REPurpose: Make an Infinity Scarf out of a square scarf

I love these sweet scarves!  They are so easy to wear.  They can be lightweight for spring or summer OR heavier for fall and winter. And I just discovered a new REPurpose method for these babies!

I had this square scarf that I loved - because of the fabric/ print, BUT I was never wearing it because it was square and how do you wear a square scarf these days?  Then one day it occurred to me that the measurements were right to make it into an Infinity Scarf.  So I immediately set to work!

This scarf measured about 34" square.  When I make an Infinity Scarf from scratch, I use about 2 yards in length - which is 72".  This will double up to about 68" (a little less when everything is cut off) which is close.  Just won't be as long - still totally wearable!

I started by folding it in half and I cut it along the fold.

I cut off the edges.  You do not have to do this but with the contrast edge and the fabric being sheer I did not want it to show through from the inside - I thought it would look weird.  

Then I sewed the two pieces right sides together.

I folded this down again, long-ways, and sewed the right sides together again, making a long tube.

Here is the long tube sewn together.

I turned the tube inside out, then brought the two ends together,with the seams right near each other.

This whole next step is probably the trickiest part:  I brought the two seams together and pinned.  This is where I start to sew.

Start sewing just before the pin, and keep pinching the edges together, and keep sewing.

Just keep sewing around those edges, pinching a little bit at a time as you go.   Just keep all the scarf underneath out of the way or you will sew over it and have to pick it out - yuck! 

When you get about as far as you can go, it will look like this.  Stop stitching when have gotten as far as you can go,and backstitch.

When you release and trim threads from that seam, just tug both sides and it will pop back to normal, leaving you with a tiny hole (or bigger depending on how far you got on that tricky seam).

Just fold those edges inside the hole.  Stitch the opening shut, very close to the edge.  I always just make sure this is my back neck placement when I wear it.

You are done!  Now you can wear your old scarf in a new way!

Here's me wearing it - ignore the gooney smile - but not the cutie down in the corner :)

Do you have any old square scarves you could REPurpose into an infinity scarf? 

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REpurpose: DRESS to TUNIC Top

I want to share an easy REpurpose where I made a dress that did not fit me right into a Tunic top that I now love!

Sometimes I just don't like the way a dress fits. Like this one was just not roomy enough through my hips. So I pulled it up and moved my hip ease to my waist. Much better. But how could I make it stay? I needed to define my waistline, so that it would stay in position when I wear it. And now it was just too short for me to be a dress. So it became a top. A Tunic, if you will.
Here was my process:



This dress was actually totally straight with no waistline (I do not have a picture of it plain, but you can imagine.) What I did was mark it while wearing it. I pulled it up to where I liked it, then I marked it with chalk (actually I use soap chips - I like the way they mark better) exactly where I would wear a belt. Then I took it off and just basted a straight line on top of my chalk line. This is the pic here.



I turned it inside out, because I am now going to make a casing for elastic to define my waistline.



I chose thread to match the original topstitching thread on the dress. This is a trick to keeping everything looking professional. I am going to be sewing from the inside, so my matching thread needs to go in my bobbin. Because that is what will show on the outside. With me so far?



I used 1-inch wide single fold bias tape to make my casing. It doesn't matter the color because it's on the inside. I started stiching at a side seam and just stitched down one side of the bias tape, centering the tape on my marked basting line.



I stitched that edge all the way around, keeping the tape centered on my basting line.



When I got to where I started, I cut the tape 1-inch longer than the beginning. I turned it under 1/2-inch and overlapped the raw edge by 1/2-inch. Then I backstitched it down.



Then I stitched the other side in the same manner. That folded edge is now the opening to thread my elastic through. Remove your basting stitch marking now.



Here is what the outside looks like before elastic is in there. Nice.



I used 1/2-inch elastic and cut a comfortable amount for my waist, plus 1 inch. I put a pin in one end and threaded the pinned end through the casing. All the way around until you come out the opening. Be sure not to let your other elastic end go through.



Bring both ends of elastic together so you can join them with a stitch.



I overlapped them by one inch and zigzagged several times over the two layers. Now let it all go inside the casing. You can stitch the opening closed at the side seam now.



Turn it inside out and marvel at how pretty it looks with your new elastic casing waistline.



Try it on. See how much nicer it fits. And the waistline you marked is now perfect and it will stay where you want it when you wear it!

You can wear it several ways.

 

With different belts and a slip extender (which is really just a longer skirt to wear underneath dresses that are too short for your taste.) It looks like you added a ruffle - cute!

  Or with leggings. The possibilities are great - have fun with it!

Do you have dress sitting in your closet that you would wear if you could REpurpose it to a Tunic top?



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REpurpose: SUNDRESS to SKIRT

I bought a sundress for my then-8-year-old daughter. She wore it and looked so cute in it.

She really was darling in it. Good color for her.

So when it got too short for her, I put it in my "Mending/ Projects" basket and planned to add a ruffle to lengthen it. Which would have been cute. But time went on and it sat neglected. Tell me I'm not the only one who forgets about timely projects like this and years later regrets it.

A few weeks ago, I was embarking on New Year's Resolution #1-of-Them ("Decreasing and Even Eliminating the Mending and Projects Piles"), and felt the sadness at my neglect of this one. Did I mention my daughter is now 13?

I was ready to toss it to charity, but then I got a brilliant idea all of a sudden!

This would make a CUTE SKIRT!

So I set to work. Ooops! Forgot to take BEFORE picture of the sundress. Got too eager to cut into it. So I smooshed it back to it's original state as best I could and took a funny BEFORE picture for you. You get the idea...

I decided the "smocked bodice" of the sundress could just act as a waistband. AL I had to do was cut off the "strappy" upper parts.

Following the upper line of the back bodice, I just cut off the top part of the front bodice to make it all level and even. My cut was just above that level line of smock-stitching.

The back straps simply got cut off at point of contact. The bias binding edge kept everything else intact.

Now it was no longer a sundress.

But my front edges were not finished.

I had to do something about that. To keep that top edge from unraveling and fraying in the wash and with wear.

So I did a simple zigzag stitch, overcasting the edge. Voila! My new waistband was finished! And the whole thing took me about 5-10 minutes tops!

Now she can wear it a little longer and Momma feels guilt no more!

Please don't go through the guilt I did - I actually forgave my self already ;). You can purchase a sundress (or other such item) that may be the not-quite-right size for someone you love, and with a little imagination, repurpose it into something just as great or better!

What can you RePurpose?




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