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Tees to Undies, Refashion Your Shirts to Underwear

Posted on November 16, 2018November 19, 2018 by Jessica

T-shirts wear out quickly, but you can reuse them by making them into some new underwear! Here’s how to use your favorite tee’s and make undies!

Tees to Undies

If you house is anything like ours, you have piles of extra t-shirts laying around. Somehow they seem to multiply no matter how hard I try to eliminate them. I used to give everything to the thrift store, but giving things away doesn’t help stretch my household budget. I have been on a quest to find new uses for things we already have in the house. Recently, I saw someone post this idea on social media: making old t-shirts into new undies is a brilliant concept. I love that it reuses what you already have, plus it keeps more t-shirts from finding their way into the landfill. According to statistics, even thrift stores can only sell 20 percent of the donations that they receive. That means, that your thoughtful donation often ends up in the landfill or gets sold off to a foreign country. Either way it doesn’t help your budget, and help your family make ends meet.

These t-shirt boxers are great for men or women, kids or adults. I self drafted a pattern from my favorite pair of boxers with a few easy steps. Here’s how to do it:

Make Your Own Undies Boxer Pattern

1. Turn your favorite undies inside out. Fold them in half at center front and center back. Pin together any seams to keep them from shifting.

2. Lay flat on a piece of folded paper or scrap fabric. Trace around the shape with a pen or a pencil. You may be able to flatten one part of the garment at a time while you trace it. You can use a ruler to help straighten the lines a bit if needed.

3. Add 1/2″ seam allowance around the piece on the outside edges. Mark pieces front and back accordingly. Include one notch somewhere along the back crotch seam so you know which is the front and which is the back.

4. Lay out your pattern pieces on the t-shirt. I liked the colored graphics so I tried to place the pattern over as much of it as possible.

5. Cut out your pattern pieces. Don’t worry, if it doesn’t turn out you can throw it away. Practice makes perfect. You were going to throw away the tee anyway remember?

Tees to Undies Sew your own boxers|Chambraybluesblog|chambrayblues.com — Boxers are ready to be stitched!

Tee’s to Undies Sewing Directions:

These garments are very easy to sew. You can use wide 1 5/8″ elastic at the waist purchased from the fabric store, or better yet cut off a piece from an old pair of boxers and re-use it.

1. Sew together the center front crotch seam with a narrow zig-zag stitch 1.5-2.0mm. You can serge the seam instead if you have a serger. For men’s boxers, add an extra piece of fabric 4″ wide (folded in half lengthwise to a width of 2″ the length of the placket) to make the placket opening. Stitch placket to crotch seam to desired opening length, fold placket to back side of opening, then top stitch in place on the front side. Add a front button or snap closure if desired. Confused? Look at a pair of your own boxers for reference.

2. Sew together the center back crotch seam with the same method.

3. Sew together the front and back at the side seams. Stitch remaining crotch seam together.

4. To finish leg opening, either hem as desired or add lace. Stitch 2″ lace hem tape to the bottom of the leg openings by overlapping the lace and fabric by 1/4″. Zig-zag along the edge of the lace to attach. Fold over lace edge and enclose raw edges, then zig zag the opening closed to finish the leg. Repeat on other leg.

Stitch elastic in place with a narrow zig zag stitch.

5. To finish waistline, measure elastic to fit waist comfortably (it needs to be snug and stretched a bit so it’s not too loose). Divide and fold elastic into four equal parts and mark with pins. Beginning at the center back seam, pin elastic in place to waist matching a pin to center back, side seam, center front seam and opposite side seam. Stretch elastic slightly to fit while sewing with zig-zag stitching, attaching elastic on to waist overlapping elastic and fabric by at least 1/4″. Fold under raw edge of elastic at center back seam and secure with zig zag stitches.

Undies to Tees Boxer Briefs|Chambraybluesblog|chambrayblues.com — Look how colorful these boxers are!

I can’t wait to make more of them! I you are not confident in your ability to make your own boxers pattern, you can get my pattern for free by being on my mailing list here. If you need more sewing patterns to choose from try some of these boxer and undie patterns.

For more fun re-fashioning ideas try these posts:

Mens Thrifted Shirt Upcycle Hack in 7 Steps

Re-cyled Jean Denim Vest

How to Restyle a Boring Denim Jacket

Easy to Make Scrappy Denim Skirt

How to Make a Recycled Denim Ruffled Purse with Cricut and Simplicity

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Update Your Old Jeans to Fit

Posted on October 16, 2018September 17, 2018 by Jessica

What do you do with your old jeans that no longer fit? You can update them so they fit like new with a few scraps of recycled denim, here’s how!

Make Your Jeans Fit|Chambray Blues Blog|Chambrayblues.com — Make your jeans fit better with this easy jean hack!

Jeans that Don’t Fit

We are all guilty of purchasing something that didn’t really fit us. Recently, I came home with a pair of jeans that were 3 sizes to small from the department store. I don’t know what possessed me to buy them because I knew they didn’t fit. I wanted a high waist style in a dark denim, but the store did not have my size. I had a coupon and a gift certificate that I needed to use, so I bought them anyway. These brand new jeans were not returnable and had been sitting in my closet for ages. They had never been worn, until now. I could give them to the thrift store, but I was determined to not waste them. After a bit of experimenting, I figured out how to get the perfect fit by sewing an insert down the side of the jeans. The insert is made of strips of recycled denim (I love my scraps of my boys old jeans!) that were stitched together in a colorful stripe. This is an easy project, here’s what you will need:

Make Jeans Fit|Chambray Blues Blog|Chambrayblues.com

Updated Jeans Supplies

• Jeans that are too small

•9-10 Strips of used denim or other heavy fabrics, cut 2 1/2″ wide

•Sewing Machine and thread

•Scissors or rotary cutter, mat and ruler

•Measuring tape

Directions:

1. Measure your waist and record the measurement on a piece of paper. My waist is 42″.

2. Measure the jean waistband circumference. Subtract this number from your waist measurement to get the amount of inches you need to add to the jeans. If you are a curvy fit, you may need to compare the hip measurements as well. My jeans measured 36″ at the waist. So when I subtract 42-36= 8″, 8″ need to be added to get the jeans to fit. By dividing 8 in half, there is 4″ to add to each side of the jeans. If you need to add extra room in the hips, it is easy to shape your insert on a curve so you are adding more to the area where it is needed to fit.

My denim scraps are cut off of our boys old jeans.

Strips are cut 2 1/2″ wide and made as long as possible.

3. Sew the strips of denim together with 1/4″ seam allowance, matching the left edges, the length of the piece. You can piece the strips together if they are too short as needed.

4. Cut into pieces the width that you need for your insert with a rotary cutter or scissors, mine were 4″. If you need more room in the hip, your pieces may be wider in that area. I did not include seam allowance in these calculations for simplicity.

5. Sew the cut strips together edge to edge in long strips until the piece is long enough to fit down the side of your jeans plus 1″ for hemming. Trim away excess. Hem the top and bottom edges of the strip with 1/2″ folded hem.

6. Cut side seam of jeans apart, from hem up through the waistband, removing seam allowance and any rivets that may be in the way of stitching a new seam. Baste pocket to the side of the jeans if needed (My pocket was sewn into the side seam, so when I cut the side seam away the pocket was loose. It was basted in place at the side seam to make the sewing easier for the next step.)

7. With right sides together, sew the insert to the side of the jeans on the front and back. Repeat on the other leg. Press and enjoy!

These jeans are now super comfortable to wear! The denim insert has a bit of stretch to it fits great, and it is so nice to have new jeans with a unique design to wear! I am thrilled that this purchase was not a waste of money and I know I will get lots of wear out of them this fall! If you would like more information on diy fashion projects from my Chambray Blues Blog, click here! Thanks to Deborah for having me guest post!

If you love this idea, here are some other recycled fashion posts:

How to Make a Quilted Potholder from Scraps

Mens Thrifted Shirt Upcycle Hack in 7 Steps

Re-cyled Jean Denim Vest

Easy to Make Scrappy Denim Skirt

Make an Upcycled Denim Hat from Old Jeans

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15 FAQ You Always Wanted to Know About the Cricut Maker

Posted on October 3, 2018October 2, 2018 by Jessica

Do you have unanswered questions about purchasing a Cricut Maker? Here’s the run down on all those unanswered details along with an easy beginner project!

What you need to know about the Cricut Maker|ChambrayBluesBlog|chambrayblues.com — The Cricut Maker has a storage compartment for all your supplies.

This post is sponsored by Cricut. I was compensated in some way for writing this post. Any opinions given are completely my own. For a complete list of disclosure rules, see the disclosures page.

Cricut Maker FAQ’s

1. Will I use the machine enough to justify the expense? Absolutely! I have used weekly since I got it. I had no idea how much easier using the Cricut Maker would be for my sewing and craft projects. You will be amazed!

2. What materials can I cut? So many options! In the last few months I have cut cotton quilting fabric, denim, leather, vinyl, exterior vinyl, window clings, craft paper and felt. But the Maker can do so much more! I have plans to use it to cut chip board, card board, craft paper, plastic for stencils, faux suede and more!

3. Will it be easy for me to learn the software? Yes, it’s easy to use. Cricut has a really good help section on their website and whenever I get stuck it’s easy to find the answers that I need.

4. What kind of DIY projects can I make? To date I have made t-shirts, window clings, wooden sign decals, leather appliques, denim hat and purse, bow tie, even a quilt. There are hundreds of ready to make projects waiting for you on the Cricut website. All you have to do is press “Make It” and the machine does the rest.

5. What types of fabric can I cut? Cotton quilting fabric, muslin, satin, crepe, wool, fleece, denim, knit jersey, felt. I am sure there are more but these are the ones I have tried so far.

6. Can I use my old cartridges? Cricut Explore and Maker machines were designed to work with Design Space, rather than as stand-alone machines and cartridges. Simply link your cartridges to your account through Cricut Design Space using your Explore machine or the Cricut Cartridge Adapter to use them.

7. Can I upload my own images? Yes, they are easy to upload into Design Space in jpg, svg or png format.

8. Can I keep my images private? Yes, Cricut has an option to keep your files private if you wish.

9. What makes the Cricut Maker different from other machines? The Maker is the “Cadillac” of the Cricut machines. It is designed to work with multiple materials at high speed and has blue tooth capabilities. If you are only using your Cricut to cut one type of material or for a specific type of crafting, you may consider a different model. For example, the Cricut Explore works well for basic paper crafting.

10. What add-ons do I need to use the machine and how expensive will it be? The blades, mats, weeding tools, sewing tools, vinyls and craft papers are all individually priced and sold separately. It is cheaper to get the standard Maker package that includes a selection of these items so you don’t have to purchase them individually. I would also recommend trying the Access membership so you have hundreds of pre-designed projects and templates to choose from for your projects from the very beginning.

11. Do you have to use only Cricut vinyl? No, it is not required. However, other vinyls are lower quality. I have seen people post pictures of projects made from cheap vinyl, they have trouble getting it to adhere, it doesn’t wash well and and many times it doesn’t even come off the plastic backing. If you take the time to make a handmade item, the quality of the vinyl you choose is important. I would not use non-Cricut products for that reason.

12. Do you have to purchase an Easy Press? No, you can use an iron. However, I realized very quickly that a regular iron doesn’t work as well for a number of reasons, especially if you are making multiple heat transfer vinyl projects. A household iron only heats up to 199 degrees F. The Easy Press heats up to 320 degrees F. The hotter temperature helps the vinyl adhere better and faster. In addition, the bottom of the iron is designed for steam, it has holes on it and is not a flat surface. The bottom of the Easy Press is completely flat, no holes. Much better for applying even pressure to the surface of your project when transferring an image. The Easy Press is also square, not pointed like an iron. The square Easy Press design covers a larger surface area for pressing graphics than the iron which is designed for ironing small curves and points. For commercial applications, I recommend starting with an Easy Press, then upgrading to a commercial quality t-shirt heat press at a later time as your business grows.

13. Can I upload my own sewing patterns? Yes! Patterns can be uploaded to design space just like photos and cut on the Cricut Maker. I will show you how to do this in an upcoming tutorial.

14. Can I use my maker with my mobile device? Yes you can use a laptop, ipad or cell phone. I love using my Ipad with my Maker, it’s very simple to use and is user friendly.

15. Is the access membership included? There are hundreds of design files that are free in Cricut Design Space. However, if you want access to THOUSANDS of files you will need to purchase a membership. Cricut Access membership is only $7.99 a month. As much as I love to design, it is far easier and faster to have someone else do the design work for you. You will have plenty of artwork to chose from to make anything your heart desires!

Easy jean Patches|ChambrayBlues|chambrayblues.com — Cricut Fabrics from Riley Blake make adorable jean patches!

Things I Wish I Knew

I wish I had known how much a machine like this would change my crafting life! The Cricut is so much fun to use, I have used it for so many things. Besides my obsession with making t-shirts for my family, its great for quilting and sewing projects. The ability to fine cut on this machine is such a time saver. Cutting fabric is so easy and the machine makes such wonderful clean cuts!

Today, I found these adorable jeans at the thrift store. I would have over looked them before with the rips and holes in the front. As much as other people love the tattered look, it’s just not for me. But, I knew I could patch them in a jiffy with my Cricut and I brought them home to work on.

15 Cricut FAQ's|ChambrayBlues|chambrayblues.com — These heart patches were cut with my Cricut Maker.

These patches are made with pre-designed shapes in Design Space. Before I owned a Cricut, I had no idea how there would be thousands of pre-made designs for me to choose from for making projects. It is such a time saver to login to design space and just search for what I need rather than design it from scratch myself. Did I mention that Cricut has their own fabric line with Riley Blake Fabrics? Aren’t these coordinating prints adorable? Who knew? Cricut makes it easy to coordinate, I don’t even have to shop for fabric! Game changer!

Another game changer, is the way the Cricut can cut different materials. Plastic, cardboard, paper, fabric, fleece, so many choices. Today I experimented cutting with heat bond. This product is ironed on to the back of the fabric, then cut into patches that are ironed on to the jeans. It’s a quick and easy way to fix your favorite jeans. Here’s what you will need to make your own patches:

Patches Project Supplies Needed (affiliate links are included for your convience)

• A pair of jeans in need of repair

•Cricut Designer Fabric Sampler by Riley Blake, Blue Carolina

•Fusible Heat Bond

•Cricut Fabric Mat and rotary cutting blade

•Embroidery floss for decorative stitching on edges, optional

15 FAQ's about the Cricut maker|Chambray Blues|Chambrayblues.com — Patch your jeans with these cute hearts!

Directions:

1. Iron the heat bond to the back of the fabric using the cotton setting (or use an Easy Press). Do not remove paper backing.

2. Smooth the backed fabric onto the fabric mat. Use a bayer or roller for the best adhesion to the mat.

3. Download the patches design from Cricut Design Space here.

4. Cut the patches on the Cricut as directed.

5. Peel off the paper backing from heat bond on the back of the patches. Iron the patches on to your jeans with your iron on the cotton setting (or use an Easy Press for quick adhesion).

6. Add decorative stitching with embroidery thread around the patches if desired.

Thanks to Cricut for sponsoring this post! If you love this post, don’t forget to Pin it!

More Cricut Projects!

Make an Upcycled Denim Hat from Old Jeans

Riley Blake Throw Quilt with Cricut-Part 1

Riley Blake Throw Quilt with Cricut Maker -Part 2

Riley Blake Throw Quilt with Cricut-Part 3

3 Step Easy T-Shirt Pattern Hack

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut . The opinions and text are all mine.

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How to Make a Quilted Potholder from Scraps

Posted on September 16, 2018September 6, 2018 by Jessica

You can make good use of your fabric scraps when you re-purpose them into something new. Here’s how to make a quilted fabric potholder with your quilting leftovers.

Scrappy Quilted Potholder|chambraybluesblog|chambrayblues.com — Quilted Potholders are easy to make from your fabric scraps!

I’ve been trying to re-use and up-cycle more of my fabric scraps for projects. I used to throw them away, but fabric is sooo expensive. Recently, I learned that fabric doesn’t decompose in the landfill and fabric waste is a growing global problem. Rest assured, I no longer want to waste anything that can be sewn into something useful! These adorable potholders are made from my most recent quilt project leftovers. You can learn about how I made the quilt blocks that I used here. It doesn’t matter what fabric scraps you use, pretty much any fabric will do for this project. Here are some recycling ideas:

Recycled Fabric Sources

left over quilting cotton

old t-shirts

men’s dress shirts

worn out jeans

kids shirts

old table cloths

thrifted fabrics or clothes with pretty patterns

flannel sheets or pillowcases

Worn out blankets

quilt batting pieces or leftover fiberfill stuffing from craft projects

There are lots of options for fabrics! I like to use a couple of left over quilt blocks and some quilting cotton scraps for this project. You will need fabric and batting about 9″ square. In addition, if your pieces are smaller, simply stitch them together until you have a 9″ square. This is a great way to learn to sew or quilt!

Woven pieces of fabric can be single needled stitched together until you have a large enough piece. You can even sew small pieces of quilt batting together with a zig-zag stitch (overlapping the pieces) to get a 9″ squares needed for this project.

Sew a Scrappy Potholder|Chambray Blues Blog|chambrayblues.com — Leftover cotton quilting scraps

Potholder Supplies Needed:

•Two 9″ fabric squares for front and back of potholder (any fabric or pattern)

•10″ square of quilt batting

•Strip of binding fabric, 2 1/2″ by 44″ (can be pieces of other fabrics sewn together)

•Straight pins, safety pins

•fabric basting adhesive (optional)

•Sewing Machine, free motion quilting foot (optional)

Potholder Sewing Directions:

1. Layer backing fabric, quilt batting or a thin layer of fiberfill stuffing, and top fabrics together. You can use a spray basting adhesive to hold them in place or use a few safety pins to secure.

2. Using a free motion quilt foot, quilt as desired in a random pattern. You can quilt with straight rows stitches every few inches across the fabrics if you do not have a free motion foot. The quilting holds all of the layers together and makes the pot holder more durable.

3. Trim edges even.

4. Fold binding in half lengthwise, apply to front of potholder matching raw edges, folding the binding at corners to fit. Finally, pin in place with straight pins. Stitch around all sides with a 3.0 single needle stitch, leaving a 3″ tail of binding at the last corner.

5. Trim seams to 1/4″. Turn folded binding edge to back side of potholder, pin fold over first seam. Fold under excess fabric at corner to get a “almost” mitered fit. Top stitch 1/8″ away from inside edge, sewing all the way to the end of the fabric loop piece (encasing raw edges).

6. Finally, to make the hanging loop, fold back extra fabric and secure with 3-4 back and forth stitches.

Need help? Watch this video tutorial!