Addicted to Stripes

I worked on a couple of pretty quick dress refashions this past week/weekend...striped dresses!!! I thrifted both just recently, this first one being a maternity dress. 

I took in the overall size from armpit to hem, then to give it a bit of definition at the waist, I created a pleated gather at each side...wanna see more details? Head over here.

This next dress was bleach-spotted and had funky armpit stains. So sleeveless was a must!

I also reworked the neckline and bodice to create this scooped v that allows me to wear the dress frontwards or backwards! Funky stains gone, easy summer midi is here to stay :) Want to see more of the process? Same link as above!

Time to go on a thrifting hiatus and save up some pennies...but I've got an ample stash to shop, so here's to more sewing and less buying!

Happy Refashioning,
Andrea
Little Did You Know

LB(T-shirt)D

Just a simple refashion from me this time as I attempt to get myself back into the swing of things. I picked up a long black maxi dress from the thrift store, slightly dated, but very simple.

After some adjustments to the sides, then the length, I now have a simple short t-shirt dress. In hindsight I would have simply shortened it and not taken it in, however, it'll do.

Wanna see how I'd style such a basic piece with some other thrifted goodies? Hop on over to the blog to see.

Peace,
Andrea
Little Did You Know

A Quick Refashion

Just a quick one today... I took this thrifted tunic, thrifted scarf and made a dress! If you'd like to see a bit more of the process, hop on over to the blog :)

Hope you all are well and working on more amazing projects than I have lately ;) Keep creative!

Peace,
Andrea

Blue Floral Nightie Refashion

Back with another refashion, and this one is a sweetie :) I started out with this nightie...pretty blue floral on a gray sweatshirt material. Comfy and cute...but not so cute as it was! It definitely needed a change.

I started by making a couple of mistakes attaching the waistband... ;-)

But apart from that it was pretty smooth sailing. Wanna see the tutorial? Hop over to Little Did You Know to check it out!

Now I just need some warm spring weather to be able to wear this for more than just doing my laundry and cleaning on a Sunday off...

Peace,
Andrea

Anthro-Inspired Cloth & Stone Top

It's been FOREVER since I posted a refashion!!! As an editor, I hang my head in shame........

BUT, this one is a fast favorite for me, so I'm hoping you'll agree and forgive me ;).

I started out with this...thing. WOW, is all I can say. But I knew it had to be saved from itself! So it sat in my refashion closet for months. And today, I saved it :)

I took this Cloth & Stone Anthropologie top as my inspiration...and after a bit of seam ripping, cutting and sewing, here's how it turned out!

Definitely brighter, more unique...but I love how it looks and fits now. What do you think? For a further breakdown of the process and more looks at the after, head on over to Little Did You Know!

Peace,
Andrea

Quick "Pinspired" Refashion

Just a simple refashion today but one inspired by a pin I found on Pinterest (see here). It is a pretty basic white tank with straps closer to the neck, is loose-fitting and not overly long, just hits the hips. But I don't have basic white tank tops, so I immediately saw this as an option to fill that hole.

My sis-in-law donates her old clothes to me to refashion (or donate), so I grabbed this white top and got to removing the collar and trim.

A few more snips, a little taking in and finishing off, and I've got a brand new top! Free of charge ;). If you'd like to see more of the process, take a look! Oh, and there's a bonus outfit breakdown of one of my favorite thrifted, vintage, homemade pieces, so make sure to hop on over to my blog.

Here's the before and after shot:

Very basic, simple, clean. I like it. Nothing better for a rainy Sunday than a little bit of refashioning to start my day!

Peace,
Andrea
Little Did You Know

1 Year Blogiversary

To celebrate my first year on my blog, I decided to tackle a couple of simple refashions to create a comfortable and stylish outfit for today. I pulled out this top (free at a community swap) and the sweater below ($2 at the thrift store).

As you can see, this sweater is made of silk and cashmere, so I had to make it something I'd wear.

After a few chops, and a little sewing, I transformed the shirt into a scarf, and the sweater into one with slimmer, shorter sleeves and a pair of matching boot cuffs! Come check out the entire process on Little Did You Know along with info for a giveaway.

Happy Refashioning!
Peace,
Andrea

Sleeveless Sweater

Finally back with another refashion! I started off with this thrifted sweater: size L men's seed stitch in a taupe/gray. I've had this inspiration piece pinned on Pinterest for ages now, and I've been keeping an eye out for just the right piece to use. Well, as you'll see my final piece isn't an exact replica. It started to take on a life of its own as I went, as many refashions do.

However, I absolutely love the outcome and if you want a breakdown of how I got from start to finish, stop on by Little Did You Know to see!

Hope you enjoyed this one!
Peace,
Andrea
Little Did You Know

Scrappy Scarf

Hi again :) I've got a cowl today that I made using a community swap skirt (free), the cowl from a thrifted sweater, and some scraps from a previous refashion.

 Now I've got a cowl with a few different options for wearing it...in terms of what patterns and colors take the spotlight :).

Wanna hear about how this was a totally unintentional cowl? Read about my mess-up here!

Hope you like and Happy Refashioning!
Peace,
Amdrea

Black Military and Green Velvet

Today I've got a couple quick fit fixes. I picked up this military style jacket from the thrift store thinking I could make it work, though it was a little big and the silver braid on the shoulders wasn't my thing.

So I hopped right in and removed it! Next I unpicked the sleeve hems and the hem of the jacket at both sides. Once I'd unpicked I took in each side from wrist to waist by about 2 inches. All I had to do to finish up was to trim the excess and restitch the hems in place!

Now I've got a fitted military style jacket that is comfy yet stylish. Just a couple of quick changes, but they made all the difference for me. This is my favorite kind of jacket/blazer because it is made with a cozy fabric that feels like I'm wearing a t-shirt or sweatshirt, but looks way more put together.

For more details and pics, or a preview of a refashion I'll be posting soon, check it out here!

These cotton velvet pants were a very recent thrift score and though they weren't a perfect fit, I knew that it wouldn't take much effort to make them into my favorite pair of winter pants. First off, they're green...deep emerald or forest green *sigh*. So pretty! And they're pants, which are super functional for work, home, whatever! And don't forget velvet.

They just didn't fit well in the waist or ankles, but both were super easy fixes. I styled the newly altered pants with my cropped kimono jacket and even had a customer ask if I'd bought it there at the store (I now have a seasonal job at a higher end boutique-feel retail store).  I also got compliments on the pants. I love when people think my clothes come from an expensive store ;). 

You can see and read more about the process here.

Peace,
Andrea

Mocs Lose Their Fringe!

I know! What's wrong with the girl who is not totally into the fringe craze that's coming back...yet again ;). Well, not ALL fringe is bad, but in my opinion, this fringe was. It was dirty and I just wasn't feeling it. So, I cut it off! I'd still like to brainstorm on how to jazz these Minnetonka community swap mocs (read: FREE!!!) up a bit more, so feel free to share your ideas :-D Maybe some matching stitching along the newly cut edge???

To see more pics of the process and read a bit about cleaning and disinfecting thrifted/second-hand shoes, hop on over here!

Happy Refashioning!
Peace,
Andrea
Little Did You Know

Cargos & Polka Dots

Polka dots...what's not to love? Well, they are growing on me, that's for sure. When I saw this blouse, I instantly saw potential with this larger scale polka dot pattern. 

It didn't take too much, and only 2 major mistakes later, I've got a not so perfect, but totally cute top to wear :)

The pants were much more straightforward and went from droopy...

to fitted in under 10 minutes!

If you'd like to read the lowdown on my process of 'winging it' and a 'first' that didn't go so well, come on over here! 

Happy Refashioning!

Peace,

Andrea

Little Did You Know

Blue & White Floral

Its been a long while since my last refashion...I lost my sewing mojo for a bit, then gave up trying...until yesterday! So, I've got a fairly easy t-shirt to peplum top refashion here. It's one I've seen numerous times and kept telling myself I need to do, but then never had the right 'material' to work with. Then, along came this thrifted t-shirt...

I shortened the sleeves, took in the sides a bit and gave it a gathered waist...

et viola!

Come see/read a bit more on the process here. Here's the before and after shot:

Hope you like this one! Here's to many more refashions in my future ;) Happy Refashioning!

Peace,
Andrea
Little Did You Know

Chartreuse Crop

I made a quick cropped sweater that required me to come up with a way of cinching it in without taking it in permanently...if that makes sense. Come see how I did it (here) and share your input on how I should have treated the back! I'm thinking elastic is the best bet over a snap ;).

Happy Refashioning!!!

Peace,
Andrea
Little Did You Know

Polka Dot Skirt

Here's a quick, no-sew refashion for ya! Have any jersey knit skirts laying around that you don't really wear anymore? Don't fit, don't like, whatever the case, they can easily be changed up into a cozy piece for fall/spring...depending on where you are in the world right now ;).

I started with this $.27 polka dot skirt. Didn't like it as a skirt, knew that I wouldn't, so it was a definite refashion in the making.

So, I put it on over my head, and started playing with the waist/neckline...closed? Or more open?

I went with open, by simply cutting off the waistband (saved for a future project) and made an off-the-shoulder poncho that is just right for a cool evening.

Pop on by the blog to give me your ideas on if I should leave the neckline unfinished (as-is), or embellish it with ribbon, a brooch, trim, etc...Happy Refashioning!

Peace,
Andrea
Little Did You Know

Doilies + Shoes = Perfection!

So I've been sharing sneak peeks at these shoe refashions on Instagram and finally put the post together to share with all of you! They were so fun to do, and you could really make both pairs no-sew with a good fabric glue...just be mindful whether it dries clear or changes the color of your fabric, lace, trim, etc.

Here's the before and after of each!

I styled them with a basic knotted T and a vintage pleated lace skirt/slip that I wore with a simple cotton slip underneath. If you'd like to see more of the process and over many pics of the final products ;), head on over here to my blog.

I've got some more fun things lined up and will be sharing sneakpeeks on Instagram! Happy Refashioning!

Peace,

Andrea
Little Did You Know

Quick Fixes

I didn't do a bit of refashioning for two weeks straight, and to get back into the habit, I've got three quick fixes I've completed this week.

The first is a no-sew refashion where I simply cut the top off of this too-short strapless dress to make myself a breezy skirt! Now that I can wear it down farther on my waist, it isn't too short and was the perfect piece for a day in the city with my boy :).

This next is a shoe refashion. I'd had these for two years without wearing them hardly at all, so I finally took care of what was bothering me...the extra long tongues that snapped to the outside. Cool to someone else, but I prefer the classic Converse, so I simply trimmed them up :).

The last one is another simplification...de-ruffling! The ruffle never laid down right (unless I ironed it, and even then it seemed to have a mind of its own). So, I cut the ruffle away and used an overlocking stitch to prevent fraying. So simple, but made all the difference in how often I wear this now!

To see more on each of these refashions, go here, here, and here. Hope you enjoyed these simple updates! Happy Refashioning :)

Peace,
Andrea
Little Did You Know

Eyelet Lace

This is another of the pieces I picked up in the bag sale recently, and was therefore only $.27. :) It's an eyelet lace skirt with lining, by GAP, and being 100% cotton is a perfect summer piece. But I don't wear white skirts, or even this style of skirt...they're just not my thing. But the beautiful eyelet lace is what this piece is all about.

I used another top as a template and transformed this skirt into something I'll be wearing for years to come! Stop by my blog to check out the process, how I got two pieces from one, and a closer look at how I finished off the arms (tried out a new decorative stitch!) :).

Hope you like this update, it's definitely one that can be repeated with many types of skirts for very different effects! Happy Refashioning :)

Peace,
Andrea

Floral Pants

Enough with the florals, already, right?! WRONG :) I love me some florals and have yet another new piece to add to my ever-growing floral wardrobe. I started off with these pants that I thrifted last month for $3.

Hop on over here to see how they went from "full-of-potential" to my FAVORITE PANTS EVER!!! ;)

Peace,
Andrea

2-for-1: Stripes & Floral

I snatched up these striped pajama pants at a bag sale yesterday...they set me back a whole $.27. Now, the problem with these is that they are size XS (which I am not) and absolutely wouldn't work as they were. But there's a pretty simple solution...and this process works with many kinds of pants! (Jeans, slacks...even sweatpants)

Love me some stripes!!!

After all was said and done, I've got myself a new hi-low stripy skirt :). I like how this came out and the high-waist makes it much more flattering on me, imo. One little quarter, and about half an hour is all it took.

Wanna see the step-by over on my blog? Check it out here.

Here comes another one! I had cut off so many scraps from my striped skirt that I had to do something with at least part of them right away. I've had this floral maxi dress for a while now and haven't been wearing it because it is too clingy on my waist and the thin fabric is a bit unforgiving. So I'd brought it out thinking I'd make it into a maxi skirt but had no wide elastic for a waist band. In comes a scrap of striped stretch fabric...

Stripes, meet Floral ;)

With a bit of chopping, sewing, and 15 minutes, I was victorious. This was incredibly easy...but that's kinda what I needed in the effort to get my sewing mojo back. And hopefully I have! Here's the final before & after shots:

Want to see how I did it? Hop on over here. :)

So, what do you think? I'd love to know what you would have made with each of these pieces! Sometimes I go with the most obvious choice, out of habit I'm sure, but maybe getting a different perspective could help me broaden my vision for refashion possibilities! Happy Refashioning :)

Peace,
Andrea