How many times have you stumbled on a gorgeous vintage print, only to find that the garment itself looks like your great grandmother’s muumuu? Summer Phoenix and Ruby Canner, the girls behind Some Odd Rubies vintage clothing store in NYC, have come to the rescue to show you how to revamp a frumpy second-hand find into a fabulous new piece on this segment of The Martha Stewart Show. For this project the girls show you step-by-step how to take a vintage skirt and rework that outdated shape into an adorable and modern silhouette using one of the new Heavy Duty sewing machines from SINGER®. With a few simple steps and quick stitches, you can have a whole new look!
So tell us, do you prefer making projects from scratch or altering second-hand garments into new pieces? Leave your comments here by 9am EST on Monday, January 31st for your chance to win a SINGER® Dress Form! And don’t forget, you only have four days to comment to win a brand new SINGER® sewing machine, a SINGER® Home Essentials™ Expert Finish™ Iron or a SINGER® Home Essentials™ SteamWorks™ Pro Iron! Winners of all of the how-to Martha Stewart video series will be posted Feb. 1st on the BurdaStyle blog and in our newsletter, so leave your comment on the other posts for your chance to win!
SINGER® is sewing made easy™. To learn more about SINGER sewing machines and SINGER retailers, click here!
Tune-in to The Martha Stewart Show, airing weekdays at 10 a.m. ET/9 a.m. CT on Hallmark Channel.
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Jan 30, 2011, 02.18 AMby Syl .
I prefer to make clothes from scratch but I am also customizing bought garments
Jan 30, 2011, 02.15 AMby bubblewrap14
ooo I love sewing with old the fabrics and refabing older pieces best! That’s why I could really use that dress form! -Emma
Jan 30, 2011, 02.12 AMby mrshabdab
While I am a novice sewer, I must admit I don’t usually make clothes. However, I love to repoupose clothes so I can keep things out of the landfill and maybe just maybe earn some extra cash in the process. I also like to be able to make something new from something and have memories attached to them. Say clothes from a loved one made into a quilt so they live on forever.
Jan 30, 2011, 01.53 AMby karenadd
I prefer to make my garments from scratch. Love picking out the pattern, fabric and making it my own. I get lots of great ideas from seeing how others repurpose, but I usually can’t find any existing garments that would work for the ideas I have, so I make my own.
Jan 30, 2011, 01.36 AMby sixgunsally
I think that there is a certain amount of satisfaction the one receives from both reworking a old garment and constructing a new one. I happy doing either.
Jan 30, 2011, 01.36 AMby threadsquare
I started off on garments by altering second hand, and have evolved into making them from scratch. But that doesn’t mean I’m too good for Goodwill ;) I still love scouring thrift stores & yard sales for something to upcycle, and it’s an entirely different challenge than matching the perfect pattern/design with the perfect textile. There are so many amazing new textiles out there, but also so many fabulous garments that just need laundering, unpicking and some imagination to make them into something all your own. And then there’s always re-vamping an old project I’ve sewn myself (which I’m in the middle of tonight)!
Jan 30, 2011, 01.05 AMby shorne89
I’m a poor college student so I love revamping my wardrobe. Its just cheaper and more fun to rework things that I already have or go to the thrift store and rework things from there!
Jan 29, 2011, 11.46 PMby prettyfascinated
I like a little of both. Especially taking an old fabric, cutting it up and creating something new from scratch!
Jan 29, 2011, 11.31 PMby cyanste
I like to make new projects from scratch! But lately I’ve just been re-altering old garments since I haven’t had the time to get more fabric.
Jan 29, 2011, 11.29 PMby hermelinsin
That depends on what to do with the fabric.. a little adjustment here and there is fun, but for a novice like me, most of the timeI prefer sewing from scratch. but both are fun.
Jan 29, 2011, 11.13 PMby mich22
I am learning to make things from scratch. But I really like to alter clothing too. To me, it is another form of recycling and it can be much more affordable.
Jan 29, 2011, 11.13 PMby aslimir
I enjoy altering old garments into something new.
Jan 29, 2011, 11.02 PMby turtlesrule27
From scratch because being able to make my own garment is so much fun.
Jan 29, 2011, 10.58 PMby gaviccaabri
Making from scratch! It’s a lot better for creativity to fly
Jan 29, 2011, 10.41 PMby MMaggie
I make projects from scratch, but after seeing this program I will be the first at the market looking through some old clothes next Saturday. I want a summer dress like yours too :)
Jan 29, 2011, 10.40 PMby alissaslagle
I prefer to make things from scratch, but every once and awhile a real good remake is fun!
Jan 29, 2011, 10.39 PMby lustofthelibertines
I’d say from scratch, but i’ve never actually tried altering anything vintage – i’m too scared i’ll ruin it!
Jan 29, 2011, 10.25 PMby Rochelle Stoddard
I am better at scratch!
Jan 29, 2011, 10.19 PMby Natalie Bourdeau
I prefer to repurpose second-hand things into new modern-styled creations. I can’t stand the thought of a perfectly good garment going to waste. :)
Jan 29, 2011, 10.11 PMby makurochan
i prefer working from a new pattern because my brain seems to work best with patterns, but i will use an old piece of clothing if i can completely disassemble it and cut something new from it!
Jan 29, 2011, 10.06 PMby simone272
Both, but mostly from scratch :)
Jan 29, 2011, 09.32 PMby yellowmae
From scratch. I love coming home with a nicely folded blank canvas :-)
Jan 29, 2011, 09.32 PMby yellowmae
From scratch. I love coming home with a nicely folded blank canvas :-)
Jan 29, 2011, 09.29 PMby helendin
I prefer from scratch but I have altered other things to make something different.
Jan 29, 2011, 09.26 PMby daiyami
I prefer to make from scratch. Alterations just seem too difficult, I’m not even good at altering the things I make.
Jan 29, 2011, 09.05 PMby lunwin
I just bought my very first pattern today! I’m very excited to be making my first dress from scratch, got beautiful fabric so here’s hoping I do a good job! Wish me luck with my first project!
Jan 29, 2011, 08.59 PMby petitmoutonbleu
Because I’m just a beginner I like to take pieces that are already made and merge them with things I’m doing from scrath… like a frankenstein dress because for some projects I just haven’t learned how to make things So I guess both are fun, constructing new and creative things and de-constructing from other that are already made.
Jan 29, 2011, 08.43 PMby bennabear
From scratch! It’s a lot more fun that way :) Though altering is fun too
Jan 29, 2011, 08.30 PMby marlalalalere
Hello Martha! Hello burda! I would like sooooooo much having this dress form , for the moment I pin myself and it hurts!!!!!
I started sewing when I was a moneyless teenager, so altering garments and make them from scrath was a nececity if I wanted to have clothes I really love an be really “mine”….Now my daughter has garments from my garments’s scratch ……..And we match!
Thank you again for the inspirations here with burda team and the community!
See you with ou next projects!