From Fancy Dress to Fabulous

I needed a dress to wear to a wedding on the weekend when inspiration come from a dress I bought about 15 years ago for a fancy dress party I went to dressed as a 1950's housewife. It's a handmade vintage dress in a bold fabric, with an old fashioned neckline and sleeves. Basically it's been worn by me a couple of times to fancy dress parties, but that's it.

I little bit of dye and some alterations to the neckline and sleeves and I have a dress that I love and that has a beautiful feminine shape. Very 'Mad Men' inspired.

You can find out a little more over here on my blog.

Thanks,
Sharon

Valerie's Vintage Dress Refashion

Lucky me!!!

I've always been so fortunate to have assistants who also become my friends. Valerie is no exception! She joined our team last January and I'm thrilled to have her with us.

Valerie calls herself Seamstress Interruptus. So appropriate considering she is the mother of not one, but TWO sets of twins!

That being said, I felt very honored that she felt inspired enough by my 1960's Mad Men Inspired Dress Refashion post to take some of her precious time to try this herself. 

Since she doesn't have her own blog, I thought I'd share her refashion with you.

She started with this vintage dress she found at a yard sale. 

Fit her somewhat like a potato sack. But the fabric is fantastic!

 So she refashioned it into this:

I think her new dress is so flattering and beautiful on her.

You can see exactly how she did it here at The Renegade Seamstress

Enjoy your day!

Beth

"So Far So Good" Shoes

Refashion Warning. This refashion is bright, bold, colourful and over the top. It has no volume control so if these words send a shiver up your spine....it is time to leave this refashion now.


Sigh of relief. Okay, so if you are still here it means that you are into quirky and fun.It is at this point that I have a confession to make. This refashion wasn't meant to be totally out there, but I made a fundamental error which necessitated thinking outside the square to come up with a fix.

So I started with this....and then had a bit of a disaster along the way.

So I ended up with this

And this

To see the full shoe refashion and the disaster plus fix....see visit me at my Blog for all the embarrassing detail.

Retro baby shorts from t-shirt

I have made these two pairs of retro shorts for Bess (6 months) from two old t-shirts of my moms. The pattern is from the Ottobre magazine 3/2012.
Come visit me at Eddie's room where you can see the tights I also made from the same t-shirts. I have alreadt cut out for a couple of matching retro t-shirts.

Handbag Refashion

The 1970's are now quite often considered the era of bad taste. We had big hair, clashing colours, skin tight jeans and leather patchwork handbags. These handbags scream out iconic 1970's style and every woman seemed to have one. Too young for a handbag then, I finally managed to track one done in great condition(at a thrift store and at the bargain price of only $5.00) I had to have it.You have to remember this pre cellphone days(there is no compartment for your iphone or any electronic gagdget for that matter), so we just had to make do with our no compartment handbags.

It is a simple transformation, but there are many steps involved. So here is the before.

And here is the after.

For full story please visit(and step by step pics) please visit "Rosie's Romantic Rose" Handbag

 

Seven Seas Tee

"Seven Seas" Tee started with a bit of imagination and a lot of figuring out. I wanted to turn a plain teee into something that was whimsical and evoked a retro feel. So I started with this......


Before

And ended up with this......


After

For full story please and tutorial please visit
http://recycledrepurposedrenewed.blogspot.com.au/

Anthropologie Inspired Tote

I love bag refashions/recreations. I found a big large canvas tote at the thrift store but is was plain and boring. I used Anthropolgie's Wallpaper Tote as my inspiration and I love the end result. 

Here is my plain but strong canvas tote from the thrift store that only cost $2.00

Here is Anthropologie's Wallpaper Tote that retails for $168.00

Here is my version for $6.00.

To make your own version and for the full story visit http://recycledrepurposedrenewed.blogspot.com.au/

the blouse that blooms

a few weeks ago I was out the Burlap Harlot Show. A woman came by and wanted one of my speciality blouses..but it didn't fit...I told her I could make one for her if she told me what size she need....when I got home I went through my materials and came up with this collection of curtains, tablerunners and doilies

I used a cami in her size as the base of the project and then began to build upon it with all the different materials...I love this process because it is like the linens just speak to me as to where they would like to fit in!

for the front piece I used the cornor of a table napkin, tablerunner, embrodered tablecloth and some crochet pieces

the back was made from a curtian ruffle and two more table runners...I love the finished look..hum maybe too much! No I have to honor my customer so it will be in the mail soon!

http:www.facebook.com/rubyz2day

earring refashion

    A simple refashion for now as i get ready to break down and get some things done lol. just a quick fix for a pair of earrings I bought on sale, not noticing that they were missing a feather until I 'd went to wear them. So yesterday i was going through my jewelry and happened upon a pair of clip-on's I'd bought at a flee market a while back that I had got for it's little portraits but hadn't really worn because, well, their clip-on's. So I merged the two, and with the extra feather and one of the clip-on backings made an ear cuff.

I rather like it. much more interesting in my opinion. :) -QueenOfNothing.

class to the sass

I took an old slip then added some vintage doilies and crochet pieces to the top of the dress. Then I found these vintage curtains and married them to the top.

Here is a close up of the details of the top. I also beaded the bodice for a touch of class to the sass!

http://www.facebook.com/rubyz2day

"Don't Label Me" Cuff

Vintage ties make great cuffs. A bit of trial and error and you too can create your own distinctive cuff.

Before

After

Full story @ http://recycledrepurposedrenewed.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/dont-label-me-cuff.html

"Well Travelled Rock Chick" Jacket

My version of Anthropologie's Kunstenaar denim jacket.

Plain thrift store denim jacket

Concept book...Apologies for lack of drawing ability.

After.

Full story @ http://recycledrepurposedrenewed.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/well-travelled-rock-chick-denim-jacket.html

"Rustic Rose" Skirt

Before.

Plain 1980's Fletcher Jones brown cord skirt.

After.

Pockets full of love.

Full story @ http://recycledrepurposedrenewed.blogspot.com.au/2012/04/rustic-rose-skirt.html

Twee Tweed Tee

A bit bored with her plain grey tee, Penelope decided that it needed a Twee Tweed Tee transformation.

She found some vintage 1970's Welsh Trefriw Woollen Mills tweed(google them they are still around and still manufacture the same tweed) at the local thrift store for $2.00.

She found vintage pink ric rac at the German Retirement Village Garage sale for 5 cents and a bit of old white floral lace from a discarded shirt.

So well done Penelope on taking a plain grey tee and giving it a Twee Tweed Tee transformation.

Penelope would like to challenge her refashioning friends to say Twee Tweed Tee 10 times really fast. See how you go.

Hwyl fawr fy ffrindiau

Mezzy @ recycledrepurposedrenewed.blogspot.com.au

"Key to my Heart" Pendant

Amazing vintage art-deco style tarnished padlock found at a church fete for 10 cents. Padlock locked and key missing. Do we pass this opportunity by or do we re-fashion it into something else?

Of course we refashion it. Random key found and with the help of jewellers pliers, a couple of links and an old chain, a new lease of life has been found for the old padlock.

Now the key to the "Key to my Heart" Pendant is that it is possibly too big and may not fit. Is this the right key?

Mezzy @ http://recycledrepurposedrenewed.blogspot.com.au/

The Tie-Shirt.....From Casual to Corporate

This introspective young man is planning his long day ahead in the corporate world.

From casual to corporate.....he is boardroom ready in his Tie-Shirt. A pocket handkerchief on a jaunty angle completes this sartorial look.

Boring green t-shirt found for at a local thrift store.

Amazing 1970's tie that I have been hanging onto for a short time waiting for the perfect project to come along.

TUTORIAL

This t -shirt transformation is as easy as it looks.

Find one boring small boys t-shirt with an equally small pocket.

Find the craziest zaniest vintage tie you can. Thrift stores are my shop of choice for retro ties.

Measure the skinny part of the tie from the ribbed neck of the t-shirt to two thirds of the way down.

Cut the tie to fit and pin to the t-shirt to hold in place-next step is to sew into its tie formation.

The jaunty handkerchief in the pocket is obtained from the wide end of the tie. Cut a small length and you may need to fold the sides slightly so it fits into the pocket. Pin the triangle point and then sew in place.

From boring to quirky....this t-shirt will gather many admiring

Mezzy @

http://recycledrepurposedrenewed.blogspot.com.au

Pep Talk

Peplums are so hot right now! Check out my vintage dress to peplum-dress refashion:

I essentially cut off the excess length and created a peplum out of it. As usual all the details are to be found on my blog, Charity Shop Chic.

How To Sew A Baby Hem On Delicate Fabrics

I needed this technique for my latest dress refashion:

Thrifted dress ($2) - I removed the extremely pouffy sleeves, cut off about 6 inches of length, and then used the baby hem technique to sew both the arm holes and the new hem.

Here's how I do a baby hem:

front side

80's Laura Ashley Refashion

I found this Laura Ashley dress in a thrift store and had already cut off the puffy sleeves and lace collar before I remembered to take a photo. Here I am, holding the sleeve on so you can get an idea of the 'before'.

I remember this style from the late 80's.
Already so different. A lot can be done in refashioning garments just by cutting stuff off, whether sleeves or length or whatever.

So I made it into a jumper, as Americans say. Or a pinafore if you are Australian.

I love that it has pockets.

I don't know if I am completely happy with the neckline. Square might have been better.