DIY Wardrobe Makeovers: Alter, Refresh & Refashion Your Clothes * Step-by-Step Sewing Tutorials

by Suzannah Hamlin Stanley

Overview

Unlock your closet’s potential with simple wardrobe fixes and refashions to express your style. These basic alterations and step-by-step restyling tutorials will help you fit and reassemble garments into newfound faves. No sloppy shortcuts here—learn how to alter sweaters, pants, and everything in your wardrobe for a more flattering fit. Take it in, take it up, or let it out—all on your home sewing machine. Spend less, look better!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781617450426
Publisher:	C&T Publishing / Stash Books
Publication date:	06/07/2015
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 9.93(h) x 0.45(d)

About the Author

Suzannah Hamlin Stanley, a DIYer at heart, loves sewing practical, usable items for her wardrobe and home—and even made her own wedding dress. She started her popular sewing blog in 2009. Suzannah lives with her husband outside Portland, Oregon. create-enjoy.com

Table of Contents

Preface

Why DIY?
Getting Inspired • Learning About Clothes • More Remaking Ideas • When Not to Refashion • How This Book Will Help You DIY • About the Instructions

Basic Tools
Sewing Machine • Cutting Tools • Needles, Thread, and Pins • Measuring Tools • Pressing Tools • Fabrics and Notions

Terminology
Fabric Terms • Stitches and Machine Terms • How to Measure Yourself

Sewing Skills
Using Your Sewing Machine • Hand Finishing • Taking Out Stitches • Hemming • Pressing

Alteration Technique Tutorials
Take it In: Take In a Sweater or Knit Top
Take It Up: Shorten Jeans
Let It Out: Let Out Pants Side Seams
Take It Up: Shorten a Curved Hem Shirt
Take It In: Tighten a Loose Waistband
Take It Up: Shorten a Pencil Skirt
Let It Down: Lengthen a Skirt with a Hem Facing
Take It In: Take in Jeans

DIY Style Projects
Remake: Infinity Scarf Makeover
Embellish/Remake: Colorblock Sweater Makeover
Remake: Contrast Sleeve Tee
Embellish: Elbow Patch Sweater Makeover
Remake: Riding Pants Makeover
Refashion: Dress-Into-Peplum Top Makeover
Embellish: Contrast Trim Blazer
Refashion: Flared Pants to Skinny Pants
Refashion: Silky Blouse Makeover
Refashion: Tie Waist Blouse Makeover
Refashion: Blouse-Into-Dress
Embellish: Zipper Shoulder Sweater
Embellish: Tuxedo Stripe Pants
Remake: Boxy Tee Makeover
(Nearly) Unlimited Embellishment Ideas

About the Author

Editorial Reviews

04/15/2015
Inexpensive ready-to-wear clothing may be popular, but its fit isn't always complimentary. Stanley, who made her name blogging at Adventures in Dressmaking (now Create/Enjoy), provides step-by-step walkthroughs for a variety of clothing repair and tailoring tasks, ranging from sewing on a button to tailoring the too-loose waistband of a pair of jeans. Some of the "makeover" projects, such as the raglan-sleeve sweater with a zipper inserted at the shoulder seam, are odd, but others, such as the skirt and blouse combined into a dress, are more successful. The highlights are the tutorials for tailoring, especially the ones for refitting pants for a more stylish and flattering fit. Several of the tutorials originally appeared, in a slightly different form, on Stanley's blog. VERDICT The title is slightly misleading, as the majority of the tutorials are more about mending, repairing, and customizing rather than transforming existing pieces into something completely different. However, the instructions are excellent, and sewists who want to customize ready-to-wear garments to create a more flattering fit will appreciate this guide.

Library Journal