How To Alter A FLAX Bag Into A Wearable Frock: Art Project Tutorial 14

How To Alter A FLAX Bag Into A Wearable Frock: Art Project Tutorial 14

by Lynne Suprock

SEW.....  not much around here stays plain for very long.....

A few months ago a good friend sent me a few things from her local FLAX boutique.  Let me say, "I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, FLAX clothes" and was sew excited when the package arrived.  Anywho, there was also a plain cloth bag that arrived in the package along with my ensemble, and although it was FLAX awesome as well, it screamed for a chance to live the dream of being an actual supercalifragilistic FLAX wearable.  

And "SEW" again……….  I decided to give it a whirl and set out to alter the hungry little bag into a marvelously stitcherized frock!  Apologies. I don't have my image of the bag in its before state.  Close your eyes and imagine a basic sac with handles, tag on the inside.  OK? Ok.

First things, first.  Let's turn it inside out to see that adorable little FLAX tag. Yep, let's leave the tag showing! Next it was time to tear out the bottom bag seams and then cut the fabric off, straight across the bottom.  That gave me some extra fabric right away. I used that fabric to create a few free motion stitched appliqués as add-ons.  

Next it was time to remove the bag handles and stitch them on their opposite sides, to use as jumper shoulder pieces. I also removed the side seams so I could later add 3" from the shirt mentioned below, to have better movement under the arm part of the piece. Heart flower motifs made nice appliques, so a few were added and eventually sewn with black thread and free motion stitching. 

This is where things got a little crazy because it was time to introduce my FLAX hybrid to the make or break supercalifragilistic moment regarding a must have union with a neutral colored thrift store shirt.  (Men's size large). I cut two, 2" strips, from the shirt and free motion stitched the word “wirth” to one of those strips.  Both of the strips were positioned in the back, their ends sewn between the repositioned bag handles, to keep it all from slipping off my shoulders later.  

Out of the rest of the rest of the shirt, came two side panels under the arm areas and a purposefully uneven strip to add to the bottom.  Too plain again......so I free motion stitched some more hearts, in black, along the bottom of the added fabric.   The string of hearts matched the free motion appliqué designs earlier placed on the front of the frock.

A little bit of tidying loose threads and hemming it all up, ahhhh .......and voila.  

This was a fast, free, and fun frock to make and layer over another smock or wear over leggings. 

And yes, indeed, I paired the outfit with one of my little purse necklaces.  Yum.  Kudos to the photographer!

Frock Over A Smock...

A Different Look Over Leggings...

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Stay tuned for the next Segment, with more stories, images, and tips throughout the weeks and months ahead