Some people wear vintage clothing well – but there are other people who don’t and some garments that make you feel out-of-date.

Such was the case with this lovely brushed cotton frock which my friend Ele gave me to update for her as Sew 139, see below.

But first, I’ve included a photo of this quick and easy refresh Ele achieved for her verandah chairs using large op-shop bought t-shirts and a bit of hand-sewing using blanket stitch one evening.

This upcycle just goes to show you don’t need a sewing machine, you don’t need heaps of time or money – you just need a little motivation and effort to transform an old sofa with $25 worth of cast-off clothing.

While people will often tackle hand-sewing projects, quilts, toys, bags and decorative crafts, we are still growing into the fact that we can rework our clothing using these skills too.

Sew 139 is a simple sew-change that has updated a slightly dowdy but pretty brushed cotton frock into something groovier, with altered hemline and sleeve shape.

The hem length is critical for the look of a garment on your body. We are all different heights, so it is not surprising we all require different hem lengths to be at their most flattering. That’s why this concept of buying a perfect garment off-the-rack is so tricky – and why I believe we need a few home-sewing skills to help us along the way.

Ele tried on this dress, we selected her preferred length, pinned, and sewed it on the machine – but equally it could have been sewn by hand. I reshaped the sleeves by cropping them more into a cap-sleeve shape, turned the cut raw edge over twice and stitched the new shape in place. These simple changes have turned a dowdy frock into something more wearable. They don’t take long, they are empowering, reduce waste and save shopping for new replacements.