DIY REPURPOSED JUMPER FROM DAD'S OLD SHIRTS

A few weeks ago I mentioned I was going to share about Ruby's jumper here on Instagram. I just got around to loading some photos, so here you go! Before we left on our journey this summer I was trying to sort through quite a bit as I was packing. Lots of clothes to sort through with six people. Brandon had several button up dress shirts that didn't fit or that he wasn't going to wear anymore. A few of them I decided to keep and use for new jumpers for the girls. It's funny. A lot of times I get the sewing or creative itch to make something for fun, but sometimes it has come in handy just for practical uses as well. We have been on a tight budget, and knowing it was summer and it's always fun to give the girls something new to wear (I mean, they are girls...and what little girl doesn't love a new little outfit), I thought this fit the bill just fine. 

I had been eyeing several jumpers and overall dresses here and there , and felt like the fabric from Brandon's shirts would be great...and FREE! Since I was in a pinch for time and was trying to crank out several of these in the midst of packing up our stuff, I only managed to get one before photo. Hopefully you will get the idea, as it was a pretty quick and easy sewing project.

Here's the before (don't mind the wrinkles...no time for ironing either).

So, I simply cut off half of the shirt. Then, I cut a two inch wide strip directly above that to make the waist band as well. 

Next, I cut off the sleeves into two strips to make the straps. *Please note*, long sleeves work better for a longer strap for larger sizes. This particular jumper was for Ruby and I could get away with using the shorter sleeves to make straps for her because she is a petite one.

You could keep the existing hem at the bottom to make it easy. For this one I choose to make a larger hem. I then sewed up the back...this could be done with or without the buttons going down the shirt. (I chose to sew mine up without the buttons along the back to keep it simple)  I measured the straps according to the fit and sewed them on with buttons from the existing shirt. With more time you could make them adjustable with button holes. Some of the jumpers I made have buttons and some are without. I thought they could go either way, and changed it up with each one.

And there you go. Finished project!

I made a few in different sizes so they could all have at least one. Sophie's checkered one is one of my favorites. And if you don't have any old shirts, you can easily find some checked, striped, or even linen (if you're lucky!) men's shirts at the thrift store for a good deal.

They were so happy they did a little dance!

 Here's two more that made their way in their suitcases for this summer.

The floral one is made from an old dress I had when I was pregnant...same idea, but it was pleated a bit and had pockets already so that was a bonus!

The good thing about these jumpers is that they will last beyond the summer with long sleeves and tights. So, if you feel like giving it a try, it would work for the cooler weather coming up as well. Any thoughts and comments welcome! I'd love to know if any of you have tried this or are going to try it!