Reborn

A recent thrifting expedition yielded some very satisfying results -- for $3, I brought home a silk smocked dress for Rosa (she and Little Man call it her "Scottish dress" because of the plaid pattern!), a men's large henley shirt, and a men's XXL heathered cotton sweater. And considering that I ended up getting five garments out of those three pieces, I'm quite pleased with that expenditure. Don't worry, I didn't hack up the silk dress!

First up, the men's henley. It had contrasting sleeves, which was the perfect opportunity for an outfit. The bodysuit came from the shirt, and the pants and trim from the sleeves! I used Jalie 3133, with a few minor modifications (most notably, adding a bit to the crotch to accommodate cloth diapers, and slightly adjusting the crotch closure method). I've used this pattern once or twice before, and like the results! I just need to remember to make the leg openings higher on the side next time -- they really do come down a bit too far.

For the pants, I used the existing sleeve cuffs for the bottom leg openings and traced a self-drafted pants shape. I tried a new "extra room" technique by adding a gusset between the front and back (you can see this idea more clearly in this pair of pants). It does seem to provide some extra room, and it's not a noticeable addition. For the waist, I folded over the top waistband allowance and sewed the elastic straight in. I've had trouble with elastic folding over in my casings lately, and this method solved that problem!

I harvested the original shirt's neck ribbing, too! I should have cut the neck opening a little larger and stretched the ribbing a bit more (it bags a little), but I can get it over Scout's head and that's all that really matters.

I've already shared one of the projects I got from the men's sweater, but the dungarees I made did not use up the whole sweater! I still had the sleeves, and that was enough to get another pair of pants: 

 Again, I used the existing sleeve cuffs for the leg openings. The ribbing from the sweater waist serves as the waistband (I'd only used half of it for the dungarees). These were intended as pajama or "lounge" pants, which is probably good considering that Scout is so mobile now that he has actually crawled out of these. The cotton ribbing at the waist is not really strong enough, especially as it starts to "relax" during wear.

I may go back and change the waistband so they don't slide off -- but look how comfy they are! At least my model is happy, if a bit squirmy...

I find upcycling unwanted clothing so satisfying -- remaking a discarded garment into something custom is an exciting challenge! And when the stakes are so low (worst case scenario, I've wasted a dollar), it's more relaxing than using expensive fabrics. Really, the only limiting factor for me is time. I think I'd make almost all of my children's clothing if I didn't have... well, children! *wink*