Summer Isn't Over Yet.

Happy times at the pool.  "Throw me again, Daddy!"  This kid is a little fish.  Already swimming and growing up so fast. 

So... Surprise!  I actually finished a refashion, and here I am posting again this month.  Remember this dress? 

It's been hot and humid here - uncomfortable for Hawaii.  I've been wearing the most airy clothes I can find, and this refashion came at just the right time.  I started with this dress. 

This Tori Richard dress came to me through a consignment shop.  I found it on the rack with the tags on, and couldn't believe that it was only $20 (retailing for $125).  Then I tried it on and realized why it was such a deal.  There were holes on the bottom half.  When I showed the owner, she insisted on giving it to me for free.

I tried to wear it as is, but it wasn't so comfortable and a little loose in the bust. It was a prime candidate for a 60's style summer dress.

I used my 60's dress as a pattern and cut a V and armholes in the bottom section of the Tori Richard.

I then used the top part of the 60's dress to draw a pattern for the neckline and sleeves.

There wasn't enough fabric for two layers, so I used one of my husband's old shirts for the neckline and sleeve lining.  Can you believe he was going to throw it away?

I made the back pattern section a bit longer than the front so that the shoulders would hang nicely. 

I used what was left of the top to make the outer layer of the neckline and sleeves. 

Ugh!  Sometimes I don't think things through very well.  I cut two of the same piece.  I ended up having to sew scraps together so that I could cut another piece. 

Good thing it's a busy pattern. 

I added interfacing to the outer layer. 

In the next sections, you'll see that I stitched the lining to the outer layer.

I ironed them down. 

I then stitched the front and back together. 

And flipped them inside out.  

I sewed the front and back together at an angle. 

And sewed it to the dress. 

I added bias tape around the armholes and patched the holes.  Once I figured out the pattern, this dress was super easy to make.  I love it!!!

So much more practical. Oh!  And I got the DKNY slippers at a garage sale for $3.  Score!

 

May your remaining summer days be blessed.

Animal Print Dress Refashion

Happy New Year!  Kung Hee Fat Choy! We're in the midst of celebrating the Chinese New Year here in Hawai`i, and although I don't have a horse inspired refashion, I have some before and after photos of an animal print redo for you.

I found this skirt for free at a clothing swap.  After all of the "cute" clothes were taken, I saw it sadly hanging out on the rack.  As I was holding it admiringly, the owner walked by and claimed that she would have never bought it had it not been for a salsa class she was taking.

I made the decision to give this discarded skirt a home in my closet.  I loved how full and flowy it felt and ended up wearing it several times.

 

The skirt would have perfectly happy as is, but I had other plans.  I saw that it had dress potential, and began to make the preparations for a transformation.  I first dyed it purple.  Next, I cut the bottom off and constructed a sleeveless top.  Finally, I added a zipper down the back. 

*Unfortunately, I don't have any quality process photos.  Bummer!

It turned out great!  I now have a flirty day dress.

Stylish Teacher Refashion

Happy New Year!  I'm back from a long, refreshing winter vacation, and I am so excited to be blogging and refashioning again.  For my first post of 2014, I have for you a fun refashion that I did for my teacher friend, Debbie.  

When I found this $2 dress at a garage sale, I knew right away that it would make a perfect dress for my stylish friend.  However, like most of my finds, it was way too frumpy.  

Green Velvet Christmas Dress

The last time I was in Oklahoma, my mom gave me a few of her old clothes.  When she pulled this dress out of her closet, I got really excited.  Although it wasn't quite my style (and a little out dated), I fell in love with the gorgeous green velvet.

Looking back, I should have taken a before photo of the dress without the jacket.  I decided to transform only the long shell dress underneath.  Oh well... 

Put Your Red Dress On...

Happy Friday Morning!  Yay!  We made it through the week.

I have a super easy refashion to share with you.

I found this red dress at Goodwill for $3.50.  It was too big, but I loved the neckline and knew it had potential.

Refashion Runway Season Two: Halloween Refashion

I've awaken from the dead (a dead sleep, that is) to provide you with some details about this week's Halloween refashion challenge.  For me, it was perfect for Halloween... a nightmare.

I returned from my trip to Oklahoma on Sunday and spent the next five days in a foggy jet lag haze.  Although I had looked forward to this week's challenge from the beginning, I had no idea what I wanted to create.  So, I gathered as many black and orange pieces that I could collect and began making a dress that started to resemble something that I might wear to an Oklahoma State football game.  It didn't quite sit well with me.  Midweek, I scrapped the dress and decided to make a butterfly costume.

My vision for this refashion far outweighed my sewing ability, and as I burned the midnight oil trying to complete it, I stumbled across challenge after challenge.  Throughout this process, there was a little voice in the back of my head telling me to just let it go – throw in the towel.  Yet, I couldn’t.  I had imagined a butterfly dress fitted with long silk chiffon sleeves and a wing skirt, and I wasn’t going to stop until it resembled the picture in my head. I stayed up late and got up at the crack of dawn.  My very supportive husband stepped in to pick up the slack.  It took up until the last minute on Friday to complete this butterfly dress, but I am proud of my creation.

                                                                       *****

While I was in Oklahoma, I purchased two dresses (one silk and the other polyester crepe) from an estate sale for $0.25 each.  I had planned to use them for another refashion, but since I had no other options for my butterfly dress, they had to be used.  Also, I had recently purchased a silk chiffon scarf from Goodwill for $2 (it was half off of $3.99), which I had originally planned to use for flowers for my first Halloween dress.  I decided to challenge myself and create a top and sleeves from this beautiful slinky fabric.

The black dress is silk and the green dress is polyester crepe.

Refashion Runway Week Three: Funky Corduroy Peplum

Note: I'm traveling this week, so this post is going to be brief on descriptions and heavy on photos. 

I found this amazing corduroy muumuu at a Goodwill fundraiser and knew right away that I had to get it. I even paid $10 for it, which is way more than I usually pay for a piece. 



This lovely muumuu had only one pocket.  I wonder why there couldn't have been two.

Refashion Runway Plaid Refashion Details

I had so much fun creating this week's plaid refashion.  It was a perfect way to kick off the Fall season, and I'm really happy with the way it turned out.

This is not to say that I didn't stumble upon some challenges along the way. I had originally planned to make the plaid skirt into a strapless dress.  A few weeks earlier I had cut up another strapless dress that was too small.  I used the top of this dress to cut a pattern out of the bottom of the skirt.  I tried several different styles, and in the end it didn't quite work out as I had imagined.

Just when I was about to revamp the whole idea, I remembered that I had a black skirt.  This black skirt had already been through a transformation.  I had made it into a pencil skirt that ended up being way too tight.  I actually wore it to work and walked around in little half-steps all day.  It was quite comical, but very uncomfortable.

Anyway....  I took off the zipper and cut the top off of the black skirt. I then fashioned a halter top of sorts over my dress form.  Using the piece that I had already cut for the plaid strapless dress, I created a color block top by attaching it to the black halter top.  I then cut the zipper out and shaped up the top of the skirt (to use for the bottom of the dress).  There was a strip of the black skirt left, so I connected the top and bottom of the dress with it, creating a color block middle.  Once this was done, I  added a zipper down the back.

When it was completed, the dress looked good, but it was missing something.  My sister suggested that I add some metal studding around the top.  This week's challenge wasn't easy, but I am so pleased with my new Fall dress.  Here's a few photos that show the process.

These photos were taken at a little French Bistro by my gracious husband.  I think he did a fabulous job.  The funnest part was having my son came along, and he loved being a part of it all!

Refashion Runway Week One: Plaid

Voting for the first challenge of Refashion Runway begins today!!  So, don't forget to vote for your favorite refashion. 

I was so happy when I found it out this first week would be plaid because I had just bought a beautifully printed plaid skirt at Goodwill for just $3.50.  Here's a little teaser before photo of the refashion.  I'll post the afters in a few days, but for now, to see them head over to The Renegade Seamstress.