Teresa's NDAD Creation

It's football season (YAY!!!) and this piece that Teresa submitted is something super amazing that you can create with any of your old college tees.  I'm always trying to come up with ways to repurpose all the tees that I've accumulated over the years as well as ways to update ones that have become a little bland feeling.  I love this remake and need to add this to my list!!  Check it out...

I saw this idea on Pinterest of making a college t-shirt into a dress. I am new to garment making, but have been sewing on and off since my grandmother taught me when I was seven - this was my first attempt all by myself.  I decided to make a maxi dress for my graduation earlier this month from Nazareth College of Rochester, NY.  I'm really excited with how it came out, and working with jersey wasn't half as bad as the internet made it seem, after watching a few tutorials on YouTube!

I got the top as a gift for doing an online survey for my school.  

Time to see how Teresa makes this maxi-ready!!

The fabric I got from good ol' JoAnn Fabrics for $15. 

I cut the shirt and made it into a tube with elastic in the top hem.  Fitting the fabric was super easy - all you do is wrap the fabric around you however tight or loose you would like it to fit, mark it, then lay it flat and create and seam line (I used board chalk) and be sure to give yourself seam allowance.  Sew the seam and you're a third of the way done. 

Sew the top and bottom parts together and last but not least, hem the bottom for a more finished and professional look.  I made a blind hem stitch, but a straight stitch would also do the trick.

All of the other sewing I used my machine's stretch straight stitch.  

All in all it was very easy and anyone could do this!

You go girl!!  All i can think of is, "We've got spirit, yes we do! We've go spirit, how about you?"  Way to take those school shirts and make them into something amazing!  I absolutely love this and hope that you're getting tons of wear out of it.  Time to take my USC shirts and make them into a maxi dress too!!  It's perfect for rooting on football or basketball in school colors.  Rock on, Teresa!

Claire's NDAD Creation

Claire, my fellow red head, has a remake that came from a bag of goodies she picked up while thrifting!  I love how she took something that didn't work for her and changed it into something more up her alley.  Check it out...

This blouse came home with me from a bag sale at Second Chances Thrift Store in Oak Ridge, TN.  I thought the fabric was really sweet and girly even though I don't own a lot of pink, the collared button-up style wasn't very wearable for me, and the snaps up the front and the random patches and pockets seemed a bit much.  So, I decided that the whole thing might work better in a more summery style.

Seam ripper, awaaaaay!

I removed the collar and divided the top of it in half, to make two new straps.

Next, I took off the patches on the shoulders and the sleeves.  It turned out that the shoulders took up more room than I thought, and weren't sewn on top!  Oops!  So my front became my back, and the snaps had to go.  I can always try to use them for something else.

I pinned and sewed it all together - two darts in the bust, and a scrap of pink lace complete the look!

I also made the lace jacket I'm wearing - they look pretty cute together, but not too frilly to wear every day.

You're so creative, Claire!  Way to work the shirt into something you actually want to wear!  If you don't like collars then get rid of 'em, and that's just what you did!  Did you repurpose that lace cover-up too?  It feels like it could have been the top part of a vintage dress...we'd love to hear!  Keep up the remakes!!