The Guide to Update your Wardrobe with Some Cutting and Sewing.

The Guide to Update your Wardrobe with Some Cutting and Sewing.

Make your own clothes easier to shop rather than going out to shop.

1.  Buy new hangers to add a consistent look making all your clothing look better: Costco, Ikea, Target, or Amazon, etc.

2. The Goal is to shop your closet and update what you already have. First, organize your closet by color and type.
   1. T-shirts, long sleeves/short sleeves
   2. Blouses/tailored shirts/novelty shirts
   3. Hint: While doing this, if you do not wear something do not question why, just place them in these two categories:
      1. Wish I would or could wear it/Pile A -might have potential
      2. Fast fashion falling apart/Pile B- parts be cut up for accents or rags
      3. Had its day but needs to go/Pile B-give away/ find a home
      4. Might wear it in the next season but never wore it for the last season /Pile A – these are the clothes perfect for making slight tweaks to add new life

3. Your needs and desires-
   1. Are you searching for something to wear to work everyday?
   2. Would you like something comfy yet professional to work from home?
   3. Are you thinking about all the events coming up and need some clothes?
      1. A dress
      2. A suit
      3. Long shirt
      4. Hostess outfit
      5. Cute workout clothes
      6. Concert attire

4. Now look at the piles of shirts, pants, skirts, jackets, etc and see what looks you would like to combine. For Example:

1. Dress – Make with Shirt and Flouncy Skirt (never mind the exactitudes)
2. Long Button Down Skirt – with pants
3. Jacket – combined from two garments that need a comfort upgrade
4. Jacket:
   1. Either cut horizontally straight across the jacket anywhere and add straight skirt pieces(that you were never going to wear again anyway)
   2. Or cut diagonally
   3. Or down the middle (For this one it helps to have another piece cut down the middle to sew on the other side which does not have to be another jacket , it could be a sweater, blouse, sweatshirt, or dress This is for the daring and fun occassion.

5. To make a new Dress:
   1. Find your best fabrics for the job, do not think about matching. 
   2. We can always combine and accessorize to bring the two together. 
   3. Nice “better” similar fabrics are always what we’re after.

6. If the shirt top/t-shirt fits, cut it at the most flattering line straight across, at the waist or just above.
   1.  Then pick out your old dress, you are going to cut off for the skirt part, and decide how long you want the dress. 
   2. There are no rules, only what’s most flattering to you. A middy would be a nice updated length. To accent those boots made from hemp. 

7. Get ready to sew. Put on a few strategic safety pins. What should be the best center front and center back for both, and how you want to line up the sides, -at the side seam, or where it feels best just centered and safety pin(works better than straight pins).
   1. Tips for cutting your clothes: Lay them out flat 
   2. Measure twice
   3. Use street chalk to mark
   4. Cut with sharp scissors. –You can always cut something shorter but not longer.

8. If you would like some Long Skirts for the dressiness of the occasion, those pants that you’re not feeling so much, simply cut the whole center leg “seam” (instead of using a seam ripper to rip it out , just use scissors to cut it out)  
   1. Add another pants you want to cut up, pretty shirts, blouses, and/or full-dress leftovers.
   2. Skirt done.

9. When cutting a dress in half for the skirt–try to leave the top for a new life, cut well below the waist to five inches making it a peplum, tunic length, or crop top potential. 

Bet you will be pleasantly surprised how this little top from cutting off the skirt for something else will become a fashion staple. 

If it was a sun dress from Summer wear it as a layer over a tight long sleeve t-shirt for Trans-Seasonless fashion.