The Shirt Off Daddy's Back Sewing Workshop

$35

($30 each if you join with a friend - details below)

Note: The workshop is running now - but you're welcome to join us at any time. All the content will be up through September 14 and you'll be able to download all the PDFs for use after the workshop is over.
In this workshop I'll show you how to turn a pile of cast-off or thrifted men's shirts into a brand-new wardrobe for a little girl who seems to need new clothes every time you turn around. We won't be just cutting up old clothes for the fabric. I'm going to show you how to be strategic about it, preserving the character - as well as the finish work and details - of the original garment.

Why would you want to refashion old clothes into new ones?

• It's sweet. My daughter LOVES wearing clothes made from her daddy's old shirts.
• It's thrifty. Kids outgrow their clothes SO FAST. These new clothes are practically free - and so easy you can whip up a whole wardrobe in no time.
• They're comfy. Kids are especially intolerant of anything stiff or itchy. Clothes that have been worn for a couple of years are "pre-softened" and feel like old favorites from day one.
• It's easy. The methods I'll show you in this workshop work with existing hems, closures, pockets and other details to make your sewing quick and easy.

What you'll get:

• 8 downloadable PDFs (including early access to a few patterns not available as stand-alones yet).
• 12 video lessons (some are companions to the PDFs taking you step by step through the entire construction, and some will teach you brand new skills and techniques).

What you'll learn:

• Make a straight skirt from a T-shirt and from a button-down woven shirt, with options for elastic and knit waistbands.
• Make an A-line skirt from a button-down shirt. Learn to draft patterns for fitted and gathered versions, with elastic or knit waistbands - or no waistband at all.
• Make an A-line dress from a T-shirt and a button-down shirt. Learn to use fold-over-elastic to finish knit edges without a serger. Learn two different methods for binding woven edges. (You won't draft your own pattern for this one - I'll provide a pattern for sizes 3-8.)
• Make a non-itchy tube-top dress.
• Make a full apron with adjustable neck strap.
• Make a half-apron.
• Embroider a rainbow hem.
• Crochet a scalloped border on a hem.
• Make ruffles from knit fabric scraps.

When does it happen?

• The workshop will open on Sunday, July 10. All the videos and PDFs will be available to you at that time so you can work through them at your own pace. (Note: The workshop is open now. Join in at any time!)
• The workshop will close on Sunday, September 14 (two months later). At that time you will no longer have access to the videos, but you'll be able to keep all the PDFs you downloaded.

What if I get stuck or have questions?

• You can email me at any time. 
• You can post your question in the comments of any post.
• You can ask a question in the discussion area of the Flickr group I've set up for our workshop.

 $35.00

$30.00 each if you join with at least one friend

We'll have the dedicated Flickr group so you all can share your creations with each other and ask questions. But sometimes it's nice to have someone actually in the room with you - to laugh together over disasters and to do a happy dance when everything works perfectly the first time. So - I'm offering a discount if you and a friend join the workshop together. Here's how. . .

• Change the quantity in your cart to the total number of friends joining together.
• Enter the discount code BFF.
• Your total should reflect the change - now charging $30 for each person.
• Complete the transaction.
• In Paypal, enter the email addresses for ALL the friends into the "instructions to merchant" field. That will allow me to add each of you to the workshop.
• Get ready to sew!

Any questions? Please let me know! See you soon!

Update: More info (and a few questions answered) here.
Update: Specific list of patterns with info about which are good for kids and which are good for adults here.

Best,
Wendi