Saturday, June 14, 2014
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Recycle Stretch Pants, DIY Romper Tutorial
The late Meesha Booh made a Youtube tutorial on how to make a halter-top swimsuit out of a pair of leggings. I used her idea to recycle some knit stretch pants that don't get worn anymore into cute rompers that can be worn for sunbathing, exercising, dance rehearsal, etc.
Mine will be worn over leotard and tights for teaching dance classes.
I've also worn them over a jogging top and panties to exercise at home.
- One pair of knit stretch pants (Repurpose a pair you already have!)
- Matching or coordinating thread
- Sewing machine
- Serger (Optional)
- Iron and ironing board
- Fabric scissors and straight pins
- Less than one hour
First:
Find a pair of knit stretch pants. These are White Stag, 40/60 cotton-poly, size Small, 4-6.
Measure 5 inches down the leg starting at the crotch seam, and mark.
Fold up the pant leg at your mark and cut off the leg. Cut off the other leg the same way.
Now you have a pair of shorts and two pant legs:
Next, you hem the shorts. Use your serger to overlock,
or use your sewing machine with a zigzag stitch:
Then, fold over about 1/2 inch to the inside of the shorts legs to
form a little hem and zigzag on top the overlock stitching.
Press your new hems:
(Or, you can press the hems before you sew them if
you are worried you might not sew them straight!)
Now, to make a halter top out of the pant legs!
Serge or zigzag the unfinished edges together of each pant leg:
Lap them over together about 4 inches.
(Make sure the left is lapped OVER the right if you want to have
your halter with the right half on in front.)
Pin in place, and baste across all four layers:
Now, the really fun part! We see the romper begin to take shape as we join the top to the bottom!
Pin the two wide straps (that once were pant legs!) to the shorts putting the
right side of the straps on top of the wrong side of the shorts.
Be sure to line up the middles. Pin the straps all the way to the side seams of the shorts:
Zigzag across all layers stretching out the elastic waistband on the shorts as you go:
Turn the romper over so the right side is facing up and
zigzag across the top of the shorts waistband elastic, again, stretching as you sew:
Looks like:
Now, the final step! Pin both straps together and sew a straight stitch through all 4 layers:
Trim the excess off ONE of the pant leg seams:
Last of all, pin the finished seam over the trimmed seam,
and topstitch though all layers with a straight stitch:
That's it! You did it! Now go romp in your romper!
Thank you for allowing me to share this tutorial with you,
and thank you for sewing along with me!
I'd love to see a picture of your finished product!
Thank you for allowing me to share this tutorial with you,
and thank you for sewing along with me!
I'd love to see a picture of your finished product!
Here's another one I sewed from a sage green pair of stretch pants:
Sometime soon I'll be posting rompers on my Esty Shop boutique called Bloomingayle's.
Sunday, June 1, 2014
Child's Bandana Dress
A lot of people are making bandana dresses for their little girls.
The ones I've seen seem out of proportion, too long. My solution was to add a ruffle:
Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weenie Yellow Polka Dot "Bikini"
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