Let’s explore three simple sewing projects that will elevate and personalize your thrifted finds. We will learn how to turn a pair of jeans into a trendy denim maxi skirt, add a ruffle to a simple skirt and make a cropped sweatshirt. These three tutorials are great jumping off points for your own projects. Maybe you want to take your jeans and make a short skirt instead of a maxi? Or add tons and tons of ruffles to a skirt instead of one ruffle as shown here. Start with these three tutorials and then have fun exploring how you can turn your thrifted finds into unique garments. Supplies Below is a bulleted list of steps or materials regarding the blog content: Thrifted finds! Scrap fabric Sewing machine Scissors Coats & Clark All Purpose Thread Coats & Clark Jeans Thread Iron Seam ripper Denim sewing machine needle Maxi Jean Skirt 1. Lay jeans flat. 2. Using a seam ripper, remove the inside seam of jeans. While the jeans are right side out, remove the stitch line closest to the edge of the seam. Then turn the jeans inside out and remove the remaining stitch line. 3. For the front of jeans remove seam to zipper fly. 4. On the back of jeans remove seam approximately 4” down from waist band. 5. Clean up excess threads. 6. Fold seam allowances to inside of jeans and iron flat. To keep things simple, I like to leave the edges raw. If you would like to zigzag stitch or serge the edge of the denim feel free to do so now. 7. Pin back and front as shown, overlapping the pieces and making sure they lay flat. If they’re not laying flat, you may need to open the seams a little more. Try on the skirt to make adjustments for fit. Overlap the pant legs more or less to make your skirt tighter or looser. 8. Sew along the existing double stitch lines all the way to the hem of the skirt. Coats & Clark™ Jeans Thread is an extra strong thread available in both a denim color and a red-orange that matches most traditional top-stitching on jeans and is perfect for this project. However, Coats & Clark™ All Purpose Threads will also work great for this. Be sure to use a denim needle in your sewing machine so you can get through all the layers of denim without breaking a needle. 9. Try on your skirt and enjoy! Ruffle Skirt 1. Start with a simple skirt that fits you at the waist. 2. Draw a diagonal line across the skirt at an angle you find appealing. 3. Cut along this diagonal line. Measure this new diagonal hem (A). Take this number (A) and multiply two, three or four to determine the fullness of your ruffle (B). If you want a really full skirt, you can multiply by four or more. If you want a subtle ruffle you can multiply by 2. For my skirt I multiplied by four. Ex. A x 4 = length of ruffle (B) 4. For the width of your ruffle you can choose however long you want depending on how long or short you want your skirt to be (C) 5. Choose fabric for your ruffle. I pinned different options to my skirt to see which fabric I liked best. 6. Cut fabric to the length (B) and width (C) you determined above. 7. Serge or zigzag stitch the edges of fabric using Coats & Clark ™ All Purpose Sewing Thread. 8. Sew right sides together along (B). 9. Hem bottom edge of ruffle. 10. Using the longest stitch on your sewing machine, sew along length edge, approx ½” [1.25 cm] from top leaving a long tail of thread at the start and finish of your stitches. Do not back stitch. Gently pull the bobbin thread to gather fabric. Gather until fabric measures (A). 11. Pin ruffle to hem of skirt, with RS together. 12. Stitch ruffle to skirt making sure you are sewing inside of your previous stitch line. 13. Press and you are done! Cropped Sweatshirt 1. Lay sweatshirt flat. 2. Pin or mark straight line across body of sweatshirt. Cut along this line. Cut elastic from this piece, just below seam. 3. Pin elastic back onto right side of sweatshirt, stretching elastic to fit. 4. Serge or zigzag stitch elastic back onto the sweatshirt, aligning side seams and stretching elastic evenly to fit. 5. Done! These three projects are great ways to update and personalize your thrifted finds. Happy thrifting! Amber Groen is a fashion designer located in Toronto, Canada. She loves to knit and mend clothing. She is a graduate of Parsons School of Design.
