Introduction: Makeover Dress With Free-minded Stitches

About: lazycrafter ★ http://8tokyo.com contributing writer ★ cat, sweets (real & fake!), tiny things, dolly lover

=== Materials & Tools ===
- dress (or any clothes, fabric bags etc.) that you'd like to makeover
- colorful threads
- needles
- scissors
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I got a long-sleeved denim-look-alike relaxing jersey dress on clearance sale. Early summer will come to Tokyo very soon, I'd like to cut-off the sleeves and put stitches for some decoration combined with stopping frays.
As always says, I'm really BAD at sewing and stitching! So I decided to use most simple and basic running stitches for this.

Step 1:

It's very easy, so the most important thing is choosing lovely threads. Choose different (or same) colors for each stitch. I use 3 different beautiful color Swedish linen threads.

Step 2:

Cut-off the sleeves, leave sleeve fabrics half or 1 inches from arm holes. Trim both sleeves (almost) same length.

Step 3:

Start stitching. Tie up the thread, and start stitching from bottom of the sleeve. To hem cut-off sleeves, put one or two whipstitch for stopping frays. Then start running stitches. I put the first stitch line from inside of the sleeve.

Step 4:

Keep stitching! Don't pull the thread strongly, not to shrink dress fabric. And don't forget to tie up the end of the thread.

Step 5:

It's like Japanese traditional Sashiko technique, but more free-minded and easy.
If you can make it more beautiful, please tidy the stitch lines. If you can't (like me,) I think it's absolutely ok.
Enjoy! (^-^)b