done this, I am not perfect in my sustainable journey but I’m on a mission to do better – and want to give you some resources to do the same!

(Please note: Each company may have different procedures and re-opening schedules for donations amid COVID. If you have questions or concerns, contact these companies directly)

Companies That Take Their Products Back

Companies that take their clothing back (and may give you something in return!)

Eileen Fisher: a brand that has already been making incredible leaps in sustainable fashion. They will take back your Eileen Fisher pieces and resell, mend or refashion. (And give you a $5 credit to their Renew Store). Check out the Renew Line and their Zero Waste art initiative Waste No More.
The North Face: works with a company The Renewal Workshop (more about that below) to upcycle their returned garments and gear. The North Face gives you a $10 credit and their renewed items come with a one year warranty. Check out The North Face Renewed.

Hat Before & After repair through Worn Wear

Patagonia: is taking back gently used Patagonia apparel and giving you credit in return (see the trade in values here). They accept clothing through stores or via mail. Patagonia created Worn Wear for repairing and recycling the returned clothing and gear, which I highly recommend following if just for inspiration.
For Days: this company has a very interesting plan to keep the circulation of their clothing under their brand. For Days will swap out your old For Days shirts for new ones, you can read more about it here. For Days works with the recycling partner, Recover, who turns their returned shirts into new ones, making their company a closed loop system. They also offer “Take Back Bags” which you can purchase and fill with any old (clean!) clothes you want to be recycled.
Coyuchi: is leading the way in sustainable bedding and closing the loop on their products in the process. You can send your Coyuchi linens back to the company to be repurposed by The Renewal Workshop, and in return get 15% off your next order. You can shop these 2nd Home textiles at their Point Reyes Store. Read more here.

Baggu reusable bag made from recycled sails

Baggu: is recycling any nylon or canvas bags by recycling, repurposing, donating or selling to secondhand markets. Unfortunately, they don’t break down the percentage or qualifying factors for each distribution point, but it is an option to recycle some bags. Their site also says to email once sent back to the store and they will send you a discount for a new bag. More info here. In other news, they are currently selling reusable bags made from recycled sails!
Uniqlo: takes back their clothing and distributes it as follows: Clothing in good condition goes to refugees, disaster victims and others in need. Unwearable clothing gets recycled into refuse paper and plastic feul pellets for fuel. Read more here! According to their 2019 Sustainability Report, as of August 2019 they have donated 36.57 million items.
REI: is taking resale into their own hands by offering used outdoor clothing and gear online and creating a trade in program. REI has an extensive list of no-go’s, and there is currently a wait list for the program, but if your items are accepted, you can get an REI gift card for up to 20% of your items retail price. Hopefully with time this program will do even more, but it’s a great option for gear! Read more about it here.
Girlfriend Collective: is a brand I have purchased from and LOVE. They make leggings and other active wear out of recycled water bottles and have a program (ReGirlfriend) where you can send back your Girlfriend apparel to be properly recycled. You will have to pay for a shipping label ($7) but you do get $15 towards your next Girlfriend purchase.

Companies That Accept Clothes from Other Brands

Levi’s and Madewell: Both these companies work with the Blue Jeans Go Green denim recycling campaign from Cotton. They will take back any denim in any brand and give you 20% off one item in return (Levi’s) or $20 off a new pair (Madewell). The denim is used as insulation (read article here and here for Madewell), however there is currently no specific program to reclaim the denim into new items. Levi’s is encouraging garment longevity by creating Tailor Shops to repair and customize your jeans. Madewell also does repairs and customization (read more here), but are putting in more promotion towards jean resale by partnering with ThredUp and offering secondhand jeans in select stores. (I should note: I asked Levi’s if their recycling program would accept denim scraps and they currently do not)
H&M: has had recycle boxes in their stores since 2013 for easy textile recycling of any brand clothing and condition (but please don’t donate anything wet or moldy) and even accepts scraps. Years ago, I donated a bag of scraps because I didn’t know where else to turn. Now, this is not my favorite company because it is the epitome of fast fashion, but H&M has taken strides to answer consumer requests for transparency and more sustainable practices. In 2019, H&M collected over 29,000 tons of garments (that’s over 145 million t-shirts) and according to their sustainability performance report, it was an increase of 40% from 2018. On page 50 of their report I found the following stats for where the recycled textiles go:

— 50–60% are sorted for re-wear or reuse.
— 35–45% are recycled to become products for
other industries or made into new textile fibres.
— The remaining 3–7% that can’t be reused or
recycled are destroyed (prioritising incineration
for energy recovery where possible). Sending
textiles to landfill is not an option.

When a company says re-wear or re-use, this usually indicates selling in bulk to another country. While that can help the economy in other countries, part of the problem is drowning other countries in the textile waste we created. There are pros and cons, but my personal takeaway for this program is to choose another option. The further along the world gets in our goal for sustainability, the more options there are. If you choose to drop off at H&M you will receive a 15% discount card.

Marine Layer: this brand will take your old t-shirts, as many as you want to send them, and they will turn them into new ones. For helping them get inventory, you get a $5 credit per shirt, up to $25. Cotton Tees are ideal, but they will take anything as long as it isn’t activewear. Just request a kit to recycle your tees! (And totally not encouraging you to shop more but their Re-spun collection is pretty amazing) .
Knickey: Remember when I said I’m guilty of throwing away old underwear? Well, Knickey knows this is a common problem and they are solving it! Request a shipping label and send in your old intimates! (This includes bras, socks and tights, for men and kids items as well!) They will get recycled into insulation, rug pads and rags, and you’ll get a free pair of underwear in your next order with the company! Read more here!
Harper Wilde: is also a company focused on intimates, and when you buy a bra, it comes with a recycle kit to send in your old bras for proper recycling! Some materials become yarns and fabrics, and some materials are downcycled into filling stock or padding. More info here!
Fair Harbor: is the place to send your old swimsuits to be recycled! This is a fairly new program so I’m not finding too much information about the recycling process, but you can send in any swimsuit for recycling – just request a label!
Nike: has had a shoe recycling program in place since 1990 called Reuse-A-Shoe. Their stores will accept any brand of used athletic shoes to be recycled into Nike Grind – which becomes new Nike products, track and playground surfaces, basketball and tennis courts, and indoor synthetic and wood courts. This is just for athletic shoes (without cleats or spikes with metals).
Ten Thousand: has a campaign called, One In/One Out (in partnership with 2ReWear) to recycle used activewear from any brand. While you will need to make a purchase from this site to recycle old activewear, you will receive 10% off a future purchase! Nice Laundry, an underwear and sock company, does the same for socks and underwear.
Love Woolies: is a great place to send your old sweaters! This incredible company is taking unloved sweaters and turning them into hats, mittens and scarves, and has already saved over 10,000 sweaters! Send your sweaters here!

Recycle Textiles:

Terracycle: this is #1 place to recycle anything you can imagine, but it comes at a cost. Terracycle sells zero waste boxes that you can fill according to category (i.e. bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, etc) with items that some town recycling cannot dispose of. This is definitely a pricey option for recycling waste, but an option for those harder to recycle items.

Shoddy made from recycled textiles through Fab Scrap

FabScrap: for those of us working with textile and textile waste, FabScrap is the best source for recycling. You can recycle cuttings, headers, mock ups, samples, overstock bolts, production remnants and scraps. For those with a lot of waste, you can sign up for Fab Scrap’s pick up service. However, if you are a small hobbyist or just don’t have much to recycle, you can drop off your waste at both their retail shop and warehouse and it will be recycled for $1.50/lb. (Retail store will take up to 10 lbs, warehouse accepts more). I plan on using this service, and I am lucky enough to live within an hour to drop off my scraps (and shop at the same time!). The fabric is sorted by volunteers, some is re-sold, and unsellable material becomes shredded to create insulation, carpet padding, furniture lining, moving blankets, etc. (Currently, this recycling is in New York, Fab Scrap hopes to expand soon.)

Resale Platforms:

I’ve talked previously about platforms where you can sell your own clothes, like Poshmark or Depop, but when you just want it gone, turn to people who will sell it for you.

ThredUP: this is my favorite second hand resource. But I also want to share more of what your clothes can do. When you choose to send clothing into ThredUP, you can choose to get cash or credit for your items that sell, or you can choose to donate whatever your clothes make to charities like Feeding America, Girls Inc, Wardrobe for Opportunity or Help a Mother Out.

ThredUP is quickly becoming a go-to partner for brands who want to work on their sustainability. They are working with brands like Reformation and Madewell to resell the brands products. And they created a program for companies that want to get a piece of selling secondhand in their stores like Macy’s, and Walmart. ( Resale as a Service ) Select Macy’s have small sections in their store filled with curated secondhand pieces that have been sent to ThredUp.

Other Resources:

As mentioned above with Patagonia, Eileen Fisher and REI, companies want to take back their brands and resell on their own terms. These companies and others are using Trove to power the resale aspect of their businesses. It is an interesting company and just for educational purposes, I encourage you to check them out. As fashion companies continue to look for more sustainability (and more profit) options, I think we will start seeing more companies integrate resale on their own platforms.
The Renewal Workshop is one of the companies leading the way to help brands become more sustainable. They take discarded clothing and turn it into new products, recycled materials or recycling feedstock. As mentioned above, they work with The North Face and Coyuchi and here’s a list of the other brands they work with. They also have an online shop selling re-newed items.
While brands want to become more sustainable, they are turning to partners that have already been creating the technology to get there. Several companies are working with big and small retailers such as: Evrnu, Worn Again, and Renewcell.
Do you have LEGO’s that need a new home? With Give Back Box you donate used LEGO’s!

Recycling old textiles can feel overwhelming when they are in bags taking over your home. Whatever the item may be, there is probably a resource to properly recycle it and I hope this list helped if you were looking for a solution.

There are many project ideas for old textiles, and so many places that will gladly take your donations. I encourage you to do you own research when the time comes to de-clutter or discard. Check with your local charities to donate gently used clothing, and ask your local animal shelter if they can use old bedding and towels.

I plan to set up a small basket/box in our basement with clothing that is past its prime so I can easily fight the urge to “just toss it”, even if it’s one lonely sock who lost its mate. It is great to see companies taking responsibility and helping to keep clothing in circulation or properly recycle, but real change also starts at home with millions of families doing their part as well.

If there’s a company you believe should be added to this list, let me know!

Jeans to Lander Shorts Refashion

June 27, 2020June 27, 2020 trishstitched2 Comments

I haven’t been thrifting since February, and while NJ is starting to open back up, I probably won’t be comfortable going to a thrift store for a while. Thankfully when I went thrifting pre-Covid, I always picked up all sorts of pieces, for all seasons so I still have a good stash to work through!

When I saw these J Crew jeans in the store many months ago, I gasped. Liberty of London fabric – jeans that look like they would fit me – was it the ultimate score? Sadly not. Upon closer inspection, there was a lot of wear on these jeans, some staining and a less than stellar low rise waist. These were tagged as a size 25, which is one size up from mine. But after washing them and trying them on, they were so tight it was uncomfortable. So to the refashion pile they went.

I was originally planning on making a chambray top with the jeans but after planning it out I knew I would have to incorporate another fabric and I didn’t want to do that. A few months passed and the weather was getting warmer. One wardrobe item I am always in need of is shorts. I buy some of my shorts secondhand, and the last few years I was buying whatever was available in my size, not based on if I actually liked the style or fit. So I thought this would be a fun opportunity to make a pair of shorts!

I went with the Lander Shorts from True Bias since I already had the pattern and I love the button fly and high waist. I cut a size 2, and made no changes to the pattern.

Since the pants were tight, I knew I would need to add fabric. I wanted the front pockets to remain the same on the sides, so adding fabric to the crotch was the only option. To do this, I wanted to start off with a straight line, and cut the original crotch curve off.

This refashion was all about strategic cutting and mirroring. I really wanted to keep the details on the jeans; the side pockets, back pockets and rivets. I also wanted to leave the waistband as in tact as I could, since the buttonhole and belt loops were already made.

Here’s one tip I learned along the way: if you want to keep the back pockets from the original garment (without needing to remove them), use the “pocket markings” on the pattern to line up the pattern piece with your garment. This will make sure that the back pockets won’t tilt in the process of making a new garment.

Realistically, this isn’t a refashion I will do often. I use this method of piecing in other refashions, but never quite to this extent. It worked well because the busy print doesn’t show all the added seam lines, but doing this on a solid or large print would definitely show.

I really love these shorts, and love that I was able to save the pants. I absolutely love the prints from Liberty, but since I don’t want to buy fabric, it was a treasure being able to find something Liberty “in the wild”. This print is available, so if you wanted to re-create the look, you definitely don’t need to refashion some jeans! But I hope this post gave a little more in depth look on how to patch pieces together. I do wish some of the details were easier to see in pictures, like the pockets, so this refashion may not look like a lot of work at first glace, but they were definitely a labor of love!

refashion · sewing · Tutorials

Shower Curtain Lounge Pants – Free Pattern From Trevor Loves Mommy!

June 17, 2020 trishstitchedLeave a comment

Melissa is a talented blogger over at Trevor Loves Mommy, you may know some of her awesome refashions (like this top and this dress), and she recently came out with a pajama pants pattern – that’s free! (Sign up for her email list and the PDF will be sent to your inbox!) I absolutely love free patterns and love telling people about really great ones. I’m so excited to share this pattern with you!

For some reason, pajama pants are not a popular project in my sewing, which is weird because I actually need more pairs. I have one pair of flannel pants and one pair of cotton pants. Both pairs were gifted to me from my mom and I wear one or the other at least twice a week. Elastic waist pants are comfortable to wear, and so simple to make!

I’ve been getting really inspired by border prints lately and working border prints into apparel. There was one piece of material in my home that had a beautiful border print that I thought would shine on these pants; our basement shower curtain! We don’t use the basement bathroom much and I really bought this shower curtain with the intention to one day use it for a sewing project. It lasted two years before I took it down! The shower curtain came from World Market, and is a cotton/poly mix.

To use the border print, I wanted to be sure I didn’t have to hem the pants after cutting, so I made a toile first. This pattern comes in sizes XS-2XL and the pattern suggestion is to cut out your RTW pattern for pajamas (XS for me), but the pattern also includes sizing – and finished inseam! The inseam measurement helped me with cutting down the pattern for my short legs! On the pant “shorten or lengthen” line I removed 3” to start. After finishing my toile, I also removed 3” from the bottom hemline of the pattern. This way, I was able to keep the original hem on my shower curtain.

The only other change I made to the pattern was my elastic waistband. The pattern shows a single elastic waist, but I wanted a little more detail to mimic some of the RTW lounge pants I’ve been seeing. This is a really easy change; here’s a short tutorial! (Please note, I did not have to add any length to the waist, and elastic I used was 1/2″.)

Right after cutting the pants pattern out, serge or zig zag the raw edge of the waist. From the top of the waistband measure and mark 2.5” down.

Iron the serged edge down, and iron down on the 2.5” mark. Sew the pants together as instructed.

Once pants are stitched, turn the waistband down and stitch as follows: Leave a 3” gap on the back and first stitch the top 5/8” down. Next top stitch the bottom down. You may need to stretch the fabric a bit to fit evenly, but it fits. Next, stitch two more channels 5/8” from the top stitching line. I found it best to go in this order, but stitching the bottom down first also works well.

Once all three lines are stitched, feed elastic into each channel and stitch ends of elastic together. Once all elastic is in, stitch the 3” gap closed, and your pants are done!

This pattern was great to sew. The fit is awesome and it is so easy to cut length out for shorter legs. The instructions are detailed and clear, it is very apparent how much time was spent making this pattern! Not only is this a quick and easy sewing project, it is also a great pattern for beginners or if you are teaching someone to sew!

Get the pattern HERE!

Here’s a short video tutorial as well – yes, I joined TikTok!

{This post is sponsored by Trevor Loves Mommy, as always, all opinions are my own.}

#RefashionFriday

#RefashionFriday Tablecloth to Dress Upcycle

May 22, 2020May 22, 2020 trishstitched8 Comments

At the beginning of this year, my parent’s were downsizing and in the process, donated their dining room set – including hutch, table and chairs. With this went all my mom’s tablecloth linens – which she set aside for me to go through! They had a small square table, and I have a long table so none of the linens can be used in my dining room – so I got some new materials to sew with! I had plans for a few of the tablecloths and runners, but there were a few that I didn’t know what to do with. Including this cute red plaid one. But before I get into the inspiration behind it, here’s the full refashion!

With COVID happening, a lot of smaller thrift stores/vintage shops are putting clothes online to sell, and one shop I went to in San Francisco, Relove, put this adorable dress on instagram. Unfortunately someone beat me to buying it, but that didn’t stop me from getting inspired to make my own! I already had a very similar print – just in a different color – and was looking for a project for this table cloth.

I asked for pattern suggestions over on instagram looking for the following requirements: boxy cut, sleeve cuffs, back button closure, and higher neckline. I was originally going to use my Lou Box Top pattern but after making a mock up, I noticed that this dress would lay best with separate sleeves. (The Lou Box Top pattern does not have a separate sleeve pattern, the bodice connects to the sleeves.) I got a lot of great suggestions but the pattern that fit the most was Fibre Mood Mira.

While the original dress had a longer skirt and lower waistline, I wanted my dress to have a shorter look so my body wouldn’t be overwhelmed by the larger plaid. Mira is a really cute pattern and I only had to do a few changes to get the result I wanted. I added a sleeve cuff, and cut a single tier skirt, instead of the two tiers in the pattern. After I finished sewing and trying the dress on, I noticed it was a little too boxy for me, and looked frumpier than I wanted. I went back in and removed 2” from each side seam. After gathering the skirt, the back was falling a little flat so I added a little bit of elastic to the back seam allowance for just a bit more shape. You can see the difference in the front where I had more gathering, and the back which now has the elastic added.

Using a tablecloth for apparel can be a really great alternative for buying fabric. For this refashion I needed to take out all the finished seams to get the most out of my material. I was hoping to save one of the finished edges as my hem, but it didn’t work out this time. However, if you want to sew with a tablecloth, saving a finished edge could be a great sewing shortcut!

Pattern details: Fibre Mood Mira, size 36. My only issue with this pattern was in the arms. I do not have skinny arms, and this dress has a tighter sleeve pattern. I should have looked more closely before cutting out my fabric, but just a warning if anyone else has thicker arms! I would definitely make this dress again, in this style and with the tiered skirt like the original pattern. It’s a cute, simple dress that has a ton of possibilities. I’m really excited to wear this dress on those days I want something cute and breezy and maybe it’ll see the outside world this summer! Fingers Crossed!

#RefashionFriday · refashion · sewing

#RefashionFriday Colorful Stripe Dress to Shorts Refashion

May 8, 2020 trishstitchedLeave a comment

This refashion was intended to be blogged a few Friday’s ago during Fashion Revolution Week but day the just got away from me! If you follow me over on instagram, you will have already seen this refashion – but I wanted to share a few details here about it!