Tuesday Tutorial: Denim Sewing Machine Cover from Jeans

One thing I learned about spring break, or any break for that matter, is that my stuff needs protection! This sewing machine cover was long overdue. I am not sure why I  didn't do this earlier. I guess Dan unraveling my thread for the upteenth time during break caused a crafty craze that had me searching for the nearest fabric and whip up armor for my defenseless machine.

The closest fabric was in the form of these jeans. Thank God they were in a pile to be reconstructed anyway. Otherwise, I would be showing you some flowery machine cover made from a dress or a plastic one made from a shower curtain. Lol!  These were given to my older son by his cousin. They were too small and he has trouble with button closures anyway so it was a perfect fit.

After I measured my machine, I ascertained that I can cut the pant legs right here.

I cut through the inseam of each leg and this is what I am left with. These will be the front and back of the cover.

Then I cut the waist band off of the top

Then I cut the back part of the pants starting with the middle seam and continuing down the inseam of each side. I was left with this. These will form the sides of the cover.

This is what is left of the front, I did not use this part.

I then stitched the two pieces together.

I also cut the seam bulk from the bottom of the pants for easier sewing. This then goes draped over the machine.  I simply sewed the edge of the top and bottom parts of the pants around the edges of the back pockets to make the sides.

Here you have it! My new denim sewing machine cover.

Here's a side view to show you where the pockets went. 

Mission accomplished: PROTECTED!

Now Dan doesn't have a chance against my third child, my sewing machine! Lol.

As always, tell me what you think. I appreciate your feedback.  

Big Pants to Smaller Pants Refashion

Hello! The kids went back to school on Wednesday and I am still playing catch up. So happy to be back after a week of not posting. 

Anyway...here you have a pants refashion! 

This looks like a weightloss ad! lol

I am a lazy seamstress. There, I admit it. I don't particularly love putting in zippers, buttons, or pockets. That requires a lot of time and it's just plain tedious to me. This is the main reason why I don't make pants. The thought of sewing in the zipper, well it just makes me not want to even start the project. 

Mind you, I have made pants from scratch in the past, but when there are so many other things I rather do, like dresses, hats and tops, pants are always last on my list. 

Anyway, when I saw larged-sized pants on sale for $1.00 in my local thrift shop, a light bulb went off.   "Why don't I just re-size these big pants", I thought. I wouldn't have to put in the zipper or pockets!  I bought three of them with this idea and off I went to execute it. 




This was how big the pants were on me. 

This a full view, they were also very long. 

I decided that the only way to resize these pants was to remove the waist, cut between the pocket and the zipper, and then sew it back together, creating a middle seam on each side, front and back. Then I had to sew the waist band back on. 

This is how it looks when you turn it inside out. 

Here's the back view turned inside out. I lost the back pocket and I didn't do anything to make the insides pretty. I could've serged the unfinished seams but I was just experimenting at this stage. 

Everything was going okay until I had to re-attach the waistband to the pants. I don't know if I had the wrong needle, or if i didn't leave enough room between the waist band and bottom, but I did have a difficult time re-attaching the two. I finally got it done but it does not look pretty. I definitoley have to wear a long shirt to cover the top.

They also became capri pants when I realized I cut too much off. I am a bit impulsive and need to learn to wait and measure before I start chopping fabric off. But I don't mind it since Spring is here. 

A view from the back 

Sorry for the messy hair, lol.

All in all, I like the way it looks, I got a new pair of pants that fit me without having to put in a zipper or pockets. Was it worth all the hassle? I'm not sure yet.

What do you think? 



Tutorial Tuesday: Turning Fashion on its Head; Upside Down Jacket Tutorial

A while back I accidentally put one of my jackets on upside down and voila! A new idea was born. 

I noticed that by putting the bottom part at the top, a very wide collar on a cropped jacket was created. I liked the collar idea but not the cropped part so I decided I was going to reinvent this whole upside down jacket concept. 

I started out with this jacket
that I bought at a thrift store. I knew that I wanted lettering on it because I wanted people to tell that I had turned it upside down. I also wanted it to be green as I knew St. Patricks Day was approaching.

This Audubon Soccer jacket was perfect.  It was green, had lettering, and it also had snaps which could add some interest. I don't know how Coach Accardi (coach's name is in the front) would feel about my refashioning his team's jacket. Oh well. 

I started by cutting it apart; arms are cut and the bottom was cut shorter in the front than in the back.

This is still right side up. I sewed up the lining on the bottom of the top portion and did the same for the bottom.

Then I turned the top and bottom upside down where you get a wider collar on top and on the bottom, you get a triangle hemline. 

I stitched the two halves together this way. I had to create pleats on the middle lower back so the two halves could line up evenly. Can you tell that the collar is the lower back now?

This is what it looks like from the front.

This is how it looks on me

 Front and back.

For the most part, I used the snaps from the original design but I did add 2 snaps at the top and one snap on the bottom of the top part. 

I also did away with the sleeves and simply sewed the green part of the sleeves over the lining turning it into a vest. The upside down pockets are useless now!  

I really liked the way it came out. It's a great vest for transitioning into Spring. Happy early St. Patricks Day!