two string jane » modifications

Before and After – Old Flannel Shirt

Alyssa Zukas — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 02:51:22 +0000

Before

After

Modifications

Materials: Old flannel shirt, elastic

Process: I’ve always loved the colors on my dad’s old shirt, but it was not exactly my size or style. My dad always used to wear this in the 80s, but I still had to wrestle it away from him when I was ready to modify it. The sleeves were covered in paint, so I decided to cut them off to add a girly touch. I sewed the arms and sides and hemmed the bottom to make it slimmer. I then cinched the waist in with elastic.

I don’t think my dad will wear it now.

Before and After – Vintage Shirtdress

Alyssa Zukas — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 02:59:56 +0000

After

Modifications

Materials: My mom’s old t-shirt from Nordstrom, elastic

Process: When my mom finally decided to get rid of this, I could not let it go because the fabric was still bright even after being in the wash millions of times. I was inspired by the shape to make it into a flirty, fun, sun dress, and it saw much use from me, my mother, and my sister during our vacation in Kauai.

I first ripped the seams on the sleeves and stitched them both together to make the bodice, and rimmed the top with elastic to keep the top from slipping off while being worn. I cut a half-circle, which I cinched with thread, to make the keyhole in front. I then took off the ribbing from the collar, sewed it lengthwise to make a strap, and attached it to the keyhole. I then cut the skirt by removing the circle left by the neck and attached it with elastic to the bodice.

Before and After – Vintage Sweatshirt

Alyssa Zukas — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 03:13:00 +0000

After

Modifications

sweatshirt stencil

Materials: Old Russell Athletic sweatshirt, hand-cut stencil, white fabric paint

Process: I had this old oversized sweatshirt around that I used to wear when I was younger. I didn’t know what to do with it for a while, until I had the idea to sew it down to make the shirt more fitted. I cut the collar into a U-neck for a fun touch, and trimmed away the “fat” from the hood. It’s still comfy and warm because the pocket is big, and the arms remain long. I spiced it up even more by cutting a stencil from a design inspired by some tiles in my bathroom. I used a light coat of paint for a faded look.