Resizing a too-big skirt…

This skirt already had pleats in it, all I did to make it smaller was to add a few more, regularly spaced, until it fit.

Another easy refashion, and the bonus of this kind of alteration means that if (when?) I put on any weight I can just lose a pleat or two.

Beccy

Summer top resizing…

I picked up this summery top for 40p at a jumble sale. It’s lovely and crisp cotton with a little bit of stretch and cute pintucks but it was a size 18, and I’m not a size 18.

First I slit the sides to below the darts – I didn’t just need to take it in, I also needed to make the darts smaller so I opened them up too.

First I pinned the darts the right amount (check out a shirt that fits you well for a guide) but this left a lot of excess fabric above. I decided to sew this as another dart running flush to the seam of the band around the top. This meant I could hide the excess fabric and make the band run level all around.

When I was happy sewed the darts up.

See how the top hem runs flush? I then pinned and sewed the sides, removing about an inch from each.

It looked fine on the mannequin but on me it gaped a little at the top so I had to put in a little pleat. It’s not the most elegant of solutions and I might have another look at the elastic at the back to see if I could pull it tighter at the top.

It’ll do as a little summer top though!
Beccy Ridsdel

Shirred dress thing to skirt…

No, that’s not a weird new fashion for teensy bra-tops, I just forgot to take a before picture! The shirred ruchy halterneck bit was originally attached to the skirt and really all I did was hack it off leaving a sizeable chunk of shirring to fit around my waist.

Et voila! The easiest (and quickest) refashion I’ve ever done. The original dress thing was a shapeless mess that I couldn’t breathe in, at least I might get a bit of summer wear out of it, if it stops raining long enough.

Beccy

Squirrel attack!

Ok, not so much of an attack but I love watching squirrels being clever.

Heehee!

Right after I ran out of memory card the squirrel pulled the feeder off and shook out the fat balls which it then gathered up and ran off up a tree with!

Do any of you in the UK remember that Carling advert?

Beccy