"And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these." Matthew 6:28-29
Let's face it, ladies. We do worry about our clothes. We want to keep up with the latest fashions. We want to look our best. But, often, we look in our closets in disdain. We hate everything in them. Then, we hate ourselves because our bodies aren't what they used to be.
Shopping for clothes can either be the greatest thing or the worst thing (depending on the day). We can find a new favorite or walk away with nothing but disgust, which is generally how I feel.
Of course, this year I won't be shopping for clothes at all. When I look in my closet, I see well-worn pieces that are frayed around the edges and plenty of clothes that no longer fit. But...I also see possibilities.
If I learned one good thing from my mother, it was to sew. I'm not the best seamstress in the world, but I enjoy sewing, and I love wearing my own creations that are unique. So, yes, when I look in my closet, I not only see tattered remnants, I also see fabric and the hope of using that fabric for something new.
There is a trend these days to upcycle clothing--taking finds from thrift shops and giving them a makeover. One site I follow a lot is called New Dress a Day. What I learned from this site is to look at clothes for what you like about the shape or pattern. I look through fashion magazines and tear out the pages with clothes I like. I love the clothes on Zulily, so I search the site for inspiration. And, I also may use patterns I have on hand.
One of the first pieces I did this summer is a skirt made from old blue jeans. I cut the back side off of each leg on 3 pairs. Then, I evened up the sides and made sure each section was equal in length. I sewed the pieces together vertically and folded down the top edge to make a casing. I took and extra piece of fabric and made a tie, which I inserted into the casing. A quick hem, and voila! Got myself a new skirt!
Next, I dug into my stash of old t-shirts. I have tons of t-shirts I never wear. This is just wasted fabric, rotting in my dresser drawers. I made two pieces on the same principle. The first, is a "baby doll" kind of shirt. I cut the bottom half of one shirt off just under the arms. I used a pattern to reshape the neckline into a slight V shape. Then, I used the bottom half I cut off, along with a piece from another shirt, to give it a fuller, gathered look on the bottom. For the second t-shirt piece, I did the same thing, except that I extended the bottom portion to make a dress. I actually used four t-shirts for this one!
The latest piece I sewed is a little cardigan. After noticing that one of my favorite cardigans is now falling apart, I tried to come up with a way to make a new one or two. My grandmother used to wear these knit shirts that I'm sure she bought at Kmart of Sears. They are all nearly identical in style--long sleeves and a rounded neck line with 3 or 4 buttons down the front. When she died, I took all of these from her closet...probably 25 shirts. Bingo! Exactly what I need to make some cute cardigans! After a search on Zulily, I took my inspiration and went to work. I cut the shirt down the middle and made a little V shape up to the neckline (which got rid of the buttons). I cut off the hem to shorten the length. I made a casing just above the waistline to which I added a drawstring (made from seam binding). I finished all the edges, and just like that....a new cardigan!
I haven't lost all hope of having new clothes this year. "Shopping" in my closet gives me the opportunity to be creative and to use some ingenuity. It's also another chance I get this year to see what I have rather than what I don't have.
Let's face it, ladies. We do worry about our clothes. We want to keep up with the latest fashions. We want to look our best. But, often, we look in our closets in disdain. We hate everything in them. Then, we hate ourselves because our bodies aren't what they used to be.
Shopping for clothes can either be the greatest thing or the worst thing (depending on the day). We can find a new favorite or walk away with nothing but disgust, which is generally how I feel.
Of course, this year I won't be shopping for clothes at all. When I look in my closet, I see well-worn pieces that are frayed around the edges and plenty of clothes that no longer fit. But...I also see possibilities.
If I learned one good thing from my mother, it was to sew. I'm not the best seamstress in the world, but I enjoy sewing, and I love wearing my own creations that are unique. So, yes, when I look in my closet, I not only see tattered remnants, I also see fabric and the hope of using that fabric for something new.
There is a trend these days to upcycle clothing--taking finds from thrift shops and giving them a makeover. One site I follow a lot is called New Dress a Day. What I learned from this site is to look at clothes for what you like about the shape or pattern. I look through fashion magazines and tear out the pages with clothes I like. I love the clothes on Zulily, so I search the site for inspiration. And, I also may use patterns I have on hand.
One of the first pieces I did this summer is a skirt made from old blue jeans. I cut the back side off of each leg on 3 pairs. Then, I evened up the sides and made sure each section was equal in length. I sewed the pieces together vertically and folded down the top edge to make a casing. I took and extra piece of fabric and made a tie, which I inserted into the casing. A quick hem, and voila! Got myself a new skirt!
Next, I dug into my stash of old t-shirts. I have tons of t-shirts I never wear. This is just wasted fabric, rotting in my dresser drawers. I made two pieces on the same principle. The first, is a "baby doll" kind of shirt. I cut the bottom half of one shirt off just under the arms. I used a pattern to reshape the neckline into a slight V shape. Then, I used the bottom half I cut off, along with a piece from another shirt, to give it a fuller, gathered look on the bottom. For the second t-shirt piece, I did the same thing, except that I extended the bottom portion to make a dress. I actually used four t-shirts for this one!
The latest piece I sewed is a little cardigan. After noticing that one of my favorite cardigans is now falling apart, I tried to come up with a way to make a new one or two. My grandmother used to wear these knit shirts that I'm sure she bought at Kmart of Sears. They are all nearly identical in style--long sleeves and a rounded neck line with 3 or 4 buttons down the front. When she died, I took all of these from her closet...probably 25 shirts. Bingo! Exactly what I need to make some cute cardigans! After a search on Zulily, I took my inspiration and went to work. I cut the shirt down the middle and made a little V shape up to the neckline (which got rid of the buttons). I cut off the hem to shorten the length. I made a casing just above the waistline to which I added a drawstring (made from seam binding). I finished all the edges, and just like that....a new cardigan!
I haven't lost all hope of having new clothes this year. "Shopping" in my closet gives me the opportunity to be creative and to use some ingenuity. It's also another chance I get this year to see what I have rather than what I don't have.