Day 320: Refashioner’s Block Dress

Posted on May 17, 2012 by

When I put on today’s piece, I really didn’t know what I wanted to do with it right away.

What direction shall I go in?

It was sort of like having Writer’s Block…only Refashioner’s Block!  I eventually decided to stop thinking about it and just start doing.  Any step forward was probably in the right direction!  :)

First, I took it in!

Pinning the sides!

Follow the Pinned Path!

I cut off the extra fabric with my pinking shears (This is to keep the sides from fraying, btw).

I tried it on, and noticed a BIG problem!

How’d I miss THAT?!?!!!

Luckily, this was a quick fix!

Just re-stitch the seam! :)

I decided to make this dress into a top for the day.  I chopped it off, and gave it a nice new hem!

Pin & Stitch!

My new top is light & flowy!  I loves!  :)

I can’t decide if this pose looks cute, or if I just look like I need to pee. :/

This seat is taken. ;)

Cheers!

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Day 319: Here Comes the Rain Dress

Posted on May 16, 2012 by

The thing I really like about the completely blah and shapeless polyester dresses I find for $1 at thrift stores…

So very blah!

…is what wonderful blank slates they are!  You can really do just about anything with them!  :)

I decided to go for a quick, but dramatic no-sew refashion for this one!

First, I trimmed off that bottom hem to make my sash.

Snippage!

Then, I folded the dress in half and made a big asymmetrical cut!

Do you see where this is going? :)

Those sleeves needed a bit of a shortening, too!

Short ‘n Sweet!

And that’s it!  Now that dress is totally transformed!

Lovin’ the High/Low Hem!!! :)

I wore my dress to Finlay Park for a production of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged).  I was especially excited, as I was asked to review the show for Jasper Magazine and Onstage Columbia!  :)

There I was…poised with pen in hand, ready to take notes!

Let’s DO this! :)

Erin and I were really optimistic…

This play will be great! We just know it! :)

…and then it started to rain.  Hard.  :/

Oh Noooooo!!!! :/

So…the show was called off.  Such a bummer!  Luckily, I’ll be able to catch it/review it on what will hopefully be a bright & sunny Saturday!  Fingers crossed! I’ll be sure to post the link to my review when it’s released. :)

Cheers!

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Day 318: Beyond the Beige Dress

Posted on May 15, 2012 by

Beige is one of my least favorite colors.  :/  Sadly today’s dress is…you guessed it!

Blah Blah Beige! Yick!

Before I even started with the icktastic shape of this frock, I reached for a box of something fun!

Keepin’ it real with teal! :)

Into the washing machine it went!

So pretty!

I left the dress in its dye bath for about 30 minutes, then gave it a thorough rinse and dry.

Next, I chopped off that bottom hem, and put it aside.

Snnnnip!

I tossed it on my dress form for a bit of lipo!  I had to be careful, as this dress has no zipper or anything.  If I pinned it too tightly, I wouldn’t be able to get it off the dress form or my body!

Take it in!

Each side went through my machine!

Whirrrr!

I cut of the excess material with my pinking shears, then shortened my dress a bit.

Chop!

Pinned!

Hot. Hemming. Action.

I pressed everything, and now that drab blob of beige is now a lovely sea foamy frock!  :)

Barely recognizable! :)

Quite happy to be out of the beige! :)

Cheers!

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Day 317: Rose Garden Dress

Posted on May 14, 2012 by

Just about any thrift store I go to is brimming over with boring skirts that happen to have awesome prints, such as this one right here:

Aaaand this is why you don’t wear a white bra with a black Tshirt.  :/

I put the skirt on my dress form, inside-out, and began taking it in.

Pinning!

Then, I ran it under the needle, like I do!  :)  This left me with a big scrap that I sewed into a long tube by sewing a line about 2″ from the original seam.

Whirrrrr!

I cut it out, turned it inside out, and closed up the one raw edge (the other edge was fine, as it was the original hem).

No raw edges here, folks! :)

Next, I took the tube, folded it, and stitched it to the front of what was about to be my new dress!

A Halter Top in Waiting!

I tossed on a sash and was ready to dash out the door!  :)

Look! I found my snood! :)

While out and about, I ran into a few fun people, like my beer snob pal, Alisha.   :)

Hi Alisha! :)

Cheers!

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Day 316: To Dye For Dress

Posted on May 13, 2012 by

Hooray for having a washing machine that once again gets hot water!  :) I knew I’d want to dye something right away!  I chose this little dress for today.

Bleh!

This dress suffers from the same condition of many other little dresses that find their way to thrift store clearance bins.  It’s faded and stained.

Stains! :(

Oh…and the red parts have bled into the white parts.  :/

See?

Now…this dress in unsellable is its current condition, all it needs is a little dye job to get it looking nice & new!  :)

I reached for a box of dye.

Hello, old friend! :)

Some of you guys might think my color choice is a bit odd.  I went with dark brown because Brown + Red = Maroon, which is one of my favorite colors!  :)  I also really wanted to make this dress a bit more muted.

I mixed up my dye…

Not the classiest vessel, I know!

…and added it to my washing machine!

Sudsy!

I left my dress in the dye bath for about 40 minutes, then gave it a rinse & dry!

Now that dress is looking new and fabu!  :)

Nicely done! :)

Cheers to being able to dye again! :)

I spent my evening just hanging out watching Woody Allen movies with the very sweet Pongo.  :)

Isn’t he handsome? :)

Yay for dye!

Cheers!  :)

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