Making stuff out of other stuff: upcycling mens shirts

Taking my inspiration from the Cut-Up Couture book, I completed a couple projects over the weekend that took a few very ordinary mens shirts and transformed them into interesting clothes for me.

This long coat was made from two plain black sweat shirts that I got at Kmart, on clearance, for $2 each. It's really cuddly, too. The deviated quite a bit from the version that is described in the book. I kept the long sleeves, added the lapels, and did not include the patch pockets. 

front

back

This top is made from two different mens shirts, also $2 each from Kmart, and it's a little more obvious how they went together. Once again, I used an idea from the book as inspiration, but added my own touches. I had to add the buttoned panel on the front to make it fit around the bosom, and I added the ruffles on the sleeves to make it look more girly. 

Note: I draped the shirts onto my toile before cutting into them, because the measurements given in the book were definitely for a smaller person than I. I made adjustments accordingly.

Another denim bag

Another pair of old jeans gets a new life. This one will probably be a holiday gift. I have a lot more of these to do.

Another "army wife" bag in progress

Every time I cut apart a pair of these pants, I am amazed by how much material is there.

A small cross body bag....

Made from recycled/vintage cargo pants.

My answer to Spring/Summer 2011 - Cheap Ways To Update That Wardrobe

Spring/Summer 2011 - Cheap Ways To Update That Wardrobe from PrelovedReloved, One girl’s challenge to wear only second-hand for a whole year!

Some good ideas here, and apparently for a good cause.

Since my budget for new clothes has been really tight lately, I've made it a habit to "shop in my closet" before running out to the department store. For example,

Consider re-purposing some long pants/trousers into shorts and capris, rather than putting them away for the summer. It's quite easy to simply cut and hem to a shorter length. I do this with my yoga pants all the time because they fade and wear out eventually anyway, and I have to replace them. Might as well get multiple seasons out of them.

How to hem pants, from About.com.

A bit more challenging to do, but also worth it - turn some of those old jeans into skirts:


How to turn old jeans into a skirt, from Threadbanger.

Turn almost anything into a skirt - a simple a-line skirt is one of the quickest and easiest sewing projects you can do. Consider using any light, drapey fabric - an old sheet or pillow case, and experiment with all manner of embellishment techniques - tie-dying, batik, block printing, fabric painting, embroidery, applique, &etc.

Sew What! Skirts: 16 Simple Styles You Can Make with Fabulous Fabrics [Spiral-bound] on Amazon.com

How-to Make a Tee Skirt, Threadbanger [Video]



5-Minute Skirt [pattern] on AngryChicken.



Off-The-Shelf Fabric Painting: 30 Simple Recipes for Gourmet Results [Paperback] on Amazon.com

Create Your Own Hand-Printed Cloth: Stamp, Screen & Stencil with Everyday Objects [Paperback] on Amazon.com