(Tried and True is a series that I am starting where I feature one sewer/blogger at a time who will share one of their "tried and true" patterns. You know, that pattern that just sews up like a dream, is so versatile, (although maybe even boring), so you end up sewing it up over and over in different ways. I know that I have patterns like that and I consider them gems so I can't wait to find out what the sewing community's tried and true patterns are.)
Hello lovely True Bias readers! I'm Krista of Lazy Saturdays. I started my blog as a way to document my trashion designs, and it ended up spiraling out of control. But in a very good way. I blog now about sewing, refashioning, diy, and style. I'm married to a talkative, nerd named Mason and we have a crazy-haired little boy named Max that has a personality to match his hair. We're both California grown and are now living in and loving Idaho.
I was really excited when Kelli invited me to talk about my Tried and True pattern! As I was thinking of the things I sewed the most, it wasn't a pattern that kept coming to my mind. I LOVE refashioning old clothing into something new and the thing I kept thinking of was a men's dress shirt. They come in some great colors and patterns! I love working with the fabric they are made from, which is usually cotton or a cotton/poly blend. It is such an easy fabric to play with, so if you're wanting to start refashioning clothing, I think men's shirts are a great thing to start with. Plus, if you get them at thrift stores or garage sales, they are super cheap so you don't have to feel bad if you mess up!
There are so many great things to do with a men's shirt! Here are a few of my favorite refashions so far:
This skirt was made from a men's shirt. This is a great beginner refashion! It's surprisingly easy and has a great impact. I've had a lot of new sewers email me pictures of skirts they made from men's shirts and it makes my day every time! You must try making one! They also make great gifts! (There it a tutorial on my blog here, if you'd like to see how I made it.)
I also love simply altering the shirt to fit my body. By taking in the side seams, bringing up the hem and adjusting the sleeves, you can have a great button up top for yourself! On the shirt on the left, I added a cuffed sleeve and the one on the right, I removed the collar. Easy and cute!
Men's shirts also saved me during my pregnancy. I gained a lot of weight at the end of it and was carrying a large babe (a nine and a half pounder!) so I ran out of clothing. I found a few extra EXTRA large men's shirts that fit around my belly and just altered the top and sleeves of the shirt. Having something that I felt cute in made a huge difference during that rough third trimester.
One of my favorite things I've made so far is this dress from two men's shirts. I made this dress before I started blogging, so I don't have a tutorial for it yet. But I plan on making one over the summer! You can make a dress with two shirts that match color or two that have different colors and patterns. So much fun and a great summer item!
Thank you for letting me tell you about my Tried and True refashionable item! Have you made anything from men's dress shirts? Are you inspired to make anything? I'd love to hear about it!
Isn't Krista adorable? I love her style and love her blog. I was so excited when she suggested this alternate idea for a "tried and true" feature. Not only are her creations absolutely adorable, but they are also very eco friendly. It makes me want to go through my husband's closet and see what shirts I can find to upcycle.