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DIY, how to, refashioning, Restyles, Sewing, the refashioners, the refashioners 2015, Thrifting, Tutorials

The Refashioners 2015 – Wendy

18th August 2015

WENDY WARD - THE REFASHIONERS 2015

I love men’s traditional formal dress shirts with the bib fronts, I think that bib section provides the perfect blank canvas for a bit of textilian magic and have had ideas buzzing around for a long time. What more perfect excuse than the Refashioners?!WENDY WARD - THE REFASHIONERS 2015

I wanted to use one of the patterns from my book “The Beginner’s Guide to Dressmaking” as a starting point, here’s how I combined the two.

What do you need?

  • 2 large men’s white long sleeved shirts
  • 1 large men’s striped long or short sleeved shirt
  • lightweight iron-on interfacing.

WENDY WARD - THE REFASHIONERS 2015 Preparing the pattern:

I’ve used the sleeveless shift dress pattern from “The Beginner’s Guide to Dressmaking” as a starting point, but I wanted it to be a looser more flared shape.

Flaring the dress front and back:

Move the bust dart to the neck end of the shoulder. To do this, draw a straight line through the middle of the bust dart and the middle of the waist dart, where they intersect is the bust point. Extend the bust dart to this point and draw a straight line in the new position (neck end of shoulder) to the bust point. pic2A

 

Trace off the section formed by the top edge of the existing (lengthened) dart and the line of the new dart onto a new piece of paper and cut out. PIC3WENDY WARD - THE REFASHIONERS 2015 - DRESS SHIRT - DRAFTING PICS (1)

 

Place this section back onto the pattern but “close” the old dart. WENDY WARD - THE REFASHIONERS 2015 - DRESS SHIRT - DRAFTING PICS (1)

 

Drop a vertical line (parallel to the centre back) from the point of the shoulder dart on the dress back. Do the same from the point of the new bust dart that you’ve just created on the dress front. Cut up the lines and fold out the darts and the cuts will open. WENDY WARD - THE REFASHIONERS 2015 - DRESS SHIRT - DRAFTING PICS (2)

Drop a vertical line (parallel to centre front and centre back) in the same position on the armhole on the dress front and back, cut up the line leaving it just attached at the armhole and open each cut half the amount of the first cuts.

Re-Shape the neck:

Slightly lower the front and back neck so that the dress can be pull-on. Do this by placing the dress front and back together along the shoulder seam lines (overlap the seam allowances) to ensure a smooth join at the shoulder. WENDY WARD - THE REFASHIONERS 2015 - DRESS SHIRT - DRAFTING PICS (3)

Trace off your new dress front and back pattern pieces.

Trace off the bib front:

Draw the shape of the patchworked bib onto the dress front. This is the bib seamline. WENDY WARD - THE REFASHIONERS 2015 - DRESS SHIRT - DRAFTING PICS (4)

Add notches to the bib seamline and trace off the bib piece. Add seam allowance of 1cm maximum to the curved and notched bib seamline. Do the same to the dress front.

Work out patchwork design on bib:

Draw out your patchwork design onto the bib pattern piece and sketch in which direction you want the stripes to run – it’s useful to start on the half pattern and then mirror what you’ve done to see how it will turn out.  SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURESAdd notches to the seamlines and trace off the individual pattern pieces, add seam allowance and number the pieces so that you know where they go when you’re piecing the bib section together! WENDY WARD - THE REFASHIONERS 2015

 

It will make joining these pieces easier if you also mark dots where the seamlines intersect. WENDY WARD - THE REFASHIONERS 2015

 

Cutting:

  • From the white shirts you will need 1 dress front / 1 dress back / 1 bib lining.
  • From the striped shirt you will need the patchwork bib pieces / bias strips to finish the armholes and neck.

Prepare the shirts – I removed the sleeves and cuffs and cut the side seams to give me the biggest area of fabric to work with. WENDY WARD - THE REFASHIONERS 2015 - DRESS SHIRT

 

Patchwork together pieces from the white shirts until you have enough new “fabric” to cut the dress front and back. WENDY WARD - THE REFASHIONERS 2015 - DRESS SHIRT

A certain amount of “interpreting” of the pattern is ok here! As you can see I decided to make mine longer than my pattern so I could keep the original shirt hem. I’ve also placed the centre front of the pattern along the button stand.

Cut the patchwork bib sections very carefully noting stripe directions and mark the notches and dots accurately. WENDY WARD - THE REFASHIONERS 2015 - DRESS SHIRT

Putting it together:

Prepare the bib:

Join all the patchwork sections carefully, making sure the notches and dots match exactly. (above)

Interface the lining bib that you cut from the white shirt.Tack the 2 bib sections together with the wrong sides touching. WENDY WARD - THE REFASHIONERS 2015 - DRESS SHIRT

Neaten the edges of the bib.

Attach the bib:

Time to attach the bib to the dress front!  As this seam involves joining two opposite shaped curves a lot of pins will be required. Match the ends of the seam, the centres and the notches. Then work your way around in between, pinning at right angles on the seam line so that the pieces will fit. WENDY WARD - THE REFASHIONERS 2015 - DRESS SHIRT

WENDY WARD - THE REFASHIONERS 2015 - DRESS SHIRTI then tacked this seam, again on the seamline.  Trust me it makes the machining easier! Machine carefully with the dress layer on top.

Clip the curves of the dress layer only and press the seam away from the bib, towards the dress.WENDY WARD - THE REFASHIONERS 2015 - DRESS SHIRT

 

Topstitch the seam in place on the dress side of the seam. Use an edgestitch foot if you have one, it will make it much easier to keep your stitching an even distance from the seamline. WENDY WARD - THE REFASHIONERS 2015 - DRESS SHIRT

 

Great work, the bib is in! WENDY WARD - THE REFASHIONERS 2015 - DRESS SHIRT

Assemble the dress:

Join the shoulders and side seams and neaten the seams.

Finish neck and armholes:

Cut some 3cm wide bias strips from the shirt fabric that you have left over. Fold the strips in half along the length with the wrong sides touching and press. Tuck in one short end towards the wrong side. WENDY WARD - THE REFASHIONERS 2015 - DRESS SHIRT

 

Starting with the tucked in end, place the binding to the right side of the neck with the 3 cut edges level. Pin the binding in place around the neck. WENDY WARD - THE REFASHIONERS 2015 - DRESS SHIRT

 

Machine with a 0.5cm seam allowance, start your machining just after the tucked-in end.WENDY WARD - THE REFASHIONERS 2015 - DRESS SHIRTWENDY WARD - THE REFASHIONERS 2015 - DRESS SHIRT

 

When you get back around to the start of the binding, tuck the binding inside the tucked-in end. WENDY WARD - THE REFASHIONERS 2015 - DRESS SHIRTWENDY WARD - THE REFASHIONERS 2015 - DRESS SHIRT

 

Clip the seam allowances around the curves, press them towards the binding and turn the binding around to the inside of the garment, just beyond the seam you’ve just machined. WENDY WARD - THE REFASHIONERS 2015 - DRESS SHIRT

Tack close to the loose folded edge of the binding and then machine in place.

Finish the armholes in the same way.

Press, wear, enjoy and be proud!WENDY WARD - THE REFASHIONERS 2015WENDY WARD - THE REFASHIONERS 2015WENDY WARD - THE REFASHIONERS 2015

 

Wow! Well THAT was pretty epic right?! Soooo much work has gone into this Wendy! Thank you so much. I adore the bib effect detail and let’s face it….who doesn’t adore a bit of directional stripe play?!  Incorporating quilting techniques and “piecing” fabric from a shirt is a great way of getting the maximum amount of yardage from your shirt. (look not only at the decorative bib on Wendy’s refashion…but also at the dress front and back…yep….also pieced! Combining smaller pieces to create a more usable/sizeable piece of fabric and the seaming involved creates added interest and texture too. I played around with this method in a much more simplistic way for my recent article for Simply Sewing Magazine (You can see the results in the cover image in my side bar). There are 2 methods of achieving this effect. Wendy takes the pattern cutters route by drawing her design onto an existing pattern piece then splicing it up along her design lines, adding seam allowances, then reassembling. It’s precise, accurate, and let’s face it…pretty impressive! I, on the other hand, am untrained. And my brain approaches this piecing idea in a different order. In my project for the last series of The Refashioners (and the shirt refashion for the mag) I piece my fabric together to FIRST form a larger flat piece of fabric. THEN cut the pattern piece from it. It’s my arse about face way of doing things! But both methods work and each will work for different people. If you like precision and detail…or…if you lean more towards a simplistic approach. Piecing your shirt pieces using quilt block techniques is a useful and fun approach to shirt refashions. Both in terms of practicality and decorative effect!

You can find Wendy  here and shop her pattern range here. She is a designer, teacher, pattern maker based in Brighton, and author of the awesome Beginners Guide to Dressmaking. And guess what….she’s adding a signed copy of her book to the prize package!!  Take a look at ALL the amazing prizes to be won as part of The Refashioners 2015 Community Challenge. And get involved for a chance to win!!! Grab a shirt and get refashioning! You have until Sunday 27th Sept to enter! Stay tuned for more inspiration throughout the WHOLE of August!

 

 

Related

20 Comments

  1. Marilla walker says

    18th August 2015 at 7:06 am

    Want, want, want, want, want! So classic yet modern. In love!!!

    Reply
    • Wendy Ward says

      18th August 2015 at 7:15 am

      Oh you lovely lady thanks! I’m happy you chose those 2 words – classic + modern as that is usually what I’m aiming for ?

      Reply
  2. Wendy Ward says

    18th August 2015 at 7:10 am

    Great job, thanks Portia!! I soooo loved doing this and admiring what everyone has come up with they’re all so different. Thanks so much for inviting me to take part ☺ Wxxxx

    Reply
    • portia says

      18th August 2015 at 8:28 am

      Thank YOU Wendy! What an inspiring post!

      Reply
  3. Patti says

    18th August 2015 at 12:09 pm

    Super creative way to combine different materials to create a new look! Thanks for the step by step pictures of the process… this opens up lots of new possibilities in refashioning!

    Reply
    • Wendy Ward says

      18th August 2015 at 1:58 pm

      Thanks Patti! Glad you enjoyed it.

      Reply
  4. Catherine says

    18th August 2015 at 1:43 pm

    What a fun and super-great tutorial! Thanks, I have learned a lot and come away with lots of ideas.

    Reply
    • Wendy Ward says

      18th August 2015 at 1:59 pm

      That’s great to hear Catherine, I hope you’re inspired to have a go yourself!

      Reply
  5. Kimberly Hamm says

    18th August 2015 at 2:58 pm

    Love the bib idea–very cool! And who doesn’t love a bum pocket?

    Reply
  6. Desertlady says

    18th August 2015 at 5:58 pm

    Love, love love this shirt. It’s like a quilted bodice. Good job.

    Reply
    • Wendy Ward says

      18th August 2015 at 7:07 pm

      Thank you!! I really enjoyed making it too ?

      Reply
  7. Shelley Baker says

    19th August 2015 at 2:10 am

    Great dress! Any ideas on incorporating sleeves of some kind to this shift?? You’re an inspiration!!!

    Reply
    • Wendy Ward says

      19th August 2015 at 6:44 am

      Thank you Shelley, I’m pleased to hear it!!
      There is a sleeved version of the pattern in my book, but I just had another thought – how about using the cuffs of the original shirt as cute little cap sleeves for the dress…….?!

      Reply
  8. Marie says

    19th August 2015 at 4:01 pm

    Very, very cool! Thanks for sharing such a detailed ‘how-to’!!!

    Reply
    • Wendy Ward says

      20th August 2015 at 6:57 am

      Thanks Marie! You’re very welcome. Hope it inspires you to have a go :o)

      Reply
  9. Jenna says

    20th August 2015 at 3:30 pm

    Brilliant, and very inspiring!

    Reply
    • Wendy Ward says

      20th August 2015 at 7:45 pm

      Thanks Jenna! I absolutely looooved yours too, it looked gorgeous x

      Reply
  10. Charlotte says

    21st August 2015 at 2:11 pm

    What an amazing idea! I love that bib so much

    Reply
    • Wendy Ward says

      21st August 2015 at 2:37 pm

      Thanks Charlotte!!

      Reply
  11. Sasha says

    26th August 2015 at 10:11 am

    cool and edgy … nuff said!

    Reply

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