Wardrobe Refashion

One of THOSE days?

Hi everyone!  I am working multiple projects as usual, no photos yet...but I saw this on my table the other day and just thought it was funny enough to share. 

You know you're having a bad refashioning day when you see this:

Warning: don't sew under the influence. ;)

Clever Girl's Tuxedo Shirt Refashion

One of the first things I remember seeing on WRF was this, a cute tuxedo shirt refashion. I love the look of romantic clothing, and bookmarked it for later. I found my old work shirts from a nice restaurant when I visited my mother in August, but they are too stained to look good refashioned, and I think they are too synthetic to  dye a different color (although I'm willing to try!) Last weekend at the Salvation Army I found a men's 2X tux shirt, and grabbed it for only a few dollars. I cut out Simplicty 4077, View E Monday night, and finished it Wednesday.

I always like CleverGirl's refashions, and I'm very pleased with the way this turned out. I haven't made the vertical darts yet, because I need my neighbor to come back from vacation to pin them in, but I wore the shirt yesterday to take some friends out shopping, and I really enjoyed it.

You can read more at JuxtaPoser, but I'd really recommend going to the source if youwant to make one of these great shirts.

And if anyone has any tips about photographing yourself in the mirror without covering up your outfit, please share them! I took about twenty shots last night with my new camera (hooray!!!) and this is the best of the lot.

Necklace and Earrings

The necklace was inspired by the one Kasmira is wearing in her Homecoming post. I didn't have all the neat finding and such but I think mine turned out ok.  Modeled here on my dressform/stunt double Jersey Girl:

 

There are all kinds of recycled beads in this baby. The Chinese ceramic bead is from a late 80's - early 90's key chain, the pinkish seed is super old from the 70's, as is the little white wood square near the top. The rest are pretty much bargain bin supplies I have accumulated over the years.  Some garnet, some coral, and I think the chain is gold plated.

Any semblance to something festive for the party season is purely coincidental. No parties for me in this economy.

My on-the-go bag

I've been looking for a purse that goes across my chest since I find this placement comfortable and keeps the bag secure against my body. No matter the design of a bag, it can slip off my shoulder when I have one hand full of grocery bags and the other holding my 3 year old's hand. I haven't had luck finding one so I decided to make one and I love the look and function of it. It only carries the necessities but that's all I need because when I have a larger bag, I end up carrying a bunch of junk.

 

I was perusing the remnant basket at Joann's and found a very cool black quilted fabric - I think it's a poly blend. It was just short a couple inches of a yard so it was perfect for my bag which called for 1 yard. The regular price per yard was $15 but I got it for half off since it was a remnant - score! I used Simplicity 9000and found the bag very easy to make. I did make some changes and they are as follows:

1. left the outside pocket off

2. added a lining and added a pocket to it (perfect for my phone and lipstick)

3. squared off the bottom

4. stitched across the bag an inch or so above and parallel to the zipper to prevent the contents from slipping into the strap (found it strange that the pattern didn't tell you to do this in the first place)

5. topstitched the strap

I love, love, love this bag and want to make more in different colors and fabric which I will do once I finish making gifts for everyone. Next time I want to use a zipper in a color different from the bag - imagine how cool this would've been with a red or orange zipper. I also want to make the backpack pictured in gray on the pattern. This bag has been perfect for the park, too. I can run around and play with my daughter and not feel hindered by my bag.

 

Until next time,

 

koala brains 

Messenger bag recon

I love to get the ugliest pieces of clothing and making them into something chic or trendy or at least palatable. Here is a recon I made a while ago with a very ugly men's jacket. It even had darts... I did not even take a before picture, it was so ugly.

Here the after picture:

I really like it and I stenciled my school's logo on the pocket. What is really neat about using a men's jacket is that it is already lined and has all kins of neat pockets inside !!! I put all my sewing class stuff in it.

Question about darning

I am attempting to rehabilitate a favorite old wool cardigan I got at a thrift store years ago and wore until the cuffs got raggedy.  (I think the sweater dates from the 50's or 60's, judging by the Brooks Brothers label.)  It looks like the cuffs need to be sort of woven back together - they're hanging in shreds - which is my idea of what darning is.  I know they used to sell a product called darning cotton which our grandmothers used, because I found some in my great-grandma's old sewing machine.  But it's the wrong color, and when I went to JoAnn's today they didn't have anything by that name.  Does anyone have an idea for what I could use to fix it?

Pragmatic progress

Much as I love making dresses and fancy garb, mostly I need clothes that are warm, professional and go together with what I already have. Plus, the purple dress collection has ballooned out of hand. So I scour the thrifts now for silk and wool sweaters and make sure they fit.

I've been so frustrated this fall by all the purple that's suddenly trendy and ubiquitous, but since it's been my favorite color singe age 2, I might as well just stock up while it's abundant. 

These two had great potential, both in the quality of the knits, the color and the detail -- like the silver buttons down the front of the chunkier knit. Both were too big and boxy, though, to make it out of the closet.

Altering sweaters can be easy, and a simple change up like new buttons makes all the difference. I've done a few here and there.

 

Purple, how very fabulous. 

Find this how-to  here on fitzfabulous.

A Hat from a "Members Only" Jacket

Remember those men's jackets by "Members Only?" Glad the 1980's are long gone...what a fashion fiasco!!  I turned his black and brown 'buttugly' "Members" into a nicely fitted hat for the winter. I used the jacket's lining on the inside, and am saving the full length zipper for a bag some day.

Refashioned Sweater Dress

It's finally starting to get chilly around here (yes, 65 degrees feels chilly when it's still been in the high 80's since summer officially ended) so it was time to start refashioning the old pile of women's sweaters that have been patiently waiting for their new lease on life.  The bird on this sweater was a big hit with my six year old daughter.  And she begged to keep the sleeves long with the added thumb holes.  Not quite sure where she saw that one.  The skirt was made from a piece of vintage fabric picked up from an estate sale.
 

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A Winter Skirt

I didn't make this from anything else so this is a wardrobe fashion I suppose. I made a skirt from Burda 8377.

Burda's version:

My version:

I am (contrary to my facial expression) quite pleased with it. I am wearing it to work today. I think it goes nicely with my Cherry cardigan (which I knit a couple of years ago) but I think the belt needs further re-fashioning. As soon as I track down an awl or something I'll add an extra hole so it fits a bit more tightly.

I made it because I wanted this skirt from Laura Ashley and I think I've got pretty close to the original.
Result!