A Few Clothing Alterations

I've been making a few clothing alterations lately. After my last wardrobe sort out, I decided to alter a few garments rather than send them to the charity shop. 

The first item I decided to alter was this pair of plaid trousers from M&S. They are a linen blend and I bought them in a sale quite a few years ago, but have only worn them a handful of times. I just don't reach for them, as they are a little short, a bit too Rupert Bear for my liking and if I'm honest, weren't that flattering, unless I wore them with a long jumper.

Anyway, I decided to see if I could make them into a skirt, as they are well made and made from natural materials. I didn't know if there would be enough fabric to make a skirt, but in the end I was able to make a long pencil skirt from them. It is quite fitted, but I like it and hopefully I'll get more wear from the garment in this form. I managed to match the pattern well at the front, but not so well at the back, but then I don't see the back, so I'm not too worried about this. 

This particular skirt should be quite versatile, as it could be worn in the summer with sandals and being winter white in colour, could also be worn in the winter with tights and boots. Here's the finished skirt, which does need a bit of an iron:

The next item I decided to alter was a denim jacket that I bought 4 or so years ago. I've worn it quite a bit over the last few years, but since buying a new denim style jacket this year, which I prefer the design of, I haven't reached for this one. I'd seen lots of posts on Pinterest of embellished denim jackets, so I decided to embellish the centre back panel using some favourite fabric scraps from my stash. I hand stitched them in place using embroidery thread and I like the finished effect. Hopefully, I will reach for it a bit more now when the weather cools.

Another item I then altered was this charity shopped linen dress that I mentioned in last month's clothing purchase post. 

It has a lovely blue and white rose print, but I really didn't like the bodice, so I decided to cut it down to make a skirt. It already had a kind of waistband that I could thread with elastic, but I did have to remove a side zip and re-stitch the seam where it had been. It didn't take too long to do and I think I will wear it now that it is a skirt. Here's a picture of it in it's new skirt form:

I also decided to alter another dress from my wardrobe. This is another linen blend item, but I don't reach for it as a dress. I have worn it a couple of times, but it doesn't feel flattering.

I decided to cut it down to make a short shirt to throw on over a vest or t-shirt. I made it quite short, as this seems to be the fashion these days. Hopefully, I will wear it more now. Here's a picture of the finished item:

I like the outcome. It makes a nice little short jacket to wear on cooler days. I'm taking this on holiday with me.

I also altered a couple of other items. One was a linen blend top that I re-hemmed to make shorter and a couple of pairs of trousers that I elasticated around the ankles, as I prefer this style to having turnups.

As a consequence of all of these alterations, I feel like I've got a few new items in my wardrobe to wear, so we'll just have to see if I do wear them. I've got a few more alterations in the pipeline over the next few months, so I'll do another post when I've completed them.