Stanley - DIY wardrobe makeovers: alter, refresh & refashion your clothes: step-by-step sewing tutorials

Publisher: Amy Marson

Creative Director: Gailen Runge

Art Director / Book Designer: Kristy Zacharias

Editors: Lynn Koolish and Monica Gyulai

Technical Editors: Mary E. Flynn and Gailen Runge

Production Coordinator: Jenny Davis

Production Editor: Joanna Burgarino

Illustrator: Zinnia Heinzmann

Photo Assistant: Mary Peyton Peppo

Style photography by Nissa Brehmer and instructional photography by Suzannah Hamlin Stanley, unless otherwise noted

Published by Stash Books, an imprint of C&T Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 1456, Lafayette, CA 94549

Dedication

This book is dedicated to every reader who doesnt yet realize the power she has to take control and do it herself!

Acknowledgments

I am so grateful for the opportunity to write this book and share my knowledge and passion on paper as well as on my blog. Ive spent years practicing, photographing, writing, learning, and teaching what I know and Im so happy I can bind up my favorite skills and projects in this book. I wouldnt know any of what I know now if it werent for my talented and inspiring mother, who taught me to sew so many years ago, and whose wealth of knowledge I am still so happy to have available to me when I need it! Massive thanks also go out to my understanding husband, who has been so patient and helpful during the incredible process of writing this book and who, since Day One, has supported whatever goals I pursue.

Besides the skill set and emotional support I needed to get here, I am so grateful for the people Ive met in my blogging and publishing journey. Im happy to have my agent, Kate, by my side, always supportive and honest. Thanks to my photographer friends, Becky and Linnea, for their help with some of the daunting steps of sharing my work visually, and thanks to my network of supportive Portland Bloggers friends for sharing this excitement with me and always being available by email! Thank you!

Preface

Ive been sewing for as long as I can remember. Im lucky to have grown up with many chances to learn how things work and try my hand at everything from stripping the baseboards and doors of our historic home to making my own Barbie clothes.

During college I started to sew more for myself, and I got more experimental. Some of the new approaches worked and others didnt, but I learned from both the successes and the mistakes. Now I use many of the basic techniques I first learned from my mom alongside the tricks I developed on my own.

In 2009 I began my blog, Adventures in Dressmaking. Out of grad school and underemployed, I found myself sewing and creating home decor and furniture makeovers with my idle time. A friend suggested I keep track of all my projects in a blog, and the rest is history!

The blog has grown to reach a dedicated community of inspired and inspiring DIYers who are enthusiastic about sewing, fashion, and decor. (The blog is now called Create/Enjoy.) Ive shared many tutorials for ways I remade a specific type of sweater or imitated a particular seasonal trend (such as my early J. Crewinspired appliqu tees and my ever-versatile cuffed cutoff shorts). I often get questions from readers and friends about how to re-create a favorite style from a movie or remake an old dress with great fabric into something trendy again.

I also get questions about more basic essential clothing fixes and refashioning advice. I find myself sharing the same tips and techniques quite often.

Thats a big part of the reason why I wrote this book. Read on to find sewing tutorials and projects that are the all-time most requested by my readers and friends, as well as all the tried-and-true tricks I use every day to make something perfect out of something plain. I want to give you the skills to solve the most universal clothing makeover needs, plus some ideas and strategies to get you thinking creatively about your own refashioning transformations. This book will provide the foundation you need to make your wardrobe work for you. I hope it will be a favorite resource of yours as you hone your skills to spend less and look better!

Why DIY?

How many times have you bought something in a store and only worn it once? Maybe you realized it didnt look that great after all; maybe you got tired of the style; maybe you changed size and it didnt fit anymore. Ive had all of those problems and more. Mass-produced clothes often dont have the most flattering fit or most lasting quality, and its hard to predict how youll look or want to dress in a year or two. If you dont have the tools and skills to alter your clothes, youre stuck with exactly what you buy.

Enter DIY Wardrobe Makeovers! This book is a primer on altering, remaking, and maximizing your clothing to work better for you. Whether your closet is hiding jeans that are too long, a dated button-down shirt thats no longer flattering, or a slightly stretched-out sweater in a great color, youll find an easy DIY wardrobe fix for the most common clothing problems. In this book, I share some key step-by-step techniques to improve, revive, and rescue your clothing. Your made-over garments will not only fit better but will also showcase your amazing sense of style.

If you dont have the tools and skills to alter your clothes, youre stuck with exactly what you buy.

This book is based on three simple principles that underlie my attitude about fashion, clothing, and shopping:

DIY projects are empowering! The DIY trend is a growing movement, and it is no wonder. Learning to make, or remake, things at home gives you the confidenceand self-sufficiencyto create whatever you need or desire.

Saving money is usually a good thing, as are conserving resources and reducing waste. Restyling your wardrobe will allow you to shop your closet instead of relegating ill-fitting or dated fashions to the thrift store while continually buying more new clothes.

Style is all about self-expression. Set your own trends by adding a unique touch to what you wear and show off clothes and looks that you love.

As a lifelong sewist, a bargain hunter, and a pro thrift-store shopper, its become second nature to me to make or repair my own clothing when I want a new style or better fit. Im proud to admit that Ive brought home treasures from the thrift store and scoured clearance and sale racks for things that I can rescue or modify with simple, small adjustmentsadding a piece of lace, bringing up the hem, or tweaking a necklineand made them perfect for me. Buying from thrift stores, remaking old pieces from my closet, or finding new-to-me pieces at clothing swaps with friends, in particular, make me feel better about my consumer impact on the planet, about avoiding the social costs involved in the clothing industry, and of course, about saving money!

After perfecting the flared-dress-pants-into-skinny-cropped-pants transformation, I learned long ago that I dont need to spend much to get trendy things when I can make them myself out of what I already own or can purchase at less expensive prices. I find inspiration everywhere, and I always look at how things are constructed to figure out if I can make something similar myself. The DIY mind-set has rewired my brain. And now, its almost easier and less stressful to DIY a flattering piece of clothing that I like instead of spending big bucks on a store version that might not be quite right anyway.

Why should you learn to do it yourself, you ask? There are tons of reasons!

Trendiness // One great thing about knowing how to make your own clothes and accessories is the ability to update your look quickly and follow trends with what you already own. Get the look you want now, within your budget, and tailored to fit you exactly. It is simple to refashion a basic into something that feels au courant.