Re-recreating

If you've been around for a while, you'll remember this jumper

which became this jumper.

I loved this jumper and wore it quite a few times, but I've been on a skirt kick the last couple of weeks and thought I could do something a little different...

so I cut it in half.

It was a really simple project, actually.  I hemmed the top and created a few pleats.

I wore it with an embroidered top I got on clearance last year at Forever 21 and my new favorite boots.

Posting all these pictures showed me just how often I change my hair.  I guess I get bored with my hair as often as I get bored with my clothes and I have to mix things up!

Another summer dress

I've mentioned before that I practically live in dresses during the summer.  Pants are just sooo uncomfortable when it's hot.  Especially they last few days when it's been 100 degrees or more!  

Enter the cotton grandma dress.

I bought the dress for $1.00 at a garage sale a couple of months ago.  It really is a grandma dress.  I actually know the person whose grandma owned this dress.  The shoulder pads were HUGE and the bodice was a bit frumpy.  I really liked the print though.

I decided to give it a sun dress sort of style so I started by cutting off the top above the pockets.

I hemmed the top and took in the bodice.

Then I cut a chunk out of the leftover fabric to make straps.

This turned out to be one of my all time favorite recreations.

This is my model face

I wore it thrift store shopping with a dear friend of mine.  It was super hot and she wore jeans and totally regretted it.  I was sure glad to be wearing a cotton dress!

Lookin' good for practically nothing

It's been almost a year since I turned this

into this

I loved how it turned out and I got tons of great feedback.  Well I pulled this piece out of the closet last week and realized I could really change of the look without any work.  I added a different belt and wore it as a dress.

Not only did I feel totally adorable that day, but I was really proud of how much this outfit cost me.  I just had to share with you.

I bought this dress, turned tunic, turned mini dress last year at a garage sale for $0.50.  Then I got the belt last week at a thrift store for $0.45.  For a grand total of $0.95 I had a complete outfit!  The boots, which I thrifted two weeks ago for $10.85 took my total up a bit, but even so, I'm look at less than $12.00 for the full ensemble.  It may sound silly, but this stuff is absolutely thrilling for me.  I love being able to show people that fashion doesn't have to cost a fortune.  

What do you do with a blue muu muu?

Leave it to a muu muu to inspire creativity.  I bought this at a garage sale for $0.50 a couple of months ago.  

Pretty, right?  I love the colors and the big flowers.  I also like the rainbow print on the bottom and the sleeves.  While deciding what to do with this dress I kept the rainbow in mind, wondering how on earth I could use it.

I made up my mind fairly quickly that I'd like to make a skirt.  I haven't made a skirt in quite a while.  And in order to keep the pretty print in tact, I had to use the center of the dress.  This means the rainbow had to go :(

I chopped off the bottom, then I chopped off the top and I was left with the makings of a skirt.

I did a bit more chopping and adjusting before I got the fit right.  Sometimes I forget that I have hips and I try to put things on my hips that just won't go.  That's what happened here.  So, like I said, more adjusting.

My original plan was to attach the skirt to a thick band of exposed elastic to create the waist, then I had a brilliant idea: the rainbow!  I created a casing out of the rainbow strip from the bottom of the skirt.

The final product

Weird pose, but you can see the waistband

I wore this lovely ensemble to church on Sunday and then just around the house.  It was so comfortable. Great for a summer day.

The shirt-dress

I recently saw a morning show (by accident, I assure you) that showed a segment on fall fashions.  Considering the temperature has been in the high 90s the past couple of weeks, I'm not exactly in fall fashion mode.  I did see some things that interested me though.  According to morning show reporter lady, the shirt-dress is a big stinkin' deal for fall.  Although the shirt-dress isn't anything new, I can see why it makes a reappearance every few years.  It really works on so many body types and it's quite comfortable.  It can also be worn casually or to work.  What versatility!

After watching the segment, my recreation wheels started turning.  I wondered how I might make a shirt-dress that would work for summer.  First things first: get a really big shirt.

I got the shirt for $3 at the Salvation Army Thrift Store.  It was practically brand new.  It had to be big enough that the length would actually be long enough for a dress.

I did a lot of work on this shirt.  I removed the sleeves immediately.  It is summer after all.

I took in the sides then removed the collar and did a whole lot of pinning.

Initially the shoulders were wide like the picture but I really didn't like how it looked once I was wearing the dress so I made them much more narrow.

I put a dress on underneath the shirt-dress because I still wasn't comfortable with the length :)

Then I put on a belt, of course, and I was done!

Look at me!  I'm wearing the latest fall fashion, according to the morning show reporter lady.

Also, I don't know if you can see the shoes very well but they're adorable and I got them from a thrift store!  I'm really scoring on shoes lately.  I got a couple more pair at a thrift store today that I'll show you soon.

Thanks for sticking around while I took a little break.  Life is really hard sometimes, but creativity helps me keep my sanity.

 

BRB

Hello blog world.  I haven't forgotten about you.  The last 11 days have been extremely difficult so I have not had the time or the energy to even think about sewing or blogging.  But I promise I will be back very soon.

All the pretty flowers

It's been super stinkin' hot.  No question about it.  When it's crazy hot like this I can't bear to wear jeans.  So in the summer time I tend to wear as many skirts and dresses as possible.  (Cue picture of new summer dress)

I acquired this cute little number from a thrift store at the bargain price of $0.25.  I was drawn in by the colors and the pattern, as usual.  The dress had some problem areas though.  First, it was just all around too big.

I pinned it up, took in the bodice AND the skirt, and took some length off the bodice by re-hemming the shoulders.  Then I moved on to repairs.

The dress had a few holes.

And these HUGE pockets with bows on them.

I just had to remove the pockets.  They were too much.

Finally I replaced a couple of buttons and I was all set.

Can't you just feel the summer breeze?