Thrift Store Haul equals Two Dresses

Sometimes you just make a great buy when visiting the local thrift store. My last visit yielded over 12 yards of stripe plisse’  cotton. I made two different looking dresses in my signature lagenlook style, simply by changing the direction of the stripe. FUN!

OOTD: My New Jumper

This is my easy and roomy jumper, I wore to church today. I wanted to be very comfortable because it was my day to work with the 2 - 5 year olds during service time.As anyone knows, children in this age group can be a handful to work with. I try to dress not only comfortably and creatively around my little charges. The jumper is a upcycle from a wool crepe wrap skirt in aubergine, bordered at the bottom with the recut of a charcoal grey bias cut skirt.  The neckline and armscye are trimmed with the same charcoal grey, adding a small patch on the jumper back, one of my favorite design features. The necklace is a 25 year old button assembleage my children made, probably one day when there was nothing else to do---it is a favorite accessory.

 "Never underestimate God's hand in all your plans."

Making mistakes

I love taking my thrift store purchases and creating new yardage for my signature dress. Sometimes the," best laid plans of mice and men" goes array, like with my three patterns of blue dress. The original idea was like in picture #1, but it just presented me with to much visual light blue---eekk!
So the stripe shirt I had planned not to use became the saving feature of my dress.  

Original Idea

Revised Styling

Back Detailing



Don't be the same. Be Better.

"Thanks for the Memories"

About 4 years ago my best friend Christine Dougherty, watercolor artist, sent me a large box of old clothing. This box is a treasure trove of great usuable items, silk shirts; silk suits; a tapersty jacket; a few over-sized linen shirts and much more. The thing about this box is it travelled with me for 4 years before I could get an opportunity to be creative with the contents. In the last three months, the box of goodies has been, my main source for new wardrobe items----I've been cutting and building virgin yardage from suits, tops and skirts. Below is two dresses I've made using brushed silk suits in lovely jewel tones. The first is a deep purple silk pieced from jacket and pant, with some salvage yardage as the center panel. Dress number two is a lovely teal color, also made from a pantsuit, with the additional yardage created by reconstructing a short sleeve top to be the dress yoke.

Everything has been cut apart and ready for reassembly into usable yardage.

Its not finish for me, until I add my label.

"Happiness consists not in having much, but in being content with little."

                        -Marguerite Gardiner, Countess of Blessington 

OOTD Silk Upcycled Dress

I made this dress from a combination of recycled fabrics and purchased goods. The top yoke portion started out as a pair of deep greenish blue silk pants, whereas the lower dress section is a black and white print silk from my fabric stash. I love wearing this style of loose-fitting easy comfort dres, but usually make them in monochromatic tones, with very little distinct color-blocking. I set my camera up and took a dozen or more pictures of myself in this dress, because I want to know what I am visually presenting with this design combination. I feel lovely and decently alluring in the dress, totally self confident, unique and happy with just the way it wears on my body. My apprehension came from looking in the mirror at myself and seeing the color blocking balance---its not to flattering! I wore the dress adding a soft wrap in a tie dye ethnic print, that somewhat hid the bodice area, and felt quite comfortable. This dres is a keeper, but I have to definately tweek the visual presentation each time I wear it.

"I may not be there yet, but I'm closer than I was yesterday."

OOTD Mixed Fabric Dress

I wore my mixed fabric dress this pass Sunday. Paired with a vintage white skirt that has hand crochet inset and border, the dress took on a totally different look.

"Being creative is not a hobby, its a way of life."

"The Mister Needs a New Hat"

My hubby' old white linen hat has definately seen better days, so I promised to make hime a new one, if he got the fabric. To solve the problem, he offered an old worn pair of khaki's that had also seen better days. So the project is begun by opening up the pants, laying out my custom-made pattern and enjoying the work. Enjoy!

"Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded."

                                                                                           2Chronicles 15:7

"I Going to Make Something Today"

It's been a great busy week, and today I awoke with the desire to do something FUN. I have this great white linen shirt, that had been altered by removing the collar and cutting off the curved shirttails. The shirt is an Xlarge, with beautiful pintucking and machine embroidery down the front. I decided it needed a bit of shaping, which I removed from the side seams including the underarm area. I then added a bias strip at the hem edge, to give the shirt a neater finish. All in all this was really just a fine-tuning of an oversized shirt, made of very good linen. The first remake just didn't work, but the shirt was to good to toss aside. This will be my only white shirt to wear this fall and early spring of next year.

So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

                                                                                                 Hebrew 13:6

End of Summer White Ensemble

The j juxtaposition of two time worn pieces, that I just don't want to get rid of.

A Place for Everything

I’ve been meeting needs again, and this time its for my new phone. Just a little case to keep it clean and easy to grasp when in my handbag. Love it!

 

When Being Creative goes Array!

It all started so innocently, a recent buy from the thrift store of a peasant style three tiered denim skirt. I just knew this soft denim skirt would be a awesome addition to my work wardrobe, but after trying it on at home, I decided the skirt just didin't compliment my figure at all. The question became what to do with such a great find, out came my sketchbook, and on came the light of creativity. This lovely bit of fabric could be a new purse, or part of some other project. I decided to create an infinity scarf with cut out t-shirt fabric embellishment and thread emproidery to start. To put it plainly, it didn't work---the finish project lacked something. I'm going to keep it around and see if it will grow, but for now the creative spark for this project is not shining to brightly.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.     Hebrews 11:1

Putting on the Bright's: Thrifting Refashion

Totally loving some of the great finds at my local thrift stores, such as an extra-large yellow “Tommy Bahamas” polo shirt. I’ve been wanting to add some vibrant green to my wardrobe, and this yellow polo gave me the best opportunity. Some color block applique, with machine stitching to mimic an argyle pattern, and a chartreuse green lower banding. 

"Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded."

                                                               II Chron. 15:7

My Yellow Skirt

This was a great remake of an extra large men’s IZOD(c) cotton sweater. When I saw this sweater my first thought was to use it for the back of a demin vest I was designing for my new son-in-law, but I decided to make a nice long knit skirt for myself.  Sorry no before cut picture.  I did have to unravel some of the yarn to use for filling in the deep v-neckline. Stitching the side seams with a stretch stitch and adding a sew on fabric casing for elastic at the waist, elimated added bulk.  I’ve worn it a few times, making sure to wear a long slip underneath, and it is very comfortable.

“The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious.”

Eccl. 10:12

"My new Brown Knit Skirt from a Man's Sweater"

I've been wanting a nice long chocolate brown knit skirt for some time, and I just could not find one. Great brown skirts are hard to come by, so when I saw this extra large men's sweater in the finest knit and just the right deep shade of chocolate brown, I also saw a skirt.  There was not much waste, and I got a finished skirt for under $5 and a few hours of enjoyable sewing. Below are just a few of the outfits I've been able to create with my new skirt.

Sweater has been cleaned and is ready for cutting

Initial cuts made for skirt body, sleeves will become the yoke for added length

"She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple."   Pro. 30:22