Turning Big clothes into small clothes

[Annpan]

Has anyone got ideas or patterns for turning old clothes into kids clothes... I have loads of old shirts (worn at the collar) and old t-shirts (well loved - and don't strech over my mummy tummy) and trousers (again well loved)

I was hoping to be able to turn them into t-shirts and trousers for Shortie, I know I can do some aprons and bags and bibs... etc... But I'd rather make some clothes... Some of the material is really lovely and I'd hate to just use it as rags... and they are too 'well loved' to be given to charity - sweat marks, paint stains, worn out at the thighs...etc

Any ideas?

[Clara]

I´m playing around with ideas like this at the moment too......though mainly I have made big clothes into small clothes by putting woolllies in the machine too hot (LO now has a very fine felt tunic made from my favourite Jigsaw jumper ).

Can´t offer any specific words of wisdom, though I take lots of inspiration from "upcycled" clothes I´ve seen for sale on Etsy....take a look,just don´t blame me if you spend all your pennies on cool handmade stuff

clara x.

[contadina]

I made a friend's baby some hats with a couple of cute t shirts that no longer fit me using this tutorial - both baby and mum seemed to like them.

http://www.rookiemoms.com/sew-a-quick-n ... a-t-shirt/

[marshlander]

My mum used to make a lot of our clothes when we were kids.

She used to think it was cute to make matching outfits for my two brothers which wasn't too bad - there only a couple of years apart

Ufortunately she used to matching dresses etc for my sister and I too; I'm seven years older, practically a lifetime and I HATED it!!! When you're 13 you don't want a dress with orange and yellow daises and lace round the neck and collar! Oh, I was so hard done by!

She made her own patterns by copying the clothes they already had. She used to buy things from jumble sales (not seen one for years - where have they all gone?) for the fabric or buttons or use hand-me-downs and remake them into something else. Not always clothes - she used to make ragdolls from cotton fabrics and teddies from fake fur coats.

Here's a link for easy shorts http://blueyonder.typepad.com/photos/ba ... index.html

and another one from rookie mums for shorts from teashirts
http://www.rookiemoms.com/make-some-easy-kids-pants/

This one has tops and trousers
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Modern-H ... -Free.aspx

[snapdragon]

Checkout the charity shops for paper patterns
Even better Ask on Freecycle- I'll bet there are loads out there
Alternatively use something that small has destroyed and unpick round the seams to use as a pattern

Unpick the big clothes, rinse dry and flatten, place pattern pieces travelling the same way on the fabric where possible.

If the 'pattern' is made from something that has been overlocked and cut very close add a centimetre or so for the seam

In general you should easily be able to get at least one childs shirt out of an adults using sleeves for sleeves, fronts for front etc and still enough left over for a collar and/or pieces for patchwork

[mrsflibble]

I was just gonna do the rookiemoms link too, then realised marshlander beat me to it lol!!!

have you considered taking apart some of your snuggler's trousers you don't care much for, then using them as a pattern?

[Annpan]

Yup... will do.

I have actually just been given 2 huge bags of hand me downs... so she really doesn't 'need' new clothes... but the stuff in the bags is a bit on the pretty side for my tastes - I dress E in jeans and hoodies 99% of the time, so I was going to attempt some cool 'rock chick' t-shirts for her out of ones that are kicking around from my younger days.

Great idea too pick an old top apart, the instructions on MotherEarth were really good, and easy to follow too.

Thanks everyone

[Welsh Girls Allotment]

have a look on craftster they have a fantastic re-con section

www.craftster.org

be warned it is addictive

[the.fee.fairy]

I was about to post he same link there welshgirl.

I too am an addicted craftster...

[Ali B]

I know I saw a good tutorial on Craftster for turning a shirt into a dress...

Yep, here it is. Haven't tried this one myself (boys only here) but a friend has & it worked out really well.

[Lillia]

Good thread~~
I always see great dresses at the charity shops but they are way huge...now that I have my new sewing machine, it's no longer an obstacle! Some dresses are like new and very well priced~