A Truly “Hack” Fashion Lab
And now, the moment a few of you have been waiting for: my hack fashion lab!
Ever since last year, when I cut off my capris to make board shorts, I’ve been thinking about just cutting stuff off. After all, there’s all kinds of stuff in the stores that’s got unfinished edges or frayed finishes. I even did one project (this summer dress, cut off and worn over a white shirt), but I never had the guts to even show it to anyone (now that I did, it is no longer in my closet. You guessed it! A darling daughter.:)
This is the perfect way to redeem all those really cute, but too short, summer dresses abundantly available at your local thrift store.
And this other outfit I really am going to wear. Tomorrow. Inspired by the short sleeve jacket pictured at youlookfab, recent talk about mixing soft red and asparagus green, and Valentine’s Day, today I took my scissors to this thrift score corduroy jacket.
Now, I am too lazy to probably ever do this, but my daughter has perfected the process for doing a nice fringe. Her technique:
- cut it off taking care to leave enough length to work with.
- pull out the horizontal threads to the chosen spot for the fringe to begin.
- measure the fringe and trim all the way around.
- put a little stitch along the edge (I forget what that stitch is called - the one you use to hem).
Voila!
What do you think?
Rebecca, those are both adorable!!! You never cease to amaze me with your cute fashion ideas. I may steal that dress idea since I sometimes purchase shift dresses in a moment of weakness. I need definition at my waist, otherwise the shift dresses bunch up in back above my rear. Nice. So that idea would be perfect…
Love, love, love them both! Longer tops are hard to find… never thought to look at short dresses! I will definitely have to look for some experimental pieces.
For a fringe, you can also cut the fabric, use a sewing machine and stitch a line of straight stitching about 1/2″ from the cut edge, and then rough up the raw edge or pull out threads. Faster than hand-sewing! I noticed this is what they do on ready-made garments w/raw-edges.
About 6 months ago I cut a long skirt to knee-length, but I haven’t worn it yet.
I suppose after it naturally fringes itself, I would like it. My eye won’t accept hacked off casual clothes until I had seen it walking by me in the street for, oh, 5 or 10 years. But a hacked off evening dress or fur coat, that would look fine to me.
I thought of your project a couple days ago when I was hemming a camel ultrasuede skirt. Once was a pair of hip hop palazzo pants that I opened the wide waistband on and brought up higher than bikini line. Then I tired of having them look awful with any outerwear jacket I tried and made them a skirt. Briefly considered just cutting the hem and maybe using a punch to make an eyelet design. But stayed my hand for the time being until I lived with that idea for awhile.
Thanks you guys! I admit, if I had more sewing skills, this would never be a consideration. But it’s quick and fun.
Like how do you get a sleeve to machine hem evenly all around? I think you have to have some special piece that makes it fit. I mean, I could probably do it before it is seamed together, when it would lay flat …
Which makes me wonder if the spark to sew may be returning.
If you want to sew something on the machine that is a tube shape - sleeve or sleeve cap or trouser leg - then you can turn it inside out and put it over the freearm part or do what I do and have the machine out of the case - if portable- and that “makes” a free arm. If no freearm, then you leave it right side out and sew starting at the “bottom” of the tube with the empty sleeve or leg sitting up in the air. You would be sewing along the inside of the wrong side, just where you expect to see a seam. Then you just keep rotating it as you sew along the seam.
I was just thinking, after I posted the previous comment, that I wished you were here, Vildy!
I love this concept! But I’m a real chicken when it comes to hacking at my clothes. Maybe if I got great deals so that I wouldn’t mind if I accidentally destroyed them… I LOVE the idea of the summer dress now shirt. I’ll have to be on the lookout for something to hack at.
I know what you mean, Jenna. Both of these only cost me $1 to begin with, but it still took some guts for me to do it. Basically it’s at the point where I say, “I’m not ever going to wear that, no matter what”, that I feel like I might as well take a stab at it … stealth pun … he hee
Love your corduroy jacket, and those shoes! Nice shade
Great hack jobs! My fave is the corduroy jacket. Short sleeved outerwear is surprisingly versatile.