Button Down Rehab Day 4: Roll Cuff Sleeve Refashion

Unfortunately, one of the guest posters couldn't make it, so here I am again for day 4 of Button Down Rehab!

We're 4 days into our fabulous button down shirt upcycles and refashions, and I still have some other great projects coming to you from Shannon of Details of a Love, Gwen of Gwenny Penny, and Rebecca of Searching Out Simple.

But today, you get me again :)

This project is a simple refashion that is perfect for beginners.

I had a long-sleeve button down that's been sitting in my closet because long sleeves are definitely a no no in the sweltering Tennessee heat. With a few cuts and simple sewing, I refashioned the long sleeves into roll cuff sleeves with pick-ups.

Supplies:

• Women's button down shirt that fits you  
• Rotary cutter and mat
• Sewing machine and thread

This is the shirt I started with:

Step 1: Trim your sleeves.

First, I used my rotary cutter and mat to cut my sleeves off approximately 2 inches before the elbow to make it short-sleeve length. Remember, you'll be rolling the sleeves, so take that into account when trimming your shirt length.

Make sure you save your cuff, you'll be needing that later.

Step 2: Make your cuff.

Roll the raw edge of your shirt sleeve up about 1/2 inch and sew straight across all the way around.

Now, roll your sleeve up so that it's resting at the final length you want it to be. Your raw edges should be hidden now.

Step 3: Make your pick-up.

The pick-up is the small strip of fabric that will be holding your sleeve cuff in place.

Measure from the bottom edge of your sleeve to where you want the top of your pick-up to be and add 1/2 inch. This will be the length you need your pick-up to be. My measurement was 3 inches from where I wanted the top of my pick up to be to the bottom of my sleeve, so I added 1/2 inch and got the final length of 3 1/2 inches.

You will be making your pick-up from your shirt cuff. You want to cut your pick-up in a way that will include one of the buttons (or snaps in my case) for decoration. I laid my cuff out and cut it down the middle with my rotary cutter, then I trimmed it to the length I needed. Tuck the raw edges in and sew the edge of your pick up closed (as you can see in the picture below, I forgot to tuck the raw edges in, oops!) Repeat with the other cuff to get 2 pick-ups.

 

Next, pin the bottom 1/2 edge of your pick-up to the inside of your sleeve, making sure it's positioned on the side opposite your armpit. Make sure you pin your pick-up so that the button will be showing on the outside of your shirt when the pick-up is folded up.

Sew the bottom of your pick-up to your shirt cuff close to the edge.

Last, fold your pick up over top of your cuff and sew along the top of the pick-up to secure it to the shirt.

Now you have a cute short-sleeve shirt for summer. I layer mine over a tank top and wear it to work. I love my "new" old shirt.

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Click on the pictures below to check out the other great posts from the Button Down Rehab series!

Tomorrow, Shannon from Details of a Love will be guest posting with another fabulous (and really cute!) upcycle.

Linking up!

Show and Tell Wednesday at Blue Cricket Design

Button Down Rehab Day 3: Little Guy Bow Tie

Welcome to day 3 of Button Down Rehab!

Yesterday, I showed you how to use a button down shirt to make a vest for your little guy. Today, I wanted to show you a really easy way to use scraps from that shirt to make a matching bow tie to go along with it!

Supplies:

• Scraps from a button down shirt (or any cotton fabric really)
• Fusible webbing
• Glue gun
• Iron
• Rotary cutter and mat or scissors and ruler

Step 1: Cut out your bow pieces.

You want to cut out a piece of fusible webbing 1/2 inch or so larger than what you want your final bow size to be. I wanted my bow to be 2 inches tall and 3 inches wide, so my fusible webbing was 2 1/2 inches tall by 3 1/2 inches wide.

Following the manufacturer's instructions, iron your fusible webbing onto the wrong side of your fabric. Keep the paper on for now.

Trim around your fabric to cut out your piece. Using a rotary cutter and mat, or a ruler and scissors, trim your piece to the size you want it (and keep the scraps). Cut another piece of fabric the same size as your piece with the fusible webbing on it (if your fabric has a pattern, make sure it's going the same direction on both pieces!)

Step 2: Join your pieces together.

With the right sides together, pin your 2 pieces to each other.

Sew all the way around, leaving an opening on the bottom for turning. Carefully remove the paper on the side with your fusible webbing on it, and turn your bow inside out through the opening you left, making sure to use a chopstick or something similar to push out your corners.

For your opening, tuck any raw edges inside so it's flush with the rest of your fabric. Use an iron to press your bow flat. The webbing will join both sides of your bow. Use a smidge (yes, that is a scientific measurement) of hot glue to glue the opening closed.

Step 3: Make your tube.

From the scraps with the interfacing on them that you saved, cut a small rectangle which will be the center of your bow. Make sure it's large enough to fit your bow through (mine was about 1 1/2 inches long and 1/2 inch wide).

With the right sides together, fold your bow in half and stitch a straight line from top to bottom to make a loop. Turn your loop right side out.

Fold your bow like an accordion (4 folds or so).

Slip the loop over your bow, and there you have it!

To attach your bow, you could always make a loop of elastic the length that you need and slip it through the loop of your bow. Since my little guy is so small, I didn't want anything around his neck (plus if we're going to be honest, I didn't have a collared shirt for him to wear :)

I bought a package of diaper pins at Wal Mart and used one to pin it on the inside to his onesie. You could always use safety pins too, but I didn't want there to be a chance of one popping open accidentally.

 Connor likes to wear his bow ties to important social events and parties, although he's not a very good guest. He mostly ignores everyone, eats everything he can, then falls asleep.

When he's not out partying until 7:00 PM, he dresses up his outfit on on business casual day at the office while enjoying his morning cup of warm milk.

We're working on the whole "professional dress" thing. Good thing we have a few years.

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Thanks for reading, and if you're a new follower, I'm glad you're here!

<a href="http://jensownroad.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img alt="My Own Road Button Down Rehab" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2793/5790608569_d61a4d423c_m.jpg"/></a>

If you're participating in the BDR series, grab a button!
Also, if you missed the other 2 days of Button Down Rehab, click on the pictures below to check out the previous posts.

The Button Down Rehab series will be running through July 1 with more awesome tutorials on how to refashion button down shirts, so stick around!

  

Linking up!

Show and Tell Wednesday at Blue Cricket Design