Posts Tagged ‘clothing’

Refashioned: Non-Gaping Neckline

January 26th, 2012
21 Comments

I know for sure I’m not the only one that feels a bit uncomfortable wrangling kids with a gaping top. We’ve talked about this before, when I wrote about my slouchy tee refashion. Slouchy & gaping tees are fun to wear. They offer both style & pajama-like comfort, but there’s one problem: the gaping necklines. So we’re here talking about them again.

(see how the wide collar gapes?)

I found a fantastic mid-length dress at Ruche (Way to go, Ruche, for offering mid-length dresses & skirts this season!), but I had the sneaking suspicion that the neck would be too wide. That proved to be true. This idea for a refashion hit as I was debating whether I should keep it or not. I decided it was worth the $40 risk. 

I used a piece of leather to gather the back into a bow-like shape. It doesn’t change much of the neckline, but it does tighten it down a bit so that when I bend over, my girls don’t show.

I’m glad I took the risk! I’m excited to start working this into my regular wardrobe.

Read more for how to do it yourself! You’ll find yourself finishing this refashion in a matter of minutes. It’s really that easy.

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Oversized House Dress Refashion

October 12th, 2011
22 Comments

I used every spare minute before Sewing Summit to refashion pieces I’ve been meaning to get to for ages. Gosh, I think I’ve had this number for at least 8 months. If I remember correctly, I got this at Savers in Phoenix for something like $6.

I didn’t like the shape, red details or the fit. I did like the circle skirt & checked pattern, but that was about it. When I looked at it I knew I wanted to refashion it, but I originally thought that I needed to just update the sleeves, fit & neckline to something a little more modern. Last week it hit like a ton of bricks: it needs to be a midi skirt instead. Once I decided on that my work refashioning this little number took about 30 minutes. Lickety split, eh?

I just cut out the skirt just below the waistline and attached elastic to the waist, using leftover elastic from my leather belt project*. Just to break it down, here’s what I did:

  • measured my waist with the elastic
  • cut out elastic & sewed ends together
  • divided elastic & skirt waist into fourths & pinned together
  • pinned elastic wrong side out to outside of the skirt which was right side out
  • evenly pinned gaps of skirt every 2-3 inches along elastic
  • stretched elastic to match up with skirt waist as I sewed my longest straight stitch
  • ironed & wore

I think it’s a big improvement on the original & I love that I now own a midi-length skirt! I’m just over the moon that they’re super hot this fall. The above outfit is what I wore during my Refashioning class at Sewing Summit. The class went really well, too! We had a great time making fun of the gross things you can find at thrift stores. See outfit details here.

*Elastic provided by rufflefabric.com

Tie-Front Refashion

September 30th, 2011
43 Comments

Tie front tops are all the rage right now. In fact, I’ve not been able to get this top out of my head since the moment I spied it on Anthropologie’s site. Why does Anthro seem to make me so depressed? Perhaps it’s their perfectly executed visions of style & beauty that I always try to grasp, but never can. Don’t get me started on that store. I have a love/hate relationship with it. Am I the only one?

Not even a week after I spied that top, I found this baby at a thrift store close by my house. Love. Now this might not be that noticeable to some, but totally by me, I was totally put off by the super high neckline & the keyhole below. I still had dreams of the V tie neck like that Anthro one. With some unpicking here & some stitching there, I was able to make the neck tie much more modern. I also tailored the sleeves by 2 inches on each side. It’s subtle, but I feel like it’s in the 21st century now.

So what do you think? Was it worth the whopping $4? I think so. To see more details of this outfit, check out the fashion blog. 

A few of you were asking how I did it, I’m terrible at explaining, but here’s an illustration to show basically what I did:

Hope that helps!!

 

 

Outdated Denim Refashion

August 30th, 2011
30 Comments

I scored these jeans a couple of Saturdays ago for $4. The tag said $6, but come on – the button was missing. I knew these would be a great pair of pants to refashion since they fit really well in the waist & thighs, they just had an outdated cut in the legs. I’ve been looking for denim that has more give in the thighs, because my pre-Felix skinnies don’t fit. Sure I can pull them on, but I’m the wicked witch of the west whenever I wear them because feeling like a stuffed sausage makes me angry. It’s time to move on from those pants.

Like I said – the cut in the leg was just outdated. they were too short to be cool bell bottoms & MUCH too wide to be worn with flats. I felt like I had stubby legs when I tried them on. Do you ever feel that way with pants?

Hello, missing button! I love these slanted pockets & the cheery blue stitching. Not necessarily anything that’s on trend, but I like those little details.

I didn’t do much besides take in the bottoms. I took my super skinnies & laid them wrong side out on top of these pants & marked lines just outside of the super skinnies to mark the tapering. I took in about 4 inches on the bottoms. YIKES. I feel like the skinny really lengthens my leg. One of the many reasons why the skinny jean trend can never go out.

After I was done adjusting the bottom & adding the button, I noticed that the back felt a little loose & a bit too low for me. So I added two darts (the denim was thin enough) on either side of the back seam. That made all the difference in the world! The fit of these jeans is perfect. They’re my new go-to pant. Now I don’t feel bad that I don’t fit into my pre-Felix skinnies.

To view more photos & the outfit details, click here

Thorough tutorials on how to skinnify your pants can be found here:

Freshly Picked • I’m Topsy Turvy • Cotton & Curls

More Dyed Projects

August 15th, 2011
15 Comments

Here are a couple more projects that I dyed with Rit Dye. I still need to post details about our little party, but I have to finish one more thing before I do that; la pièce de résistance. Can’t wait.

outfit details here

There’s no before of this top, but the yellow background was originally white & it was HUGE. I dyed it yellow & took it in using one of my favorite tees as a template. The yellow is a big improvement. I feel like it makes the top look 30 years younger. I LOVE this length of sleeve & I want to ask y’all – WHY IS IT SO HARD TO FIND?!? Cap sleeved stuff is everywhere, 3/4 length sleeve is everywhere, but where the hell is the half sleeve? It’s way more flattering than the cap & not nearly as stuffy in summer as the 3/4 sleeve. I might feel a little passionate about the subject. Asos knows where it’s at.

outfit details here

I did it. I dyed my swim cover-up. A few of you told me not to, but I feel like this looks more like a professionally made article of clothing now that it’s not white. Also, I’m not nearly as afraid of wearing it now that it’s not bright white. I’m notoriously horrible with white. For more pictures of each item & outfit details, check out the fashion blog.

Dye courtesy of Rit Dye.

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