Refashioning thrifted clothes

First photo: Refashion skirt is now a purse. Tank top and t-shirt refashioned made a summer maternity top. Second photo: a tank top cut from one more large men's t-shirt plus the inside bottom of the skirt purse.
Thrift stores are some of our favorite shopping places. This last weekend was no different. We headed down to Chico this time.
One store was having a special where shoppers could fill a large paper grocery bag with clothes from several tables. The cost was only $2 per bag.
We decided to see what we could get into a bag. Our final total was 18 items of clothing in one bag making them less 12 cents each. Then the challenge came, how to use the clothes we chose to stuff our bag with.
Several items fit us and we can use them as is. The rest we are using to refashion into other usable items.
The first item we decided to refashion was a size three toddlers skirt with shorts attached inside. It has butterflies embroidered along the front bottom. Very cute but we can not use that size. So an idea formed to make it into a purse for our adult daughter. She likes butterflies.
First we cut the legs off the shorts underneath. Then we cut a contrasting piece of fabric from another thrifted pair of women’s pants to sew onto the bottom of the cut off short. That formed the bottom of the purse.
Next we cut another strip of fabric from the same women’s pants to use for the purse strap. After sewing and turning the strap we attached it at the sides of the skirt. The end result was a very cute purse.
The next idea came when we paired a women’s small tank top with a man’s large t-shirt. We decided they would make a nice summer maternity top to donate to CareNet Pregnancy Center.
Taking the tank top we cut it off just below the chest. Then the men’s shirt we cut straight across about 13 inches from the bottom. Next we laid the tank top and t-shirt bottom together and cut the sides of the t-shirt to flair out a few inches.
After sewing the side seams of the t-shirt we attached the two together in the middle. The result did not seem to be roomy enough for a growing baby.
After thinking about what change could be made to make the bottom a little roomier we came up with plan B. We cut two slits, one on each side of the center front and inserted triangular pieces from the bottom of the tank top. That seemed to be just enough.
Now we only have about a dozen more items left to redesign into clothes or items that we can use or give to others to use. Refashioning is a fun challenge. It also saves money when we do not have to buy new items.
This time we spent only $2 and have five items all ready in use. More ideas for the rest of the items are forming as we write.
Additional refashion ideas can be found in our March 13 blog.