How to Fix Permanent Stains on a Garment

My sis took me to a new thrift store where everything in the store is $.25 on Wednesdays. I bought this neon yellow hoodie there. I almost didn't because if you look closely, there are permanent black ink stains on it, but then I was like, "You know what? For $.25, I can fix it!"

Here is a closeup of the problem. Because I couldn't take the stains out, I would have to cover them up.

I got some lace and threw it on top.

Then, I cut around the patterns in the lace so that it covered all the spots and pinned it down as I cut.

Then I zig-zag stitched all around the outside of the lace.

Then I sewed back and forth over top of the lace to make sure it didn't pull away from the shirt.

This is what the back of my stitching looks like (in case my explanations didn't make sense).

The finished shirt. To me, it looks really modern as "Athleisure" wear and mixing prints and textures are popular these days. I could also have embroidered something on it, but that would require taking the shirt apart so I could get it up under my embroidery machine. 

This was way easier. 

The End!

Refashioning: Adding Graphics to a Sweater

You may or may not remember this post, where I merged a gorgeous tiger graphic from an old ratty crop top to the front of a dress. Anyways, I had taken the pictures with my phone and wasn't able to comment in between the pictures, so I've been kinda feeling like I needed to re-blog this method. That, and the fact that I really like this method and have done it a few times since that last post, I decided to re-show this same process using different clothing items.

Here is a black sweatshirt that I really like, but I have lots of black shirts, so I was willing to let it get embellished. (Disregard the clothing hanging behind it. These are not the droids you are looking for...)

I found this super cute sequin heart smiley face off the dollar rack, but as you can see. . .it's on a shirt I would NEVER wear.

Harvest time! (3/4" seam around it).

I ironed it on the wrong side to make sure it was flat.

Then, I folded the sweatshirt in half and put pins down the fold to delineate the middle.

Then, I lined up the points of the heart with the pins, folded one side of the heart over and sprayed the back with adhesive spray.

I repeated the spraying on the other half of the heart.

The purpose of spraying the graphic with spray adhesive is so that the graphic will stay in place. You could also use fusible iron-on backing. . .in which case, you may not even have to sew anything once the graphic has been ironed on. . .but I HAVE a sewing machine and spray adhesive, so. . .Why buy something extra?

Even though the graphic was stuck on, I still pinned it in place, because sometimes the fabric stretches funny and pins help that problem.

If you are doing the sewing method, this is where things may get tricky in your head, because if a shirt is already sewn together, how are you going to get the machine inside the shirt so the graphic can get sewn on properly? Like. . .it would be super easy if the shirt weren't sewn together yet. You would just sew the graphic onto the front piece of the shirt and then sew the shirt together. However, you can't do that when the shirt is already sewn together, unless you take it apart. 

Don't worry. . .it's going to take a little finagling. . .but don't worry. You don't have to take anything apart. This is why spray adhesive is so helpful: The graphic will stick to the clothing all during this squishing and pushing process so you don't have to worry too much.

Remember, you have two holes to work with: the neck hole and the bottom seam. 

Set your machine to a zig-zag stitch and put your machine as far back through the neck hole as you can manage. Then sew forward around your graphic, removing pins as you go, as far forward as you can. Cut your threads and remove your shirt from the machine.

Then, put your machine through the bottom hem as far back as you can go. (You should meet up with the last stitches you had made through the neck hole). Continue sewing forward until you meet up with the first stitches you made through the neck hole. Cut your threads and you're done!

You can see that all the seams of the actual sweatshirt are raw and unfinished, so I didn't even bother trimming the excess off around the heart.

Here is another project I did the same way. I took an adorable sequin heart off a nasty T-shirt and sewed it onto a nice, black sweater!

If you are worried about the graphic pillowing out from your garment (because the spray adhesive is going to wash out eventually), you can take a needle and thread and tack it down somewhere in the middle. Only one or two stitches are needed.

The seams on this sweater are all finished, so I did trim around the outer part of the heart, just to clean it up a bit.

The End!

Fix Your Pants so They Lie Flat. . .In Five Minutes or Less

I have a problem when I go shopping for pants. Whenever I find skinny pants on super super sale (Read: the million $3.00 pairs of pants I bought at Rue 21 a few weeks ago), I have to buy them in several sizes larger than I am just so they fit on my hips. 

By the time I get to that point though. . .This happens:

Apparently, if your hips are big, your waist is supposed to be too. As a result of this clothing misfortune, I am constantly tugging my pants up, praying that they don't fall off! More expensive pants don't seem to have this problem, but. . .that fact is not going to make me spend more money!

Enter the solution:

Elastic. 

It doesn't have to be a particular size or type, just make sure it's a few inches long at least. I just used some elastic I found when cleaning out our "Hiking Closet." It is probably a crucial piece of elastic meant to save your life in some Bear Grylls way. Oh well. . .It's saving my life now, at least! (Don't tell my husband!)

Cut two slits in the inside part of the band around the waist. Make sure you cut the slits a few more inches apart than the length of your elastic.

You should be able to stick your finger into the slit. Notice the band around the waist is kind of a tube. Don't cut through to the outside of the band, or you will have a mess to fix.

Can you see how my finger is in the inside of the band, but the outside is not cut? Do that.

Stick a safety pin on one end of the elastic, and start feeding the pin through the band.

Once the elastic is almost completely through, secure the other end of it with a straight pin so that just a few millimeters of the elastic are sticking out the first slit.

When the safety pin makes it through to the other end, secure that end of the elastic with another straight pin. Can you see both slits with pins in them? It doesn't matter if your elastic gets all twisted up in there. It's probably not ever going to lie flat anyways, so don't sweat it.

Set your sewing machine on the widest zig zag you can get and sew forward and backward down the slit. Make sure the thread grabs not only the elastic, but also either side of the slit. If you don't get all three of these things, go over them again with the zig zag till you do, otherwise you risk a tear and/or losing your elastic into your pants (Read: Unnecessary Headache). It's okay if this stitching is messy. Skinny pants are meant for long shirts to be worn over them. 

Ta Da!

The. . .End. (Pun intended.)