WANT? Cute, simple, Penny-sized shirts. Somehow, Penny has maybe one nice shirt that actually fits her. Everything else is either too big, too small, or stained. I guess that happens when you're third in a line of hand-me-downs.
COST? I can get a nice, girly jersey-knit shirt from a clearance rack or thrift store for less than $2.
IS IT A PRIORITY? Not really, since she'll survive just fine if she's dressed like a ragamuffin. But it would be nice if I could provide her with something a little more pretty.
DO I HAVE ANYTHING LAYING AROUND THAT CAN BE USED? YES! I found a really easy tutorial on how to make a kids dress/long shirt from a bigger t-shirt. Andy has several old t-shirts, saved from his childhood, that have just been sitting in a bin in the basement. And Ronnie has some t-shirts she's willing to donate to the cause.
CAN I MAKE IT DO? Yes! I gathered up old t-shirts family members were willing to share and gave them a brand new look. One didn't turn out so great (neckline too big and sleeves too small), but here are the rest:
The one I made from Andy's 5th grade baseball shirt was too big for Penny, but fit Alexa perfectly.
The neckline on Andy's old D.A.R.E. shirt was too big to fit Penny OR Alexa, but looked great on Ronnie (and prompted an interesting conversation about drugs):
On my 4th try, Ronnie's too-big field hockey camp t-shirt made a "just right" shirt/dress for Penny. Mission accomplished! 
Per a friend's suggestion, I added some trim to make it pop a little more:
And...then I felt bad everyone else got a new shirt/dress except Evie, so I made her one out of one of Penny's stained t-shirts. 
CONCLUSION: For the cost of electricity to run the sewing machine and about an hour of my time, I was able to create four cute (and one cute-yet-unusable) dresses/long shirts for my kids by repurposing what I already had. And Andy's childhood togs got a new life! Even though I can buy clothes for pretty cheap on clearance or at thrift stores, it's even better to get them for cheap as free. Now that I know how to do it, (and know how easy it is!) henceforth, my kids will not only have clothes that fit, but clothes that are really cute and unique, too! And you know, I think the next time I see a too-big, yet super cute t-shirt at the thrift store, I might justify picking it up to see what I can come up with for myself.
