FASHION |
How to make new clothes from old ones
There is a lot of talk at the moment of ‘Fast Fashion’. And how damaging our constant demand for new clothes is on the environment. I personally don’t buy a lot of new clothes for myself these days. But maybe it is time to look to new ways of up-cycling your existing wardrobe into new pieces. To make new clothes from old. - By Peram Srija Reddy
POLO TEE TO SLOUCHY TEE
This was a polo. This refashion to slouchy half-sleeve tee turned out quite a bit better than the original polo. Step one: Cut off the collar. Set it aside to use later. Try the shirt on backward (buttons in the back) and mark the new neck hole with pins. Then cut out the neck hole. Since we cut the collar off, go back with a seam ripper and remove the rest of the collar bits. Step two: Go back to the collar piece and open it up, tearing off the interfacing if there is any. Salvage as long of a strip as possible and iron it flat. Now fold it in half, wrong sides together, and press it flat. This will be the “ribbing” for your neckline. If you can’t get a long enough piece, just use a few pieces and sew them together.
Step three: Attach the ribbing to the neckline with a straight stitch. The length of my ribbing was about 2 inches shorter than the neck hole, so I pinned it evenly and then pulled the ribbing in between pins as I sewed. This achieved a nice tight neckline. If your ribbing is the same length and isn’t pulled tight when sewn, the neckline will be wavy and loose. Press the neckline flat and then sew around the neckline with a wide straight stitch just below the ribbing. Fold the raw ends of the ribbing down at an angle and pin, sewing over them to secure them in place as you sew that seam. Step four: Try the shirt on and determine how much you want to take in on the sleeves and the sides. Then lay the shirt flat on the ground and pin in place. Then sew from the sleeve hem to the shirt hem with a straight stitch. Trim the seam allowance and serge or zigzag your raw edge (optional since knits don’t fray). Press all your seams and you’re done!
28 APRIL, 2020 TULIP
