Archive for the ‘Wardrobe Refashion’ Category

Sep 09

You guys rock!  You gave me so many great ideas yesterday that I don’t know what to do.  I love that you all see the potential that I see in that flower garden of a dress.

I’m still considering all the possibilities, but I did another makeover yesterday that I think you’ll appreciate.

Ninety-nine cent black linen dress + thread from Sarah’s sewing box + seersucker scraps from this shirt = My favorite before & after ever.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

For this project, I removed the bodice, narrowed it, and made it a trapezoid (using bias tape along the armholes).  I then cut off the slitted part of the skirt, gathered the waist a little, sewed on the top part, and hemmed up the bottom.  I made 2″ bias tape from black and white seersucker and sewed it together for the tie at the top.

Easy-ish! :)

Thank you, husband, for taking the “after” pictures. :)

Sep 08

 

This dress is arguably worse than this one was.  It’s not really the appropriate season for more sundresses or boldly floral skirts, but I think I’ll make one anyway.  What would you do with this one?

Sep 01

I just can’t say no to crafting, no matter what state my home is in (And today it happens to be up for sale.  Did I mention that?).  In fact, it seems to ease the stress.  I made these simple skirts this afternoon from two corduroy prints I couldn’t pass up at Joann’s.  I used half a yard of fabric for each, using this tutorial as a guide, and then finished the bottom hem.  The brown skirt has a zig-zag stitch, and I used the scallop function on my sewing machine for the gray skirt.  (That was way easier than I thought it would be.)  So in about 2 hours, I made 2 skirts for the little girl that will be perfect for Autumn.

Can you believe it’s September already?

Aug 28

I found the shirt at the thrift store for $1 and embellished it with one of Martha’s templates.

Aug 27

Thanks, everyone, for encouraging me about the move!  Keeping the house spotless for potential buyers is stressful (and so is packing), so I decided to unwind a little bit today by making over Emily’s shirt:

While visiting the library recently (and wearing the aforementioned shirt), Emily was mistakenly called a “he” by 2 different people.  To be fair, she was wearing boy’s shorts, and her hair was pulled back in a ponytail.  But still.  The incident made me rethink stripes on girls.

Or maybe it just gave me an excuse to applique.

For this project, I was inspired by a hot-air balloon zippered pouch in Zakka Sewing.  (And you might recognize the bird from here.)

I think I feel better already.

EDIT: And here’s the Emily looking very much like a girl in her freshly decorated shirt.  She was tickled pink by it.  We even watched hot-air balloon videos on Flickr. :)

Aug 16

Today I made a collage.

Well…

A mood board.

Clothing design is on my mind a lot these days.

Which reminds me…

Do any of you have experience with dress forms?  I’m looking for a good (but inexpensive) one.  I tried the duct tape dress form, and, well, DIY doesn’t always work…

[Mood board clippings taken from Domino Magazine (R.I.P.) and an Anthropologie catalog.  And that’s Jenny Gordy from Wikstenmade front and center.]

Aug 13

It’s finished.  It has pockets and a slight tulip shape.  This was fashioned almost entirely from the bottom ruffle of the dress.

To cinch the waist but leave a little wiggle room, I made it so that the waistband wraps around from the back and ties in the front.  Does that even make sense?  Anyway, I can tie it in a bow or twist it (as it is in the picture) or whatever.  Maybe even a brooch could hold it together on the side.

I think it could be 2 inches shorter.  Because less is more. ;)

Aug 03

Here are a couple ideas:

[From Mod Cloth.]

[From French Connection.]

Jul 27

What would you do with this?  I couldn’t pass it up.  Afterall, it recalls the most awkward years of my life, and it partially explains why they were so excrutiating.  I did not belong in ruffly drapes.  What were designers thinking selling so much poof and brightness to the masses?  Brooke Shields is the only person I can think of who could have pulled this off and still been glamorous and beautiful.  Even then…

But that asymmetric hemline… The clashing pink & red… The chintz… Something about it calls to me.  And that’s why I rescued it from the thrift store.  Am I nuts?

Jul 19

This pattern:

And on the brain, this dress from Forever 21: