Remaking Shoes - part 1

Two pairs of shoes weren't working for me. Instead of getting rid of them, I made alterations and kept wearing them.

My feet are hard to fit. I've worn a wide width since my son was born (and a few even before then), so finding my size in a wide width that I can afford can be a challenge. 

I've noticed, however, a problem with a couple of pairs of shoes I have. Both have a back strap that attaches to the side of the shoe. Not to the front part, like a slingback, but to the sole. And this back strap keeps sliding off my heel. 

I like these shoes and want to wear them - heck, I've paid for them so I want to get to use them. Then I realized - why not remove the back strap and wear them as slides? Since the strap was falling off anyway, they tended to be "slides" by default. 

I got a pair of utility scissors, and a minute later, I had re-made the shoes to make them more wearable! 

My challenge to you - what items do you have that you never wear? Could you do a similar alteration to make them wearable? 

Duvet Cover to Pillow Cases

Not I remake is to be worn - by a person anyway. This remake is for my bed!

The backstory - in 1998, I bought a duvet cover for about $25 (on sale, of course!). It has served me well through the years, but a few years ago, I noticed it was faded and beginning to get some tears. I patched it as best I could, but it really needed to be replaced. However, I had trouble finding anything less than $50, and most of them I didn't like. So---I kept looking.

In March, while hitting the thrift stores to look for wardrobe for a movie I was helping with, I found one! In excellent condition, it was the right size, and - best of all - the place sold by the pound. So, my new-to-me duvet cover was under $5! YES!!!

The old cover, however, wasn't completely trashed. There was a lot of good fabric still in it, and I couldn't bring myself to throw it away. But what to do with it? It so happened that I also had a set of pillowcases that were getting threadbare and torn. So - make new pillowcases from the old cover!

It was a rather simple remake. Here's the steps:

•  I laid the old pillowcases on the duvet cover, and used them as a pattern, cutting extra to make them a bit larger and to allow for seams. 
• I stitched up the sides, zig-zagged the ope, then end turned it up and sewed a double seam to make it more decorative. 

I've been using them for several weeks now, and I am very pleased with the results.

There is still a lot of the fabric left, and I'm not sure what to do with it yet, but I'm hanging on to it for now. Surely inspiration will strike.

Dont worry,  the old pillowcases were not thrown away. Taking my pinking shears, I cut them into squares to use to remove my eye makeup and nail polish. 

My point is that before throwing something away, take the time to think of any alternate uses for the item - or the materials that make the item. I spent under $5 to buy the new-to-me duvet cover, and in the process got new pillowcases and new make-up remover pads.

If you like to sew, check out my tutorial How To Upcycle a Sweater to a Purse. Don't throw out that
old pullover sweater - upcycle it to a new purse. Step-by-step illustrated instructions are available on Etsy and Gumroad.