Green Sweater Dress

My Mother-in-Law found a bunch of this green sweater material at the thrift store.

I decided to use it to make a sweater dress that I can wear in the winter with a pair of tights.

I used this pattern, which I have used a few times before, but never with the sleeves.

Here is the end result:

This pattern is very easy to work with.  I took a lot in on the sides, so it would be more form fitting, since the fabric would be bulky if I cinched it in with a belt.  I ended up hemming the sleeves and the bottom, rather than doing a slip stitch.  It took a lot less time and it ended up looking much better, in my opinion.

I need to take this one out for a test drive, since the weather is cool.  

Who wants to go out for a drink?

Boring Red Dress Turns Polka Dotted Fun!

This simple red dress was given to me in a pile of hand-me-downs.  I didn't really love or hate the dress.  I held onto it because the overall fit was good and I figured maybe it would be a good dress during the Christmas season.  Christmas came and went two times and I never wore this dress.  

I had these pom poms I bought for another craft project, but never used them.

I had an epiphany after seeing this cute sweater on Zooey Dechanel.

The color of the pom poms were a perfect match for the dress.  It definitely feels very "fall", but I thought it would be worth a shot.  I pinned a few on to get an idea if it would work.  I got pretty carried away.  Since I had pinned so many, I had to hand sew them all to the dress while on the dress form or I would screw up all my measurements.

It is definitely a little funky, but I love how it came out!  Aubrey calls it my fall ball dress.  Bayne thinks it looks like I broke out in a Skittles rash.  I call it my gumball dress.  Either way, I think it is super fun and totally unique.

Here it is on.  

As you can see, I shortened the sleeves, hand sewed pom pom balls to the majority of the front of the dress and I left the back plain.

I haven't worn this out yet, but I can't wait to see what people say.  I definitely think it is a conversation piece that people will either love or hate, but it is sure to make people smile either way.  

Denim Scraps to Fabric Art

Just a fun little piece I made for someone special.

We have an inside joke about blue herons.

I found this image of a quilt piece I found online for inspiration.

Here is my version made completely from old jeans.  Even the moon is made from the pocket.

I want to make more and more!  

I love it!

He did, too!

Sunflower, Elephants, and Mistakes

My mother-in-law sent this dress that she found at her local thrift store.  

I loved the vibrant pattern of the fabric.  I wasn't so keen on the shoulder pads and extra wrap around skirt.  This had easy, wearable refashion written all over it!

I figured all I would need to do is take out the shoulder pads, remove the wrap, take in the sides to hide the seam from the wrap, and hem it at the line right below the elephants.  Boom!  Done!  Brand new, cute dress for Erinn.

Except it's Erinn.

And when Erinn thinks its an easy project she breezes through hastily and makes really stupid, unnecessary mistakes that end up turning a really simple project into a huge pain in the ass.

Erinn knows this.

Erinn tells her this every time!

Erinn still doesn't listen.  

Erinn doesn't slow down.

Erinn made a mistake.

Erinn cut across the little line to raise the hem and somehow caught some of the fabric on the other side of the dress.  It cut much higher than the line below the elephant. 

Erinn is not a quitter, though!

As you can see I did complete the dress.

There were a series of mishaps I don't care to relive.

I added a band that I patched together out of the wrap and bottom piece of the skirt.

I sewed it on.

It was too long, so I hemmed it at the seam where I joined the fabrics.

It looked great until I lifted up my arms.

Too short.  AGAIN.

I put on leggings.

I win!  Its done.  

And I actually think I like it and will wear it...

...With LEGGINGS!

P.S.  I literally just made the same hasty mistake with my next refashion.  This time it was a bodice and a serger blade.  Ugh.  Will she ever learn??

Halloween Costume Refashions and Creations

My kids always like to pick impossible characters to be for Halloween.  The ones you either cannot find at the Halloween Superstores that pop up everywhere, but you can find on amazon for $375 ... for an adult size costume.  Lucky for my kids, they have a mom who is up for the challenge of making their costume dreams come true on a dime store budget.  

My daughter wanted to be Peridot from Steven Universe.  

Lord help me!

I prayed as I went digging into my collection of old clothes I have saved for refashions and found some perfect shirts that would work for her outfit.  I did have to go to the thrift store and buy one extra shirt to finish the top, but her outfit is made completely from old shirts.

I had to go to Joann to find material for her hat, but I scored this vinyl, pleather stuff off of the remnant rack for 50% off.  I sewed a bendable wire into the seam along the edges to keep it upright.

Here is my little Peridot!

My son wanted to be One Punch Man from One Punch Man.  Seems obvious, I know, but I had no idea who the hell One Punch Man was until now.  It's an anime, this guy below is in it, and he punches really hard.  There, now you know as much as I do about him ;).

In my fabric stash I had some of this cheap, polyester fabric that screamed, "Halloween is all I'll ever be good for!"  Unfortunately, I didn't have enough to cover both pants and a top because for some reason my son has suddenly become a GIANT!!!  Wasn't he just 4?!  Anyway, I had to buy a little more yellow for the top.  I used felt that I had in my stash for the gloves, boots, and cape.

We tried to get a bald cap.  He looked like a condom ... lol.

We tried to sew him a skin color beanie.  He wasn't feeling it.

He went as One Punch Man with hair.  

Here he is!

He will be 12 in just a couple weeks.  I love seeing him still embrace the child inside and dress up in costume.  He even wore the outfit to middle school for the whole day.  I have to wonder, how many more years of magic will Halloween hold for him?  I have treasured every one!

We really wore the heck out of these costumes this year.  School celebrations, carnival, halloween parties, and Trick or Treating.  

Good times!

Little Red Floral Dress

Hello everyone!

This is just a quick look at a dress I made out of some thrifted fabric I received.

I love this pattern.  I have used it so many times.

Here is the dress I made using pattern B.  I shortened it a little.

I love the floral fabric.  For some reason I don't love how it looks on.  I haven't really had chance to wear it out yet either.  I think it might be the cut of the skirt that bothers me.  I may go back, take out the hem, and try to even it out a little more.  It feels like it goes up a little to high on the sides and a little, too low in the front and back.  It makes it feel lopsided to me. I hope it doesn't make it too short if I do.  It's funny how picky you can be about something so little when you make a garment yourself.  

I think I might go pull that out of my closet and put it on my sewing table right now ... too be continued.

Daddy's Clothes Become Son's - A First Birthday Gift

A good friend of mine had a his first child a year ago.  He works in wardrobe, so he always gives me cool clothes and materials to work with.  I wanted to make him something nice for his son's first birthday.

I decided to create it out of his old clothes.

I forgot to take a pic before I cut into it, but I took one of his old western style shirts ...

And one of his old black t-shirts (size mens large).

I used this pattern. 

I had to size it down even more, though because I needed something for 18mths and I think this is size 2 and up.

I took the western shirt and turned it into pants and the t-shirt I sized way down using all the existing hem lines from the sleeves and the bottom.  I also cut out the original neck line and sized it down and re-attached it to the shirt.  I added a little bleach design of a body boarder to the front because he is a great body boarder and I know he wants his son to follow in his footsteps.  I'm pretty sure this will be his first body boarder shirt, since they don't make them this small. :)

I thought the pockets would look super cute on his bum. :)

My friends birthday is just a few weeks after his son's, so I decided to make dad a matching shirt.

To make the bleach design I use freezer paper.  I have started doubling up the freezer paper to prevent the bleach from bleeding through the paper and ruining the negative image.  

You iron on the freezer paper, one and then the other on top.  Let it cool.  Put some cardboard inside the shirt to keep the bleach from leaking through the back and then spray it with bleach.  I just use my bleach cleaning spray.  You want to spray it enough, but not over saturate it.  Only four good sprays should do.  Then blot the paper dry and peel it off quickly without getting bleach onto the design under the paper.  Let it air dry.

For some reason when I did this shirt it didn't bleach well, so I had to do it twice.  It bleached a little too well the second time, but I think I was a little heavy handed with the spray.  I prefer the orange look I got with the little shirt, but this is still cool.  I'm not to sure he will wear it, but he can at least use it at home as leisure wear if he doesn't want to go twinsy with his son.