Upcycle Before You Toss It!

In the spirit of being economical, frugal, cheap, responsible, what have you, I like to carefully examine every garment before I throw it out or thrift it, for refashion possibilities. I found two such items in my closet the other day. One was a previous refash, the other a semi formal I'd only worn twice. I searched high and low for the original picture of this first one and concluded that I either deleted it, or never took it, it was a dress that I turned into a maxi skirt, pictured here.

Really not super exciting to me, although it feels nice. It's a bit heavier fabric than what is usually used for maxis. I wore it once, it's just not me. I thought about passing it on to someone else or the the thrift store, but thought I should remake it again to give it a face lift. Here's what happened.

Much more better! It's still subtle, but more chic. It can be played up a bit with a colorful belt or jewelry that pops if I want. It's quite comfortable. Still not my favorite outfit, but I can hang on to it a bit longer now. :)

My second refash is a bit more exciting, a bit more me.

Original:

This wasn't a thrift store find, I'm almost positive I got it from Papaya a couple years ago on clearance for $10, which is still a decent price for a, what is this, semi formal? More of a clubbing dress, but anyway.. I wore it to my brother's rehearsal dinner, and maybe one or two more times. I don't party, so it was kinda just taking up space in my closet. The lace around the sleeves was starting to die, so I thought I'd try a little summin summin on it. Here's what happened. 

I chopped it. That's it. No sewing, nothing, just a chop.

Much, much more better!!! I love it!!! I don't know if I'm finished with it, I may have to sew the two layers together because the lace wants to ride up and leave the bottom layer behind.. not the end of the world, but I'm uncertain how I will be able to put it on if I sew them together.. For now, I'll leave it. I really, really love this one!

What Took Me So Long? Simplest Refashion Ever.

Well I have had this pretty thing in my refash stash for at least a year. I had hoped to make some kind of Regency era inspired costume out of it, but it really wasn't long enough, and after the last refash I did with a very similar lacy gown, I knew just what to do!!

Really there were several possibilities, but all I ended up doing was removing the sleeves and of course the shoulder pads. The sleeves weren't that bad after the shoulder pads were gone, but I tucked them in to see what it looked like sleeveless, and loved it! It suits spring/summer better anyway.

Very elegant and streamlined. I will get a longer slip to go underneath it, but that's it! Btw, those shoes were originally $40, and I got them for $5!!!! Win!!!!!

The good thing about the buttons is that I could unbutton most of them and pair this with a cami and pants, that seems to be a new look that can work (but only with the right combination of color and such.) I like versatility, especially when the original garment is so inexpensive! This was $5 or less, I don't remember exactly...

Lacy Green to Vintage Theme

Back again!! It's been ages! Hubs and I are planning to relocate to ATL!!! I'm so excited! It's becoming the Hollywood of the Southeast, and hopefully this will further my acting career significantly. In the meantime, I was busy and unmotivated for refashions, then suddenly did three! Here's the first one, which I'm most excited about!

I actually found a dollar per pound thrift store, and while you have to dig for buried treasure, sometimes your labor is fruitful!

It's much uglier on the hanger. Size 18, with corset ties in the back, which I really like. I didn't straight up love the color, but thought it might be much nicer once I finished it. I actually had a moment of buyer's remorse later in the day, but shrugged it off. Once I got home to look at it, I felt very inspired. I took off the buttons and sewed up the front, much in the same way that I did with the red dress for the premiere ball gown a few months back. Then I removed the shoulder pads and sleeves. Much more better already! I took in the sides from the bottom of the sleeve down to the waist, and left it at that to see how it looked. Since the dress was too big for me, there was a chance the fabric would flare out a bit and give me a more defined waist. It worked rather well too. Last thing was to fix that neckline. I cut straight down the back of the gown about an inch, also an inch on both sides of the shoulders, folded it all under and sewed. I had to do that twice before I was satisfied with the look. That seemed to finish it all very nicely. It is very much see through, so I put a black slip and tank top underneath it. And voila!!

Very nice I think! I plan to find a poofy skirt to add underneath it a la 50's cocktail dress, for more formal events, but I really love the look of this! Black gloves and pearls, ya feel me? But this will do for the picture.. (can't wait for post Halloween sales, omg!)

I still think it needs a leeeetle something, maybe black lace at the collar? But the joy of refashions is how much you get to play with an outfit! And this is just un-costumey enough for church or something.

To Dye For!

Me again! Today's refash is very simple, nothing more than giving a garment a dye bath. Here goes!

This is what happens when you're too lazy to get a proper before picture. Said picture doesn't do the dress justice to the color of it. Think that yellow green crayon that never gets used.. That particular color doesn't really do anything for me (i.e. it's ugly, ok?) So I pulled out the one bottle of dye I own (which I also used for that ugly red gown that I turned into a beautiful evening gown.. Dark blue and yellow green? Sure to be a nice final color.

And sure 'nuff! As I watched the dye take, I was filled with delight in my very innermost soul!! The final result was a couple shades lighter than I thought it would be, and I liked the darker color, but this is a very nice, pretty color, and I'm very pleased with it!! (And I still have some blue dye leftover, yay!!

To Refashion A Refashion

Sooo I think last year sometime I bought this Asian style dress, and was sure I could do something fun with it.

I cut it in half to make it into a two piece, this way they could function as separates, and was accosted with problems. I started putting a zipper on the skirt part and stopped halfway through. I ended up shelving the project after my enthusiasm died down, so it sat in my closet for about a year. I found it again and took another look and decided I didn't care, and went to toss it. Then I looked at the skirt again and an inspiration struck!

Hot glue gun, the skirt part, and mod podge to make the fabric shiny.. and then I thought to add some sparkly funness to it! 

Could not get a proper picture of it, but that's the general idea! Now where to hang it..... So when you have a refashion that doesn't cut it, take a second look and see if it could work as something else. I'd rendered it useless with the way I'd cut it, so at least I was able to salvage something.

From School Marm to Country Chic

Hello again!! 

I found this... thing at a thrift store for a couple bucks, and loved the color so I figured it'd be a keeper somehow or another. I THINK I originally had a very grand idea for this dress, but either forgot about it, or just decided it wouldn't work. Most of my grand ideas require stretchy fabric, which this is not, so...

I felt like Laura Ingalls, minus the scandalous showing of my legs. Who said shoulder pads were hot anyway? Moving on...

This ended up being a much simpler refash than I thought it would be. Chop the length, chop the sleeves, chop the uglies that call themselves shoulder pads... chop ALL the things!!!! Normally I'd carve and sew up the neckline but decided to just unbutton a couple buttons and let it lay flat for a casual comfy look. I thought about taking it in but decided to be lazy, not everything has to be fitted.

So this is what happened.

I mean, cute!!!! Right? And SHORT!!!! Whew! While some folks are perfectly comfortable with this kind of length, I am not. I don't wear any skirt/dress type of thing that makes me feel like my toochus is showing. Nope! But now what, cause it's super cute!!! I still had the length I chopped,which was substantial, and I'm totally going to use it for a scarf/head tie/belt/general accessory. I was going to reattach it and then cut it into to a high low, but didn't think I'd like the look of it as much, not to mention the headache that I got just from THINKING about sewing it all back on evenly. My other idea was to get white lace fabric and make a skirt to go over it, which I've seen here and there. White lace was obtained, a basic skirt made, and I was very dubious about the whole look. I showed my fashion blind hub. He looked askance, so back to the drawing board it was. I sat on it for a while and then decided to take the plunge and just reattach it the aforementioned length, I could always take it back off again. Then inspiration struck! I had some white lace ribbon lurking amongst my sewing supplies. This is what happened.

Yaaas!!!! This was not as complicated and difficult as I had anticipated, all I did was take great care and sew slowly. 

I like!! It needs cowboy boots, which I do not possess. It's still just a tad short for my preference, but I think I can manage. I am pleased with how it turned out, gave it a nice finishing touch. All that being said, I don't think this look is really quite me, but I do like it. So, there's that. :)

Of Ballgowns, Renn Faire, and Silver Shoes

Hello!!! Today's post is the long promised look at both the ballgown and the wardrobe I created for the premiere of my first feature film, 'The Return'! I filmed this movie on location in Wisconsin in October and January... brrrrrr!!!! This Southern girl had never seen snow, so it was quite an experience! 
First thing's first is the costume. It is a gown for a Lady of yesteryear. I didn't refashion this, I had to make it from scratch, so I used a pattern for the first time. (First time meaning, I made myself do it, figured out all the hard parts, and completed it.) I hope to never apply those little clasp/ring thingamabobs ever again, that was probably the most frustrating part of the process.

No process pics. I'm not sure if I took them and lost them, or just never took them.

Somehow I didn't get a good, full length picture of it, but there's the general idea! It's actually slightly too big for me, but I don't think it really matters that much for this type of costume.

After the film wrapped, I visited the Goodwill that was within walking distance from the hotel the day before I went home. And there I found this:

I knew when I tried it on that it was special, I just wasn't sure exactly how yet. It was about $7, and in really good condition. For reals I bought so much stuff at that Goodwill I almost couldn't pack it. My refashion senses were going haywire. I got home and started playing with it, and slowly an idea grew. A couple months later, I found this, for about $8 at the most run down thrift shop I'd ever visited.

Way too big. But are you feeling it yet? Wait for it...

I decided the China red, while lovely, wasn't what I wanted. It's just not my color. So I gave it a dye bath with blue dye. I experimented with the fabric from those horrid shoulder pads to be sure I got the shade I wanted, good thing too, if I'd followed directions, it'd have been much darker than I wanted.

So, cut away the neckline, (which almost made it too low for my preference), and salvaged the lovely lace applique around said neckline, which I took a black sharpie to.  I removed the buttons and sewed the front down to about my stomach, after confirming that I could indeed pull this gown over my head. Then I painstakingly sewed the now black lace applique down the front to hide the button holes, with slightly questionable results. Removed the sleeves and hemmed everything up. (The whole process took a long time, with alot of frustrations, refittings, tweakings, etc, but it was worth it!) I removed the corset stays from the black dress, and took it in to fit, then put the first gown over it. There was lots of room in the skirt, so I made poufs? on the red dress similar to what the black gown had, instead of letting it lay straight. Gave the whole thing a more elegant look. And here is the final result!

I absolutely love it!!! So pleased with how it turned out! I've already been asked to turn it into a costume for another project I'll be filming later this year, which makes me very happy I didn't throw away the sleeves, I'll just reattach them and make them poofy for a Victorian look. 

And isn't my hub hott?