For the last dress, I just couldn't stop thinking it would look so lovely with a faux corset/lace up detail added! The shape of the pink section is just perfect for it! Loved the idea of how you did the panels. Has got me thinking more creatively about how I could size up clothes besides just side panels. And the addition of the pleats where the panel attached really leveled up the look! Thanks for sharing your video :)
LOL, in the Junk Journal world we call it "hoarding"... buying stuff and keeping it for "something" but not knowing what that "something" is and being afraid to use it because what if something better comes along AFTER we've used it on "this" thing - whatever "this" thing is. Junk journals are made from - well - JUNK - so you can imagine the bits and pieces of paper and fabric I've got stuffed into boxes and bags "just in case". 😂😂. I really enjoyed your vid and feel two things coming on... a binge watch fest and a trip to the thrift store! Thanks for the inspiration! Greetings from the southern California desert, MK 😁🌵❤️
Try having ADHD/autism with a lot of hobby hopping having gone on throughout your life and having a LOT of ‘junk’, the ‘but it might come in handy one day’ stuff stashed in your house. Thankfully my brain is wired in such a way that I obsess over organising everything so at least it’s all neat and tidy but I spend more time organising than I do using any of it 🤣
This was the best video! You are a hoot. I really enjoyed your creativity, as well as your great attitude. Thanks for the entertainment. I need to now get a sewing machine.
that's all I have ever had is the old needle and thread method. also I thrift almost all my clothes and I love them so much I think finding them at the thrift store and saving them from the landfill makes me treasure them even more and I love old vintage stuff so much as well!
Hi Hannah Catherine! Magdalena here. So nice to find your channel. 💫I too grew up with Gram, Mom and Aunts all sewing. I too, have various stacks of beautiful thrift store finds, sale rack deals, old ward rob pieces, patterns and fabrics with good intentions, bags of silks, laces, linens and ribbons. Once in a while, I will hem this or cut that. I just watched and subscribed! You are awesome! I completely enjoyed your video, your directness, honesty, and share in your can do, save it all -repurposing vision♻ I can make that work attitude! Especially with a husband helping to boot! 💞 Very Sweet. Thanks for sharing, and for the encouragement to jump back into sewing. Sending Best, Magdalena
Since you don’t like the ties of that yellow blouse, maybe you can deconstruct that to lengthen the crop. I did like the hot pink but I would have stitched in the ditch but the trim is also very cute.
I follow a gal named Olga at "Ageberry" She had a list of things to do if you spill coffee on a blouse. Her last resort was to intentionally spill more coffee on the blouse and make it an artsy print. I think she even added color to one or used lighter coffee to get a variety of tones.
Lovely video, and lovely garments! Hope you get a lot more wear out of them now :) Quick tip from an avid upcycler to another :) for the skirt with the "sewn-in" elastic: You can still add a new elastic, without seam ripping and removing the old one. Just use the existing tunnel and add your elastic in there. Done 👍 hope this helps in your future upcycling endeavors!
A tiny bit of black dye might just tone those bright green trousers down. I keep stuff too! I even cut off the ribbon inside garments that they sew in to keep them hangers.
The multi colour dress was beautiful. You could have either changed the zip OR shortened the original zip by binding the bottom of the zip with cotton and sewing up the back centre seam more to cover the repaired zip bottom. Reinforce with more stitching maybe by hand. Then you would still have a dress. Tip, Amazon have a range of replacement zip parts in various colour tones for future reference.
OMG! I’m just like that !! SAVE IT FOR JUST “INCASE”! When does just “incase” come?? Now that I’m in my 50’s I catch myself doing it & stop . So good for you for catching & changing yourself while your young.
Love, love the pink trim as the finishing touch. And, yes; I'm sure lots of us keep bits & bobbs. Your approach to individual design is highly entertaining. Looking forward to future videos & more great sewing tips😊
I love that little fringed top more than I liked the dress, and I liked the dress a lot! If you have any more trim a cute pair of shorts would be amazing made from the skirt. Like a little 1950s set! So many possibilities, I hope you post more upcycling videos cos you have fabulous ideas, you’ve really inspired me cos I have a pile to do too! Thank you so much ❤
Up cycling rocks. Thanks for showing your ideas & projects. Wow. The bespoke finished garments, in my opinion, were well worth your time & efforts. Thanks for featuring the ideas for making clothes to fit a larger size. I'm a new fan.
I enjoyed your "flips" creativity is my jam. I hope to see more of your videos. That husband trying to fix your machine was awesome to see. He just dove right in like a pro. Too bad he couldn't fix it but we can be good at everything. ❤
Thanks for the tips! Regarding the waist band elastic being attached to the waist band... It prevents any shifting of the gathers. They stay completely and exactly where they need to be. It also prevents the elastic from twisting, so I do it all the time. I think the trick is using a longer stitch length, and quality elastic. Maybe fast fashion ready-to-wear companies make adorable clothes but do it with low quality textiles and notions? resulting in funky waist bands, broken zippers, etc.
I received a new dress with tags from someone who wanted to pass it along. It had long sleeves and I could not get my hands through the cuff. I didn't know thrift stores would take something that needed elastic replaced. They should have an upcycle section.
I get you! I Junk Journal, and whenever I find something I like online or thrifting, I’ll get it, but then I might not think it will work with the Journal I’m doing, so I will put it to the side for the exact Journal I might make later. My craft room is full of pieces for me to put into a specific Journal, but I don’t know which one yet. I just found you tonight, and I’m so glad. Love everything you’ve done. Now where is my sewing machine … ❤
I appreciate you doing this! Your transparency about the process is somthing I found to be corroborated in my own sewing redos! I too have redone some skirts with the same pesky sewn-in elastic! They are a bear!
I really enjoyed you fixing all these clothes, I'm currently in the mindset of upcycling the clothes I have before adding more and more to my wardrobe and this really inspires ❤
Yes love we crafter's are all collectors and love our stash. I really enjoyed watching you it's been a long time since I did any sewing because I have M.E.. I am so glad you came up on my phone. I will be bing watching you then back to my sewing pile. Thank you 💖
Love watching your channel on a boring wet Sunday afternoon. I love the way you fast forward everything as I get bored when people show everything in real time. I have a blouse that I've been wanting to make smaller and you have inspired me to give it a go. I was sorry that you destroyed that pretty floral dress though for the sake of a tiny bit of zipper that you could have oversewn just above the break and taken the seam up higher to cover it. Wasn't too keen on the pink fringed top but then that's just me. I love the fact that you make mistakes too and aren't afraid to show it. xx
I have been sewing for a long time. About eighteen months ago my daughter gave me a dress that she got for $2, and it was made of nice fabric, but very frumpy. It took me a long time to decide how to approach it. It had dolman sleeves, and the bodice was too big, just way too much fabric. And it wasn’t least 6” too long. I finally decided to cut off the dolman extensions, which left a big gap in the side seam. I was able to use the fabric I had cut off the length to fill in and create more of a regular sleeveless look. It is pretty cute now. All that talking to say just take your time to sort how to do it, it might be simple, or it might take some thinking.
If an article of apparel would otherwise be destined for donation or the rag bin it's definitely up-cycling to find a way to rescue it - even if it's almost new.
It may be too late to say something, but the yellow dress top would be cute with white eyelet lace sewn to the bottom. I see white eyelet lace garments at the thrift store all the time.
It seems like all my store-bought elastic is sewn in, but using a stretch stitch. Nothing seems to use a casing but home sewing patterns. I’m always having to unpick completely! Great job on the black floral dress. The pink ruffles really helped to tie in the pink panels and make it all seem intentional. You’re right- lots of tutorials out there on making clothes smaller; maybe not so many on making them bigger. I gained a lot of sudden weight due to medication, and added LOTS of panels to lots of my clothes 😂.
I think you are the FIRST person to say this!! I’ve gotten soooo many comments on this video upset that I cut it in half, but I just knew I wouldn’t wear that style of dress, and I HATE sewing zippers!!!
I LOVE the idea to show how to make things bigger! That’s hardly ever tackled in tutorials. I like the direction you took by making the panels a design feature. I tailor & hack clothing sometimes too & I often use a coordinating ditsy or polka dot in similar colors or a contrasting plaid or geometric. 😊
Your creativity and bravery are inspiring. What a fun channel you've created. I'll be watching and saving ideas from you...keep it up, you're doing great!
Glad i found you, i really enjoyed this. Wow that dress with the panels is against! I'm also in love with the top you changed the buttons on. I also sew a bit to UPCYCLE, and i knit and crochet. 🧶 New sub! ❤
Omg! I just stumbled on ur channel, and I just love u! I’ve been up cycling my clothes since I was 10, and I’m currently 66! Whoohoo! When u ever bent down to pick up the clothes and revealed that shelf of crafting supplies I was hooked..subscribed! Can’t wait to see what mischief u inspire me to do.
It is so cute what you did to the floral dress at the end of the video....the beads on the ruffle trim....oh my! That is genius! and adorable. Good job!
Sometimes when I’m missing just one button, I switch it for the top one & put a coordinating decorative button there. Or I just use the bottom button and put something low key or even just leave it with no button in the bottom spot. I don’t always button that one anyways especially if it’s tucked in
Your upcycles are fabulous! I hang on to clothing pieces too…I have lots of plans…sometimes it’s because I love the print, or texture of the fabric(like you!) I often buy a larger size, even new- on a super “sale”, b/c I know I can make it smaller. I guess we are kindred spirits! 😂 I love the last dream with the added panels and ruffles! It looks fabulous. Here’s a challenge for you…making a floor length dress worn to a wedding, with shiny beads on the top and jacket…into a “normal day” dress….like going out for lunch. I have saved a beautiful navy blue dress worn to a wedding…that I love the shape of the lower part…it too shiny on the bodice, and jacket. Any ideas? Thanks for the great video…I have subscribed…thank you!❤
At 35:07 the dress you added panels was a teenager dress I wore in the 90's! I l9ved a full skirt so when I did a fast spin it was a full beautiful flow! This dress is ready to go dancing in! Good job!
I just today stumbled across your channel and have watched a few of your videos. I really like watching you do your garment upcycles! It helps give me ideas of how to tackle making changes to my own garments. Thank you for making videos like this.
Elastic that’s been secured to the waist like that is usually sewn with an overlocker so it does stretch, the level of stretchiness is determined by the type and properties of the elastic itself with knitted elastic being softer and stretchier than the braided kind. If you’re happy with the length of the skirt you could just cut the overlocking off and refashion the waistband but if not, you can unpick the overlocked stitches and replace the elastic which is a pain but worth it. You can also sew it with a straight stitch if you stretch it as you’re sewing, that way the stitches don’t ‘pop’ when you stretch the waistband as you pull it on over your hips 😊
I just came across your video and omg, I'm so glad I did! I've just started upcycling clothes that I already own because I've gain a little bit of weight and don't have the money to go out and buy new ones atm. So your ideas and techniques have given me some inspiration. So thank you and I can't wait to watch and learn some more! 😊
I am a big fan of specialty sewing machine feet, I use my edge stitching foot all the time for top stitching. The floral top is adorable on you, it would look cute with shorts for a barbecue or picnic in summer.
Well done on the dress. I am impressed with your ingenuity. I agree with going with your heart. There is a point in every project where I want to scrap it but I keep going until I’m happy with it.
I have upcylced dresses into skirts. You have some good ideas. Have you tried making a blouse out of men's shirts? I have seen a few videoes on doing it and will try this probably in the fall.
