Refashion Friday: Quintet of Quick'uns

My theory is this: sometimes you sew something predominantly because you've had a great idea for a project, and other times you sew something predominantly because you actually really need the item. Like, you need it now. And the need for a specific item always seems to come when you're short on time, doesn't it? I usually find that refashioning and remaking existing garments is a good way to get what you need quicker than starting with a piece of pure, unadulterated fabric. I also get a massive buzz from creating something that will see heaps of wear from a garment that already had a previous life. Here are five things I've made over the last few months that begun life as a different garment. 

The photo at the top of this post is proof that the jumper remake pictured above has gone into immediate wardrobe rotation. At the start of each winter I am swiftly reminded that, for someone who lives in the UK, I really should own more warm tops. I am committed to and passionate about making as many of my own clothes as possible, but I'm not a knitter so it can be hard to fill this particular gap. So when I saw this rather shapeless leopard print Topshop jumper in a charity shop, I thought BINGO! Using a self-drafted sweatshirt pattern as a starting point, I recut and reconstructed this jumper using my overlocker into something much closer to the fit that I prefer. As the knit is looser than sweatshirt fabric, I ended up 'carving away' at the side and sleeve seams until I got the fit I was looking for. Obviously, drafting the sweatshirt pattern took me some time a few years ago (thanks past-Zoe), but aside from that, this project took about an hour.

It's hard to tell in the above photo but this fine knit navy and white polka dot jumper was a maternity item. I didn't get to wear it in my last pregnancy because it was summer when I was at my largest. Like the leopard jumper, I was able to retain the original neckline. However, unlike the leopard jumper, the shoulders and sleeves of this one already fit me well. Therefore it was a quicker remake, taking perhaps 20mins in total to get the length and shape I was after. 

I made this Peter Pan batwing top during my first pregnancy and wore it heaps during both. I could have nipped it in at the side seams for post-pregnancy use, but that statement oversized collar isn't really my bag any more. Plus, I was getting pretty desperate for some vests to keep my belly covered when I yank up my tops to breastfeed, so I decided to rework the batwing top using my free vest pattern instead. Reusing a well-worn top for an under vest had the added benefit that the fabric is already really soft from lots of wear and laundering. I added a twist to the basic vest pattern by pinching and then stitching over a section at the centre. It's created a pleasing sweetheart neckline and a cool graphic effect thanks to the bold stripes. 

Dolores has outgrown the smaller and less stretchy of the clutch of vests I made for her this time last year. What is up with that?! You think you've nailed your kid's particular lack of clothing or shoes crisis and then they go and get bigger all over again! Well I found this horrendously Barbie-pink T-shirt in my stash of refashionable garments, with absolutely no idea where I came from, and I knew it would be just the shade to appeal to my little girl. When recutting I had to choose to include the existing hem or the button detail. I went with the latter but didn't do it very effectively, so sadly only one of the original buttons got saved. The turquoise FOE and iron-on diamante heart kind of steal your attention away anyway. 

Since deciding that the only skirts I'm interested in wearing are a basic knit pencil style, I made a black and white striped one, a solid navy one, a faux denim one, a solid black one and a spotty one. The only thing missing, as far as I could tell, would be a leopard print one (I'm pretty convinced that leopard print can be classed as a neutral!). After making all these knit skirts, I've tweaked the pattern so that I'm really happy with the fit, so I've been scouring the charity shops for a leopard print skirt or dress suitable to make it in. On a recent trip back to Hastings I finally scored this dress in the Oxfam shop for £3.50. It's a light-weight jersey, so this skirt will be more for summer use. As suggested in Gertie Sews Vintage Casual, where the basis for this pattern from, I tacked the skirt together first to check the fit before I stitched the side seams, which is something I almost never do. It's amazing how different knits can produce such different fits, and this light jersey needed to be taken in a lot to achieve a fit similar to that of my ponte de roma versions. 

What about you? Have you done any refashioning or remaking recently? What do you like and dislike about it, as opposed to starting a project with a piece of fabric?