i wish i had a picture to share of my electric blue gigantic flare legged pants i fashioned myself to wear to a phish concert when i was 18. they were hot. and not the first item of clothing i had attempted to sew sans-pattern either. there was the denim and tartan waistcoat from the early 1990's, as well as several jeans-turned-skirt disasters and many shameful accessories i'd rather not admit to.
after devouring soule mama's book the creative family i went about making pants once again for yindi - only this time with instructions (from her book), and not in stretchy electric blue fabric either! i keep a box full of clothes for 'repurposing' - stuff that doesn't fit or has stains/holes and when that pantsmaking mood strikes (and it does!), i can rummage through and find something to turn into something else...my passion for pants has since turned into skirts - with a few dresses along the way...
(dress out of my old tshirt)
(skirt cuteness for ivy from 4 old tshirts)
(one of my new stretchy-belly creations)
i have all the steps, pictures and instructions on how i made baby pants, yindi's tshirt dress and ivy's funky panel skirt over at today's mama this month - and will be back again next month with more re-purposing ideas (my children are the master stain-makers, and i am not the master stain getter-outerer) for getting more wear out of clothes!
and...a little sneak peek...
i'll be listing several 'tee-skirts' of various size in my etsy shop later this week - stay tuned for an announcement as to when - and make sure you share pics if you fashion something for yourself!
wow, i need to learn to sew asap! these are gorgeous :]
Posted by: mallory | May 26, 2009 at 06:54 PM
Gorgeous! SO WISH i knew how to sew and had a machine!
Posted by: Megan | May 26, 2009 at 07:29 PM
Lovely! I love repurposing. You're so green ☺.
Posted by: holly | May 26, 2009 at 07:30 PM
amazing em, i am so ('sew' ?haha) impressed !
that 2nd shot of yindi is fantastic, what a cute little hip chick she is ! xxxx
Posted by: Zi | May 26, 2009 at 07:35 PM
Love it! I was just reading another post today actually about sewing (re-purposing a men's button down shirt into a girl's dress) and it's got me itching to sew something (I have a blanket I'm 98% done and I'm going to start another one soon...) Sewing is the new obsession I think :)
Posted by: Genevieve | May 26, 2009 at 07:41 PM
These are fantastic, Em! I love that you have re-purposed older clothing. WTG!
Posted by: Serena | May 26, 2009 at 07:58 PM
Very cool, Em! I can't decide which I like more! I'm so jealous of your fabric-crafting skills. You'd think being a daughter of a seamstress I would have inherited some of her skill with a machine...
Posted by: hanna | May 26, 2009 at 07:59 PM
oohh yummy, can't wait to buy one!!
Posted by: Erin {Juneau.Eco.Mommie} | May 26, 2009 at 08:36 PM
oh emily!! those are awesome!!! you have some serious seamstress skills!!! awesome!!
Posted by: Nely | May 26, 2009 at 09:33 PM
ok. i am seriously in LOVE with all of these photos but that one of little tummy peaking out of mini skirt with baby legs. holy swoon.
so beautiful. i want each and every one of these skirts! hee hee.
Posted by: jessamyn | May 26, 2009 at 10:05 PM
the t-skirt made out of micks old t-shirt on Yindi....OMG...that photo just makes me giggle....so so cute. It's as if she knows she's modeling somehow. Can I put that on my desktop for the bad days??...so I can grin from ear to ear just because life is so so precious when you view it with child like eyes.
Posted by: Kristy | May 26, 2009 at 10:38 PM
You're a genius, dear Em. With darling little models roaming about.
My issue is not so much with the staining as with the wearing out of the knees. Good thing it's summer, so we'll just cut all of those legs off for shorts, and keep the extras for quilting. (It's the best I can do, given that Jack won't wear skirts.)
Posted by: Kari | May 26, 2009 at 11:22 PM
oooooh so fun. nice job mama. love love love!
Posted by: Sara | May 26, 2009 at 11:39 PM
You never cease to amaze Emily! Lovely lovely pieces, and your models are oh so sweet! Great stuff! I actually dusted off my sewing machine today to sew this week's tag. That's the most sewing I've done all year! But you do inspire, so I might just keep that machine out! Thanks!!
Posted by: Sherri P eh | May 27, 2009 at 12:23 AM
Well done!! Tey are all lovely piece!!
Posted by: Chiara | May 27, 2009 at 02:23 AM
you are a very good friend and you are an artist...i love you...and alla you make...
for me alla you make became gold...
kiss...
taty
Posted by: taty | May 27, 2009 at 05:19 AM
Wow! Theese creations are great, I especially like Yindi's violet dress and your turquise-green one :)
Posted by: Pasiakowa | May 27, 2009 at 06:28 AM
I am so excited can't wait to buy one of your amazing skirts. I love the picture of Yindi and her mini skirt with her little belly hanging out, she is so stinkin cute!!!
Posted by: Christina | May 27, 2009 at 10:36 AM
I absolutely love these skirts! Can't wait to read your article over at Today's Mama...thanks Em!
Posted by: Jen Davis | May 27, 2009 at 10:37 AM
Love the dress! My daughter's about the same age, and I, like you, have very little laundry rescuing skills!
Posted by: sebnem | May 27, 2009 at 01:53 PM
I absolutely love those skirts! Was thinking of making one for myself and these are a real inspiration! I've only used my sewing machine once and I definitely think she deserves more attention than that! Thanks for the inspiration!
Cheers,
Sophie
Posted by: Sophie Tousignant | May 27, 2009 at 02:04 PM
okay, Em, you completely rock my world. I got a bunch of knit fabric from freecycle last summer and have yet to turn it into anything. You just inspired me, and by the way, you are just all around cool. gorgeous tee-skirts, love them!!!
Posted by: kate | May 27, 2009 at 02:18 PM
i thought you didn't have a serger! how did you do those knit ruffly edges?!
Posted by: kristen Van Dyke | May 27, 2009 at 02:34 PM
These are so super cool. And I know about making pants. I singlehandedly created my own wardrobe for me when I was a teen making all kinds of pants from an old Dolly shorts pattern. I can just picture your blue pants! But these I love and I will have to go over and check out your patterns-I have been saving up all our old T-shirts to make SOMETHING (I can't BEAR to throw anything out!)
Posted by: Georgia | May 27, 2009 at 05:03 PM
adorable Em, totally divine
Lee xxxxxxxxx
Posted by: Leanne Love | May 27, 2009 at 05:45 PM