These are all examples of existing garments that I've altered in some way to make them into something a little different or more functional than they were before. I've done some other pants-hems and waist-take-ins for friends but I didn't have the forethought to photograph them at the time. Lesson learned for the future! This is the work I think makes most sense to do on commision, so get in contact if you have something that isn't quite how you'd like it. I'll make it right!
A pair of Madewell pants that were just a bit too short! It's a bit hard to see in the photos because the pants are so dark, but what I did was let the bottom hem out a bit! Thankfully the hem was nice and wide, so I was able to just unpick and do a much smaller twice-turn. The first two photos are after I lenghtened them, the third photo is one leg unpicked with the other leg untouched, and the fourth photo is them as they were when they arrived.
This is a pair of Lucy & Yak trousers (the Addison I think) that I inherited from Olivia.
They were an okay fit on me before, but the high-waist wasn't really as high as I wanted it to be, so I took in the waist so they'd stay up higher. This is the same process I did on Olivia's pants below. I put the seam for the waistband a bit to side so it wouldn't be too thick to pass through my machine all stacked on top of each other, and I like how it looks. In the last photo you can see the transition point between my french seam and the original serged seam. Quite happy with how these turned out, such a wonderful fit now!
A commision from Taylor. A long sleeve with a Ralph Lauren polo-boy logo that he just wanted gone, however I could do it.
What I decided to do was seam-rip out the embroidery of the logo, which took a while (so dense!). It's a shame I was so hypnotized during that process and didn't take any photos, it was interesting seeing the form unravel. So after that, I sashiko'd a patch on the inside and called it good!
These are a pair of lovely lovely leggings from Conscious Clothing. Olivia and I each got a pair, and they ran a bit long on the leg for us. This was my first time hemming a knit, and after some research I decided to use a cuff and wow! they came out so polished and beautiful! It was also surprisingly simple, just folding the cuff on the raw end of the leg and zoop with the serger and it was done! So so happy with how this one came out. I did it for Olivia's as well, and honestly those ones look even better :)
This is a combination of two aprons, both gleaned from the free-out bin at the Moscow Food Co-op. The bottom piece was just a waist-apron, while the top was a full bib apron that I found just a bit too short. I seam-ripped the tie off of the waist-apron, then french-seamed it to the bottom of the bib-apron. I'm proud of my clean lines on this and so in love with the quality of the cotton. No more flour on the thighs of my pants!
These are a pair of Everlane straight leg crop pants, the fourth photo is a cropped photo of the same style on their store page (for future alterations I need to take photos of the garment before I alter it!). They were a great fit in the hips but had too much space in the waist. I seam-ripped the back crotch seam up through the waistband behind the belt loop that used to be there in the middle back of the waistband. I took it in as much I could while still leaving the pockets intact, then sewed it back up! Now they fit great! This is the second pair I've done this to.
I'm not linking to the Everlane store page deliberately. We were early in on our slow fashion journey when we bought these, but I wouldn't buy from them again because as a company they've not only participated in union busting, but also keep stealing designs from lesser-known garment designers. Not cool!
This is a button-up long sleeve from Lucy & Yak. I cropped the bottom of the shirt with a twice-turn hem because it was too long, and I made the pointy part of the collar less pointy by simply folding, pressing, and stitching it down! The second image is the best I could find of an original that shows both parts I altered. They don't sell button-ups anymore, so this is an old photo from their Instagram.
Another disclaimer: I wouldn't recommend Lucy & Yak as a brand either because after ongoing requests from customers for size-inclusive options, they still don't offer any. They also tried to reach out to someone to get them to design more size-inclusive stuff, but then weren't going to pay them for that labor? Yikes...
Also yes, I did this to two of these shirts, the blue one just photographed better!
I found this lovely ribbed tank top at a local clothing swap, and after a summer of use I realized I wanted it cropped, so I cropped it! I used a serger on this one to finish the edge, then I sewed it down. Pretty simple, but I like it so much better now.
A little quality of life improvement. This is a strange Eddie Bauer jacket I found at a thrift store for like 25¢. The cuff on the sleeve was way too small velcroed shut, but too wide when it was open (plus that left a loose unfastened flap?) So, I just stitched the flap down at a nice middle spot. Problem solved!
A Flax-brand linen tank top that I found at a consignment shop in Albuquerque. A bit too long, but I still wanted to be able to tuck it, so I took 2 or 3 inches off the bottom. This one I finished with a twice-turn hem.