The urge to be creative is reason enough for many home sewers to recycle used clothing that others tend to store, give away, or scrap. Perhaps there is a special feeling of virtue that reclamation brings. Certainly there is enormous satisfaction in overcoming the limitations of an existing design to produce something fresh and new—converting pants into a skirt, applying decorative detailing, playing with color combinations, lengthening a dress by changing its proportions, adjusting the fit to accommodate a weight gain or loss, making the best of a bad bargain, salvaging a style that is too full, too narrow, or simply too obvious to suit current taste.
Even so-called classics may be eclipsed by new versions with more timelyfashion detailing.
Updating Outmoded Styles
Change is implicit in fashion up to a point. But at times, ready-to-wear designs change at a dizzying rate without apparent reason. In these circumstances, even the affluent must be sorely tempted to rescue good clothes from premature obsolescence. An actual need to cut clothing costs is, of course, an undeniable argument for recycling ready-to-wear clothes creatively. Upwards of 45 million women and girls in the United States sew some of their clothes at home. What they make reflects different levels of experience, sophistication, talent, taste, and means. Their interest in sewing, however, reflects a shared desire to make use of their skills, whether by choice or of necessity. As clothing needs and individual tastes become more varied, and while economic difficulties continue, sewing will continue to grow. Recycling is part of that art.
Worn jeans reclaimed as a skirt are a good introduction to the process of remodeling. The technique for making a skirt out of pants applies to any fabric—linen, gabardine, crepe, satin, velvet, and brocade, to cite a few examples—as readily as it does to denim. If you have gained weight, a skirt
provides more room than pants.
After the inside leg seams are opened, the straight side line becomes an A line and triangular insets, called godets, are sewn into the center front and back. Some projects that seem complicated are really elementary—this is one of them.
Making Godets
To make godets for a long skirt, you will need either an extra yard of fabric or a second pair of jeans that are at least 14 inches in circumference at the bottom of each leg. Such opened leg sections provide enough material. Alternatively, godets can be cut from striped ticking or a cotton flower print. If you choose to make a short skirt out of jeans, use the legs of that same pair for the godets—there will be enough fabric.
To convert pants into a skirt, first open the inside leg seams and crotch seams up to the bottom of the zipper in front and up to the point in the back where the crotch pieces can be overlapped so they lie flat. Next, take the extra yard of godet fabric, fold it in half, and cut it down the center to obtain two equal rectangles. Overlap the crotch pieces, following the direction of the front flap closing, until the fabric lies smooth (see photograph above). Pin, then baste the overlap into place, back and front. If there is too much fullness in the seat, lift the back overlap of the crotch toward the waist. Pin to hold it at the desired point; then baste the overlap into place, easing in the excess fullness as you baste (Figure A). Place the jeans flat, right side up. Place a rectangle of the fabric to be added, face up, under the open triangle at the center front of the jeans. Pin and baste the godet into place.
Topstitching
Next, use topstitching to join the pieces permanently. Topstitching has two functions: it holds the seams flat, and it accents them neatly. Such stitching can be done with contrasting thread or with matching thread, depending on the effect you want. It is done on the right side of the garment, so the stitching must be straight and even. Topstitch close to the edge and cover the original line of stitching. Topstitch the seam that runs under the crotch flap first, running the stitches about 1/4 inch under and beyond the overlap. Topstitch a second row 1/4 inch to 3/8 inch in from the edge, following the original line if there is one. Next, topstitch the crotch overlap and the second side of the inset using a double row of stitches. Finally, turn the skirt inside out, and cut away the excess fabric from godet and crotch areas, cutting about 1/4 inch from the seams. Insert the rear godet the same way.
Fitting the Waist with Darts
If the skirt is too large at the waist, use triangular tucks, called darts, to make it fit.
You can dart from the waistline as far down as necessary (Figure B), but the dart must go below the waistline seam to keep the fabric in the skirt from puckering.
The best locations for new darts are in the back, about 3 1/2 inches on each side of the center. You can dart the waistline at the same places in front as well, if you need to.
Try on the skirt. Pinch in the excess fabric, thus forming the darts, and pin them in place. Take off the skirt and lay it flat. On the inside of the skirt, mark each dart with chalk along the pin lines, which will be the stitching lines. Remove the pins, and draw a third chalk line down the center to indicate the fold line. As a further guide, draw a chalk line at a right angle to the point of the dart and a parallel line halfway up so you can match these points when you repinch and repin the dart, moving it to the wrong side for sewing. Stitch the darts from the waistline down to the end point.
Darts are usually pressed flat, either to the left or the right side of the seam, so the garment looks smooth on the outside. When the fabric is as heavy as denim, you can take off the waistband to avoid sewing through the extra thicknesses of fabric; or you can avoid the extra work and still get a smooth waistline by slashing the finished darts down the center and pressing them open. Trim the dart first, allowing a 3/8-inch seam as far down as possible. Then slash the fold to within 1/2 inch from the point. Press along the stitching line, then on each side.
To add a finishing touch to your jeanskirt, cover any worn sections in the jeans with patches, and decorate them with nailheads.
