The Renegade Seamstress

Kimono Vest Goes West: How to Make a Kimono Cardigan From a Dress

Posted on July 24, 2015 by The Renegade Seamstress

I LOVE the idea of a kimono vest. Long enough to cover up those BBQ potato chips that decided to hang out with me for awhile, yet open and airy enough to see my cute new skinny jeans underneath.

AND I just happened to have this dress hanging around the studio in all it’s 90’s floral and broomstick glory, sooooooo…..

With a few snips of the scissors and a couple of straight seams…

I took my new Kimono Vest and Went West.

Click here for the full tutorial.

I wish I could bring you all to the incredible Que Linda Ranch where my friend, Linda took these pictures just moments before the sun went down behind the Eastern Oregon Elkhorn Mountains. The beauty of this place inspires me at any time of day or any time of year.

Well, tomorrow is the big day. Stay tuned to vote for your favorite in the first challenge of Refashion Runway: Season Three. I can’t wait for you to see the way these creative women interpreted the Floral and Geometric or Stripes Challenge.

See you tomorrow.

Beth

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged clothing, DIY, fashion, reconstructed clothing, Refashion, Refashion Runway, Sewing, Thrifting, tutorial, upcycling | 31 Comments

Introducing the Beautiful, Talented and Amazing Women of Refashion Runway: Season Three

Posted on July 18, 2015 by The Renegade Seamstress

It’s finally here!

Refashion Runway: Season Three

***

You didn’t take it easy on me when it came to choosing the participants this season.

No. You. Didn’t.

Once again, it was so difficult to choose from all of the talented seamstresses who tried out. Thank you to everyone who auditioned and I hope if you aren’t a part of this season, you’ll sew along with us and possibly join us for Season Four.

And now without further adieu, I’d like to introduce the next group of talented and creative women who are getting ready to wow you with their amazing refashions for Season Three.

***

Meet Kara Muehlmann from While Camden Sleeps. I’ve been a fan of hers for a long time and when she agreed to be a part of Refashion Runway, I was thrilled! Her blog is filled with beautiful sewing projects, amazing photos and lots of heartfelt narratives.

***

Next, meet the cute and talented Marisa Glied (pronounced Marie-sa) from The Refash Stash. She instantly made me smile the moment I opened her email and saw her refashions and I just knew she had to join us. She hangs up her Dental Hygenist scrubs each night to create some really amazing refashions.

***

Now meet the inspiring Laura Hargrove from The Accidental Seamstress. And I say inspiring for two reasons. One, she creates beautiful refashions and two, after following her own dieting mantra of making smart choices and keeping her own weekly goals, an energetic and happy Laura dropped 100 pounds. WOW!

***

Next up is the quirky and fun Kathy Woods from Household How To. Kathy has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Nate Berkus Show, A Baby’s Story, The View and The Chew. Kathy has also appeared with Dr. Oz, written for Ricki Lake Magazine and The Huffington Post. Oh my gosh, need I say more?

***

Meet Sylvia Levkova who comes to us all the way from Bulgaria. I love how she calls herself Queen Sylvia! Now that’s confidence. 🙂 She learned to sew on her Great Grandmother’s 1935 Singer and has been thrifting and refashioning since she was a kid. I’m so excited to see what she creates. Check out her blog, Her Kitschy Majesty.

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***

Now meet the awesome Sarah Tyau from Life is Beautiful. I have to admit, I feel a bit star struck because if you’re anything like me, you most likely have her beautiful dress refashion pinned onto one of your Pinterest boards. This dress of hers won the Shabby Apple contest and they manufactured and sold her designs. SUPER COOL!

***

Meet the clever and prolific Irene Lowe from Give the Cat a Name. Her blog is filled with refashions of all kinds. She definitely doesn’t shy away from a challenge and has breathed life back into many an outdated frock.

***

And last but certainly not least, Gema Ensenat from Sequins and Slippers. This sassy and beautiful refashionista comes to us all the way from England. I love how she includes a soundtrack to each of her posts and I seriously want this pink shirt she made.

***

So there you have it.

I just know this beautiful and talented group of women will create some inspirational refashions. I can’t wait to see what they have in store for us!

So we can all get started on our “sew alongs” here is the list of the weekly challenges:

Week 1: Combine Floral and Geometric or Stripes
Week 2: Gingham
Week 3: Handbag, Tote bag or Clutch
Week 4: Maxi Skirt or Dress
Week 5: Boho Chic
Week 6: Asymmetrical

As you can see, I’ve left the challenges fairly open ended. Just remember, each garment must be original (in other words not posted on your blog already) and have a before and after picture. Also, please remember, this is a “refashion” competition so your garment must be constructed from a previous item of some kind. I’ll be sending a schedule via email to all the contestants.

Week 1 creations will be posted next Saturday, July 25 and you can begin voting for your favorites.

If you are “sewing along” with us, send your before and after pictures to bhunting@eoni.com. We want to see your creations, too!

One last item, if you are competing or sewing along, and you have a blog, so we can get the word out, please place a link to The Renegade Seamstress in your sidebar with this image:

Thank you to everyone who has agreed to be a prize sponsor. We’ve got some amazing prizes so far. If you would also like to donate a prize, please email me at bhunting@eoni.com.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged clothing, DIY, fashion, giveaway, reconstructed clothing, Refashion, Refashion Runway, Sewing, Thrifting, upcycling | 40 Comments

How to Alter a Too Big Skirt With a Waistband

Posted on July 16, 2015 by The Renegade Seamstress

Have I ever mentioned how much I LOVE summer?

Not just because of the warm weather and swimming. But the “I actually have time make dinner for my friends who need help” kind of summer. The “get up and go walking every morning” kind of summer. The “I actually have time to clean off my counter” kind of summer. The “read a book” kind of summer. The “I actually have time to sew” kind of summer.

Or, to be more specific, the “I actually have time to alter a skirt” kind of summer.

Perhaps you’ve lost some weight recently and your favorite skirt is now too big. Or maybe you found the perfect skirt and the only one left was a size too large. Paying for the needed alterations to save these skirts can get expensive, but with just a little sewing experience, you CAN alter the skirt yourself and save lots of cash.

No need to be intimidated by a waistband either. It’s really not as hard to alter it as you might think. Here, grab my hand and I’ll show you how.

Click on one of the pictures or here for the full tutorial on how to alter a skirt.

A big thanks to those of you who click on the “I found this tutorial helpful” button over at eHow. A big thank you to those of you who leave comments. And a big thank you to those of you who share it on Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter. When you do those things it helps me continue to bring you refashion/sewing tutorials and other fun things like Refashion Runway!!!

Speaking of Refashion Runway, I’m so excited for tomorrow. I’m going to introduce you to the eight amazing people who will be participating this season. WOW! You guys didn’t make it easy for me to choose. There were so many great entries, I might have to host another season, just so everyone who applied can participate.

See you tomorrow!

Beth

For more refashion inspiration:

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged alterations, clothing, DIY, fashion, Refashion, Refashion Runway, Sewing, skirt, tutorial | 17 Comments

Surprise Yourself and Learn How to Make a Crinoline or a Petticoat

Posted on July 7, 2015 by The Renegade Seamstress

I totally missed the fifties and the petticoat era.

And to be honest, I never thought I missed anything.

Nope, didn’t miss a thing.

Until…

I MADE ONE

and wore it under this circle skirt, and I was thinkin’ to myself,

“Hmmmm…you are lookin’ pretty good in that skirt!”

And off we went to take some photos.

Then you know what?

As my sweet ruggedly handsome husband was taking pictures, he says,

“You should wear that kind of skirt more, it looks great on you!”

Yes! He really did!

Hmmmmm…I feel more circle skirts and crinolines comin’ on in my very near future. Both more flattering than I ever imagined.

To see how you, too, can make a crinoline using an old slip and some netting, go here and make one of your own…

you never know, you just might surprise yourself!

For more refashion and sewing inspiration:

And go here if you’re interested in trying out for Refashion Runway: Season Three.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged circle skirt, DIY, DIY Crinoline, DIY Petticoat, fashion, Refashion, Refashion Runway, Sewing, tutorial, upcycling | 25 Comments

YAY! It’s Back! Open Casting Call for Refashion Runway: Season Three

Posted on July 6, 2015 by The Renegade Seamstress

Yay!

I’m happy to announce, it’s finally back!

Refashion Runway: Season Three!

All of the creativity and talent brought by all of the contestants of the first two seasons was so impressive. I’m really looking forward to seeing what Refashion Runway: Season 3 will bring.

Here’s how it’ll work:

Much like Project Runway and The Great British Sewing Bee, we’ll choose eight refashion seamstresses (or seamsters) to compete in weekly challenges. The refashions will then be scored by their fellow competitors and open to a popular vote. The scores will be combined to find a weekly winner and one competitor will be out (not without a prize for participating though). At the end of the series, whoever is left will not only receive a nice prize but will be crowned the winner of Refashion Runway: Season Three!!

It’s such a great way to meet new people who love to do the same thing we do.

If you’re interested in participating as a competitor, please fill out this form explaining why you think you’d be perfect for this competition and email before and after photographs of two of your favorite refashions to me at:

bhunting@eoni.com

← Back

Thank you for your response. ✨

Tryouts will be open until July 17, 2015. We will announce the contestants and challenges on July 18, 2015. The first challenge will begin on July 24, 2015.

If you’re interested in sponsoring a prize, please contact me at:

bhunting@eoni.com

Prize sponsors will be given a link in each sidebar of The Renegade Seamstress throughout the competition.

I’m really looking forward to seeing what Season Three will bring and I can’t wait to get started!

Beth

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged clothing, DIY, fashion, giveaway, reconstructed clothing, Refashion, Refashion Runway Season 3, Sewing, The Refashion Handbook, upcycling | 14 Comments

eHow #ProjectThrowdown: Denim-Do-Over and Time to Vote

Posted on June 5, 2015 by The Renegade Seamstress

OK, all my friends out there. eHow #ProjectThrowdown is now live!

So, here I am, as promised, giving you my cute look and asking you to vote for my #ProjectThrowdown Denim-Do-Over project over at eHow.

There are two ways to vote:

1. Go here and repin my project pin to one of your Pinterest boards.

2. Or go here and pin my project picture to one of your Pinterest boards.

I would be double excited if you left a comment on Pinterest or on the eHow article, too.

Thanks so much for always being so supportive of my sewing adventures!

Beth

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged #ProjectThrowdown, DIY, eHow, fashion, reconstructed clothing, Refashion, Sewing, Thrifting, tutorial, upcycling | 10 Comments

eHow #ProjectThrowdown: These Boots Are Made For Walkin’

Posted on June 4, 2015 by The Renegade Seamstress

What do you get when eHow asks you to put a project together and the only rules are to mix lace, feathers, jeans and an old keychain?

Why some boots of course!

****Click here to vote for this project by repinning****

I was asked to participate in eHow’s #ProjectThrowdown.

They chose 6 bloggers to create something from lace, old jeans, feathers and an old keychain. We could do anything we wanted with those items and were allowed to add to the list. When we finished, we were to post a step-by-step tutorial on our sites.

They are going to publish a round up of the projects on eHow tomorrow and post a promoted pin.

The project with the most repins wins.

Soooooooooooooooo……

you know what I’ll be doing…..

I’ll be begging for you to go over there and pin their post of this project tomorrow.

(Oops, are my competitive pants showing?)

Jeans, lace, feathers and a keychain were the required items.

Boots, an old tablecloth, and some belts were added to the list.

Remove the seams from the jeans by cutting close to each side of the seam.

Cut a 32″ by 16″ piece of fabric.

Fold it in half lengthwise with the right sides together and sew a 1/4 inch seam down the side.

Turn the piece right side out and press with a hot iron.

Lay the piece out flat.

Fold over 8 inches and continue folding over 8 inches until you get to the end of the fabric to create a fabric tube.

Use a hot glue gun to glue the end down.

Glue the lace to the bottom of the fabric tube.

Slide the fabric tube over the top of your boot with the lace at the bottom. Wrap the denim seam around the boot and attach with a hot glue gun.

Slide the keychain onto a skinny belt.

Wrap the belt around the boot, add some more belts and adjust them until you get the look you like. If the belts slip down too far, you can use the glue gun to attach them or use a needle and thread to secure them in place.

The beauty of this project is that they don’t have to match. Use completely different belts on the other boot for a fun bohemian look.

See you tomorrow with a link to eHow’s pin, giving you my cute look and begging you to pin and repin it to your Pinterest boards.

Beth

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged clothing, DIY, eHow, fashion, Project Throwdown, reconstructed clothing, Refashion, Sewing, Thrifting, tutorial, upcycling | 19 Comments

DIY: Skirt to Dress

Posted on May 30, 2015 by The Renegade Seamstress

Why just wear things for their intended purpose when you can have two for the price of one? With very little sewing and a little imagination you can transform an already beautiful piece of clothing into something completely different and still leave the original piece of clothing to wear as intended.

My friend Linda, found this skirt with beautiful fabric and lovely gold embroidery at the bottom. She’ll probably style it with boots, a sweater and a scarf for one of her amazing fall or winter outfits. But, there’s really no need for her to store it away for the summer when she can get twice as much wear from this same skirt by quickly converting it into a dress for the warm weather.

Check out the full tutorial here:

Happy Saturday!

Beth

For more refashion inspiration:

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged clothing, DIY, fashion, giveaway, Refashion, Sewing, skirt to dress, The Refashion Handbook, upcycling | 11 Comments

Channel Your Inner Hippy and Make a Peasant Blouse From a Button-Down Shirt

Posted on May 23, 2015 by The Renegade Seamstress

Sometimes, I worry about myself.

Katie used to remind me quite often that it wasn’t the 70’s anymore.

Maybe she was right, perhaps I haven’t moved on.

I’ve always had a thing about off-the-shoulder peasant blouses. I think they are so cool. I think they have summer written all over them. I think they would look great with bell-bottoms. (Oops, did I really say that last thing out loud?)

The beauty is, you can easily make your own super cute off-the-shoulder peasant blouse from any old button-down shirt you may have in under an hour.

All you need is enough 3/4 inch elastic to go around your shoulders and a button-down shirt with a pattern you like to get started.

Click here to see the entire tutorial.

OK, so maybe I didn’t love everything from the 70’s…..

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 70's, clothing, DIY, eHow, fashion, off-shoulder peasant blouse, peasant blouse, reconstructed clothing, Refashion, Sewing, Thrifting, upcycling | 11 Comments

A Dress Fit For a Kentucky Derby Party: Simplicity Sew Simple A1394

Posted on May 20, 2015 by The Renegade Seamstress

I know! I know!

The Kentucky Derby is supposed to be all about the hats.

(Oh yes, and maybe a little bit about the horses, too.)

So, why am I showing my hat when it’s truly so very basic and plain considering the amount of work that goes into many of the hats that grace the Churchill Downs?

Well, because, this year, when I was invited to attend the Kentucky Derby Party at the Rialto in downtown Portland, I decided to put all of my energy into making a dress instead.

And this time it wasn’t a refashion.

WHAT!!!!???!

I actually sewed from a pattern for the first time in years and I liked it.

The Simplicity Sew Simple A1394 really did live up to it’s name. It was so simple and only needed one adjustment for me.

The twist at the waistline sat too low for me so I raised it up at the sides and after looking at these photos, I might even raise it up a bit more.

The fabric was from Joann Fabrics and I love the way it hangs and flows when I walk.

I highly recommend this pattern, if you’re in the mood to make a maxi. So quick and easy and super comfortable to wear.

It is definitely a winning pattern in my mind.

Speaking of winning…. I placed my bet on American Pharoah this year and actually won some money!!! Miracle of miracles!

Since I didn’t put much energy into my hat, I thought you might like to see a few of the amazing hats and people from the Kentucky Derby party at the Rialto this year.