Goodwill Clothes Alteration Hacks

I haven't posted about thrift store shopping in awhile.
Never fear....that does not mean I haven't done any thrift store shopping!

This week I was perusing the selection of pants in my closet.  Yikes...it is filled almost entirely with black pants and jeans leggings with some fancier pairs for dressier events.
I pretty much live in Yoga pants until it is time to go out.  Then casual is the rule. Ahh...the life of a retiree!

I headed to the thrift store this week with the goal of finding some summer pants that were not jeans or black!  It is usually a mistake to go to the thrift store with a specific item in mind.  Mostly that will be disappointing.



But the Good Will gods must have been watching over me this time.
I found not one, but three pair of summer pants.
AND.....a super cute summer sundress.

But here is the deal!
They were the perfect PRICE....but not the perfect fit.

Instead of passing these bargains up....I knew with very little time and effort I could cure what ailed them.

 I am pretty short so almost any pair of pants is going to need hemming up!
The red pants were the right length but were not tapered enough.....
The white pair and khaki pair needed hemming.....
The sundress hit the floor and then some on little me....and I wanted tea length because I know I will get more wear out of it.


Knowing how to do some basic alterations and/or tailoring is one secret for success at the thrift store.

If you think you have no sewing skills.....remember....the items you are working with cost less than a glass of wine in a restaurant!  You can take a risk and see what happens.

Here are my favorite alteration hacks:

Hemming: 

• Sometimes the easiest thing to do is just turn the existing hem under and do a few tacks with a needle;

• Fusible hem tape is a great time saver if you don't feel like sewing.

• Tightly woven knits like athletic leggings with lots of spandex can just be cut off with no stitching.  You will be amazed at how well the raw edge stands up to washing.

• Alas...sometimes you need to do an actual hem....but don't stress with finishing with hemtape and all that.  Just cut them off....turn it up and stitch. 

 Straps:

• So many cute tops and dresses have spaghetti straps.  When you try on an item....pull those straps up to see if the top looks better. It is an easy fix to tack the shortened strap to the inside of the back.  This trick fixes a couple of fit problems....saggy bodice, loose underarms, and in some cases, pulling the straps up makes the waistline fit better too.

 
Under the arm:

• When you see a top that looks just a little too big, sometimes it is a matter of just taking in the side seam.  This works especially well with sleeveless tanks.  The added benefit here is that you can fit the underarm area and taper it to the bottom.  This gives a little more room for your bottom too!

Baggy Legs:

• I like the look of fitted skinny legs on most casual pants.  These cute red pants are a great example.  By tapering the inside leg seam just 1/2 and inch, they went from way to "preppy" and hard to find shoes for....to perfect casual with sandals or flats.

Every one of these alterations can be done with a straight stitch with the sewing machine or a few simple hand stitches.
It is definitely worth remembering when you find something wonderful at the thrift store that has "possibilities"!

OR....you can call a friend who sews :)
OR...you can find a tailor shop.

AND....all of the above also works for any bargain shopping you do.  If you find a good deal....but the fit isn't good....think of the possibilities for a quick alteration.

Wishing you a wonderful day!

Presto Chango Turtleneck to Jewel neckline Sweater!

Where do you stand on the "Great Turtleneck Debate"? 

Is this style a fashion classic or a fashion no no?

Yes, I know that this is probably not nearly as interesting as the current political debates going on.....

oh wait....

maybe it IS more interesting than the current political debates!

I kind of think that for me it is a matter of aging.  Over the years the turtlenecks that I used to love just don't fit as comfortably as they used to.

It couldn't possibly be that my neck isn't quite as smooth and thin as it used to be????

I found this fashion advisory for "a woman of a certain age".....

"You may think a ­turtleneck hides a sagging neck and chin, but it is more likely to draw attention to jowls."

Audrey Hepburn knew this....there are lots and lots of photos of her in her youth with the classic black turtleneck.  In later photos you see more v-necks and jewel necklines. 

Now....I would never aspire to looking like Audrey Hepburn....no one  could!
But in the great turtleneck debate....I need to vote NAY!

I am a sucker for cashmere!  I find the most wonderful cashmere sweaters at the thrift store. They usually sell for less than $10.  Sadly.....many of the prettiest cashmere sweaters are turtlenecks!  I buy them anyway! Then I use some "magic" and turn them into jewel neck treasures!

Want to see how?
You really won't believe how easy it is!

 This sweater is the prettiest blue (the photo really doesn't show it well).


Notice the classic turtle neck!



















All you do is pull the collar up and cut about half of it off. 

Leave enough of the ribbed knit to fold to the inside.

Use the wool setting on your iron and steam press the ribbing so that it exactly joins to the line where the ribbing joins the sweater. 

Time with the iron is well spent in making the next step easier.

It is simple to just hand stitch the raw edge to the neckline.

Use the tiniest stitches you have patience to do.....
Try to catch as many of the raw knit loops from your scissors cut as you can.
This will keep it from unraveling.

I don't get all hung up on using special knit thread.....this is a thrift store sweater after all!!

The finished jewel neck looks really nice....

It will feel so much better than the turtleneck....

It only took about 20 minutes to do this!

BTW....because my cashmere sweaters are almost all from thrift stores....I never dry clean them.  Use a gentle wash with Woolite and lay them flat to dry!  

 Where ever you stand on the turtleneck debate.....

Have A Wonderful Day!

Monday Musings

It is a dark and stormy morning here at Sweetwater!
A great morning for a cup of coffee and some MUSING!

One of my blog feeds is a lovely blog by Tish Jett called  A Femme d'Un Certain Age.

Her blog is a fascinating read all from the point of view of an American in Paris.   She is all about analyzing, dissecting and incorporating the "French Style" for us.

I highly recommend that you find your own beverage of choice and sit down to browse through some of Tish's Musings.

I read one her blog posts about Uniform Dressing a few weeks ago and it really stayed with me.  Her take on wardrobe simplicity is truly spot on.

In the post she made a list.  I LOVE her list!  I certainly wouldn't claim to be a fashionista, but I do like fashion and an ease in being somewhat fashionable.
So, I am sharing that list with some Sweetwater Style musings on her thoughts.  Enjoy!

"It takes no more time to be stylish than it does to be sloppy."

 This is a no brainer!  When you go to your closet to pick what you are going to wear, it is just as easy to pick out things that you know go together and look nice on you.  Even your yoga pants and t-shirts can be chosen with style in mind. 

 No woman really wants to be invisible does she?

"Taking care of one’s clothes makes them last longer."

It is rarely necessary to dry clean any clothes. Goodwill "finds" are often there because the label says "dry-clean only"!  Even cashmere and silk can be carefully laundered on the gentle cycle.  Quality clothing is made from fabrics that stand up over time.  Because of that I have good quality stuff purchased at thrift stores that still look great after 5-10 years of wear. 

"Frenchwomen make sure that everything in their closets is ready-to-wear."

If the clothes in your closet are clean, ironed with all buttons in place and hemmed to the right length, then anything you see can be put on.  Keep clothes that need tending to in another place and try to take care of those "fixes" soon.

"Taking care of one’s clothes means you’ll always have something to wear."

All budgets can be accommodated.  

Well....this is truly the Sweetwater Style point of view!  So many of my favorite wardrobe items are from thrift stores.  Why in the world would I want to spend lots of money buying basic things for retail prices when they can be had for a fraction of the price. Style does NOT have to be expensive.  I hear people talking about how much time it takes to shop at the thrift store.  But for me...it seems more time consuming to go to the mall and shop all day for "just the right" outfit.  I always have a much harder time deciding what to buy if I am going to have to spend "big bucks".  I also know that I am willing to take a risk and buy something a bit outrageous if I am paying thrift store prices.  These gems often become the things that I reach for over and over again because they are FUN!

It’s depressing to have an overflowing closet and nothing to wear.  

Tish is all about "Uniforms Dressing".  She makes the case that if you take the time to analyze your own style and choose items that work together to become your "uniform" it is liberating and not boring.  Maybe it is black leggings and loose tops.  Maybe it is long loose skirts and t-shirts or jeans and crisp white shirts.  Whatever...it is just a matter of taking those basics and adding a few accessories.  And hey...shopping for accessories is lots of fun.

Your "uniform" means that you will always have something to put on! I have on my "to do list" to cull my closet of those things that I don't wear because they no longer fit my life style.  Wish me luck with THAT!

 Making the effort to look stylish is psychologically healthy.

Right now I am sitting in my sleep pants and a plain sleeveless t-shirt.  Since they came from Good Will, they are nice enough.....but not terribly stylish!  Honestly, when I walk by the mirrors in the house, I am less than "happy" with the look.  It is time to take the 5 minutes it will take to go put on something else.  It will be an attitude changer that won't take much effort. We all know the feeling of going out and about not looking our best.  It never fails....you will run into a friend....or worse an aquaintance....and wonder what they are thinking!  Not worth the stress! 

Looking good makes you feel better.

"Dressing down sends a message of “I don’t care about me” 

(or you either for that matter)."

When you choose to wear things that go beyond casual to sloppy you are actually telling the people you are with that you don't value spending time with them enough to make an effort to be your best.  Of course, how you interact with people is always more important than how you look.  But if looking good makes you feel better, then you will be more comfortable with your interactions.  Nothing is more boring than a conversation that starts with an apology about how "terrible" you look.  Way better to say...."don't we look fabulous!" and get on with having fun.

 

I am off now to get out of my current outfit and put on something presentable.

I hope you take some time to go read more inspriration from  

Tish at A Femme d'Un Certain Age.

The rain has stopped and it is time to stop MUSING!

Have a Wonderful Day!

 

Goodwill Style!

A couple of months ago, I was happily shopping at Goodwill!

You are probably saying..."How is that news?"

Well...I ran into a friend who was doing a thrift store style consult with Lindsey who is

 the owner of Fashion Fix MN!

Lindsey does closet organization and Wardrobe Styling.

The most fascinating part of what she offers is..... thrift store styling!

I watched the consult for a little while and then asked if I could shadow her sometime and watch this interesting process.

I did just that this week.  I spent an interesting couple of hours with watching her "work her magic"!

Come along and see!

DYI No Crease Pants Hangers!

Some people just HATE ironing....but....don't think I am crazy when I say....

I don't mind ironing....in fact it can be kind of relaxing!

But what I do hate is when the pants that I have ironed get creases in them hanging in the closet!

The problem is the hangers.....

Even wooden pants hangers don't seem to solve the problem for me.


The wood bar still leaves creases....and I don't like to hang my pants from the cuffs!



I have looked all over for padded hangers for pants and have been unsuccessful!  And chances are...if I ever do find some....I will be too "cheap" to shell out the $$$ for them!

Read More to see what I did instead!

How To Narrow the Legs on Your Pants!

I needed/wanted some new brown leggings or really skinny legged pants.

Remember that the weather here in Minnesota has been BELOW ZERO for days and days....

Going out to shop did not sound like fun....

Then I remembered these really nice Eileen Fisher Knit pants that I found at GoodWill a few years ago.

They are a really nice knit fabric!

They are a nice cocoa/mocha brown color!

They are EILEEN FISHER!

They fit!

But THEY ARE NOT the least bit skinny.....!

In fact....they look darn wide legged and really short in this photo.

When I washed them...I never used the steam iron to stretch them....

Really they looked OKAY when I did press them.

I wore them as soft wide legged slouchy pants....

but obviously....since they had been hanging in the back of the closet in their FAT state.....I figured it would be no loss to try to turn them into narrow legged pants.

The Nordstrom Eileen Fisher Site has these pants for sale!

Yup....Skinny Knit Pants for $208.....What a bargain!

This is what I did to turn MY $5 GoodWill pants into a pretty good replica!

The waist and hips of the pants fit pretty well.

I didn't need to mess with changing the size there.

I cut open the outside of the legs up to about 6 inches below the waist.

I cut the entire inseam open.

I figured skinny pants should not have a baggy butt!!!  

That meant it would be okay to take in some of the crotch area of the pants.

The next step was to measure the center of the front and back of each leg.

I pinned them together in the center spot.

I measured the legs of a pair of pants that had the right pant width.

This determined how wide to make the new seams.

The reason to cut the pant legs open and repin the opening is to make sure that the seams line up on the inside and outside of your leg.

Then.....a quick straight stitching of the seams....

I do have a serger, so I was able to finish the new seams nicely....but a little zig zag would also work!

Now those $5 pants look almost like the $208 pair!

If it ever warms up....maybe I need to go shopping and spend the $200 I saved!

Have A Great Day!

 

Link Parties

Cottage Market    Sunny Simple Life     One More Time  Life on Lakeshore Drive 

Simple Batwing Top From A Scarf Tutorial

I always look at the scarf selection when I go to Goodwill!
 

I bought this beautiful silk scarf there a few months ago. You can see that it was a real bargain!

BUT....

It is a great big square so....I never figured out how to wear it as a scarf!

I have been admiring batwing sleeved tops like these lately!

They look so elegant and simple!

HMMMMM....I decided that making one couldn't be too difficult!

And I was right!

I started by folding the scrarf in half.  The black border was perfect because it would be a band along the bottom and along the batwing sleeves.

I cut the scarf in half along the top edge.

Then I measured in on each side and marked a spot on each side for the shoulder seam.  I left the opening for a slouchy neck line.

I decided to do a FRENCH SEAM to make the inside of the top look neat!
Here is a link to step by step directions for sewing a French Seam.
HOW TO SEW A FRENCH SEAM. 
Basically a French seam is just sewing the seam right sides out....pressing it flat....trimming close to the stitching....turning it wrong side out and stitching the seam allowance inside the new seam!  Perfectly clean inside edge!

 Then I tried it on....adjusted the size of the neck opening by trimming the front a tad bit lower...and finishing the neckline with a double turned flat stitching.

I slipped the top over my head and measured (???) where I wanted the body of the top to fit on each side.  I marked each side and stitched a straight seam up to where I wanted the armholes to be!  I went up 11 inches...but that would depend on the fit you want!  This too can be adjusted for fit after you stitch! (I used a basting stitch first "just in case" ....but I guessed right and was able to just restitch with a shorter stitching for stability.

Here is the finished top!

I think it will look nice with black pants or jeans!

and for $1.99 and an hour or sew of work....not too shabby!

I think I will keep an eye out for some other fabrics or scarves and make another!

Have any of you made anything like this?

I would love to hear/see your projects!

Have a Great Day!

Link Parties
Just Winging It  I am not a Trophy Wife  Serenity You 

Vintage Value American Made

If you have been reading my blog for any length of time, you know I am pretty darn good at thrift store shopping!
In fact....I thought I was the best of anyone in our family!
Alas...I have lost the title to my son-in-law!

He has taken his thrifting to the highest level!

Greenwich Vintage Co sells All American Made Vintage

Refurbished Men's Clothing

Greenwich Vintage

Honestly...the stuff they have in the shop is so fabulous...You really need to go to the website and look....here is just a sample!

---

Greenwich Vintage

Greenwich Vintage

I found a Pendleton skirt at GW for $8..took it apart and gave the fabric to Tommy....look at the lining of this Dopp kit....Amazing!

He is a COBBLER too! He customizes these amazing shoes!

Greenwich Vintage

Greenwich Vintage

Greenwich Vintage

Everything is completely American made-lots of Pendleton and Woolrich....all high quality and refurbished for you!
There is a lot of buzz out there about their unique shop....articles in several magazines and the Minneapolis paper's Lifestyle section featured them this week! WOW!
This article in the Gentleman's Gazette really gives a great overview of what is going on at Greenwich Vintage and is worth a read if you are interested in learning more!

 If you don't live in the Minneapolis Area...don't despair....they have an Etsy Shop that you can connect to from the website! 

If you do live in the area...you might want to check out SNOWGRADE a Pop-Up Men's Market next weekend at Architectural Antiques....lots of great atmosphere and lots of STUFF!

 Now I might not win the title of "Best Thrifter" in my family any more...
but in keeping with the whole vintage look....

Here is an outfit I put together from GW!

Plaid Skirt....GW

Red Cotton Sweater....GW

Black Cashmere Sweater....GW

Black Patent Pumps....T.J. Maxx

Total Cost....$30

Very "Catholic School Girl" don't ya think!

Funny story about the skirt....whenever I wear it to school....all the little girls tell me how much they love my skirt....hmmmm....do you think that means it is "too young" for the "old lady librarian"?

Hope you get a chance to thrift shop a bit this weekend!

Linky Parties
Six Sister's Stuff
Singing Three Little Birds 
Trash To Treasure