Failed Tee Refashion Rescue.

This started off as a tee shirt refashion which went horribly wrong. Lack of planning meant that the lace insert was off centre and puckered. Not good enough to wear in public, I was reduced to wearing it at home. I liked the braiding at the neckline so I thought that I would use that to be the inspiration for an infinity scarf. The braiding became a cool feature and now I am proud to wear my failed tee refashion rescue out in public in it's new guise as an infinity scarf.

So I created this

From this

By doing all of this. 

Feel free to see more of this @ Penelope Hanger Refashions

"Better Late Than Never Jacket"

 A year ago I promised my co-worker Tom, that I would create a denim jacket refashion for his 4 year old daughter Amber. It has taken a year to find the right thrifted child's jacket. The butterfly painting I have had for approx six months and again this was a thrift store find. Tomorrow I return to work after a two week break and I will be delighted that I have finally fulfilled my promise to Tom.

So here is the pretty painting that I found in a thrift store. This I will carefully cut away from the picture frame. Then I cut the painting to fit the centre back panel of the denim jacket.

The jacket cost $3.25 from Bayswater Salvos.

Here is the back before it is transformed.

To the front I sew a couple of ornate hearts on the pocket flaps. This is to create a bit of interest and detail.

Close up of the hearts which I sew from underneath.

Here is the completed back panel. To protect and hide the edges of the canvas, I sew bias binding with a zig zag stitch. The jacket is now complete and ready for young Amber.

For more fun ideas please come and visit me at Penelope Hanger Refashions.

Santa Sack Sabotage.

 Are you bored with the same old same old Santa sacks? No need to be embarrassed anymore carrying your beautiful upcycled homemade gifts in a dull old commercial Santa sack. Dump the sack, break the rules and create your own personalised Santa sack. Say hello to Patsy Penguin. Patsy Penguin is single, 25, enjoys a good glass of red wine and loves the night life. At dusk every night she comes out to party while many come to join her at Patsy's Penguin Party Parade on Phillip Island. Not wanting to look like every other penguin in the parade, Patsy likes to glam up for a big night out. Tonight and tomorrow Patsy will party with her new friend Sue. Merry Christmas Sue.....hope you and Patsy have a great time together.

Nice little penguin, but could do with a style injection.

I love shopper bags and the money that I paid for this goes to a good cause.

1940's vintage buttons will do nicely as an alternative string of pearls. These I hand sew on.

Left over vintage silk tie will make a lovely hair clip.

Finished off with another 1940's vintage button.

Penguins like to run to their nests through native grasses. Okay so these are not quite native grasses but these too will be hand sewn onto the bag.

Patsy is finished off with a 1970's doily cut into a skirt, plus a touch of lippy and nail polish.

Patsy you are looking glam.

Ready for Patsy's Penguin Party Parade.......now off to find a glass of wine.

If you like to see other fun projects come and visit me @ Penelope Hanger Refashions

Frumpy, Dumpy, Lumpy Skirt.

Frumpy, Dumpy, Lumpy Skirt.

I found this frumpy, dumpy, lumpy skirt at a local thrift store. As I am heading off for a beach holiday in a few weeks I wanted something light and summery. This skirt fit the bill.....only problem is that it was made for an Amazonian Wonderwoman of statuesque height. I am 5 foot 3 inches / 160cms tall.....or short to be more accurate. The skirt was the length of a bedsheet and finished way past my feet. This would not do! I needed to shorten it without losing the cool detail. I also wanted to give it a far more casual feel.

Hello Amazonian Wonderwoman.....I have your skirt. Now the trick to this refashion is that the bottom of the skirt where the brown detailed threading is....will be turned upside down and reattached just under the middle of the skirt.

So I cut away at least 12 inches off the middle of the skirt. The detailed panel is now separate so I start cutting strips and turn them into tassels. These tassels will become the bottom of my skirt.

What you see now is the original hem being sewn to the middle of the skirt after the 12 inches of excess fabric has been removed.

Look carefully. The original hem is now in the middle and the skirt is a cool summer beach length with tassles for an extra fun detail.

Bottom in the middle and the middle at the bottom. Refashion is now complete.

Refashioned skirt on her maiden voyage. Loving my scrappy tatty tassels.

You can also find me at Penelope Hanger Refashions

"Letter to Patricia" Pendant

Dear Patricia,
Apologies as this is my second project today for Refashion Co-Op but I felt compelled to write to you. I found your whizz bang pendant kit at the thrift store quite sometime ago and I only paid 99 cents for it. Not many people get a cross stitch pendant kit named after them, but I am guessing that you are pretty special. Therefore it is with a heavy heart that I need to let you know that you are kind of daggy Patricia. Now all the Australians that follow this blog will know what daggy means, but for everyone else......daggy means "not stylish,out of fashion, not trendy and finally not cool". Sorry Patricia, but you really are stuck in a 1970's time warp. Fashion has changed and you need to get with the times.Mustard shifts with gigantic lapels and over plucked eyebrows are out. Hmmm, you have probably guessed that I am not going to do your cross stitch. Instead I am going to create a pendant that is contemporary and fun.

Hello Patricia. 

This looks fun. 

I am going to make my own tassels using a piece of cardboard that I cut from the kit packaging and some gold cotton thread.

I love a vintage tie that keeps on giving. This silk tie has been used for multiple projects and earlier today I posted a hair slide refashion using the same fabric. At this point I use my jeweller's pliers to add the handmade tassels and some bits and bobs from my jewellery collection. Some are vintage and some are not.

The chain is long so this is how the necklace actually sits when it is worn.

Adding the additional elements makes it fun and contemporary. For more cool projects and ideas come and visit me at Penelope Hanger Refashions

Broken Hair Slide Rescue.

My favourite hair slide with a pretty stone and metal flower broke off. What a shame as it did a great job in keeping my unruly hair in check. Inspired by Erica Louise I decided that instead of throwing the tiny but solid hair slide away, I would create a necktie refashion. So let us begin the broken hair slide rescue

So here is the broken hair slide. The two fabric discs are what I am going to use as my base to attach a flower made from a vintage tie.

Rescued hair slide ready to wear. For more pics and details please drop by to my blog

Altered Couture Tote

I found a tote at the thrift store which had great colours but I disliked the branding that appeared in the bottom right hand corner. It had to go so I used some new and vintage bits and bobs to create an altered couture tote. 

Hmmm could they make the branding any more noticeable?

Here is my secret branding be gone weapon.

Branding is now gone and I have a cool altered couture tote.

For more text and pics please drop by @ my blog

Remember The Child Within Ring

Always remember the child within.

Sometimes we get caught up with what can be the daily grind of life and trying to earn a living. We lose touch with who we are and where we have come from. Remember The Child Within Ring is about reconnecting with the wonderment and innocence of your childhood. 

Wear the ring.....step back in time.....and always remember that brave optimistic child within.

Create this pretty ring.

From this plain red ring. To see how and for more pics, visit me @ Recycled,Repurposed,Renewed

Anthropologie Style Necklace.

Recently I spotted a handmade zipper necklace on pinterest that caught my eye. It was made solely from vintage coloured zipper heads and jump rings. I liked it and decided to use the idea as the basis for my Anthropologie style necklace. Anthropologie is great at creating quirky, interesting and sometimes expensive jewellery.  I had a box full of old grey zippers at my disposal, a double chain, some vintage buttons and a discarded tarnished heart.


So I started with this box full of old grey zippers.

And turned them into this.
To see how this is done, please drop by my blog

Cherry Blossom Shoes.

Have you always wanted a pair of Camper Twins shoes but have found that their price is way beyond your budget? Despair no more and instead create your own quirky pair.

So start with a tired but favourite pair of red suede shoes.

And add a few vinyl cherry blossom strips to create your own version of the Cherry Blossom Shoe.

Tutorial at Recycled, Repurposed, Renewed Blogspot

Old Mullets and Dull Suitcases.

This is an accessory refashion but instead of a cute little handbag, I have refashioned a suitcase. It is a pretty old  dull suitcase and it almost dates back to the days when I used to rock a mullet.I could wax lyrically about my awesome "back in the day" mullet but I will leave that for my blog. Instead, I will let you know that I am heading off north in a weeks time for some sun and sea so I decided to give this old dull suitcase a refresh. The refashion is part aesthetic but I do have an ulterior motive and that is to ensure that I can spot this suitcase as soon as it hits the luggage carousel. I have used vintage apron for this refashion and focused on a piece of gorgeous vintage cross stitch.

Dull boring black suitcase just like 50 million other dull boring black suitcases spinning around and around on the luggage carousel. How am I ever going to pick it?

Problem solved with a vintage 1950's apron and some cute lace. 

For more details and further pics(including my awesome back in the day mullet) please come visit me at my blog

"It Will Grow On Me" Tote

"Is this for Penelope Hanger(my alter refashioning ego on Facebook) or is this for Charlotte Ingram?" With these words I knew that I had both failed and passed my tote rescue challenge. They were uttered by Charlotte Ingram upon sighting her slightly, ever so slightly altered tote. FAILED because Charlotte Ingram was expecting a plain, subtle, simple and very sensible tote rescue. PASSED because Penelope does not have the word plain in her lexicon. What is plain indeed? Anyway it has been a spectacular success, well to my way of thinking.....even if Charlotte was heard to comment "It will grow on me I guess" 



SOS....This bag needs help!

Job done....vast improvement.
For the full story with a bit more funny stuff thrown in.....and my usual abridged tutorial please visit me at my blog

Failed Scarf Skirt.

Straight off the bat I have to let you know that this skirt is a failed scarf. I had the idea of combining a grey 1970's cardigan and a frangipani print sweater with a bit of Edward Scissorhands action. Hmmm ummmm.....epic fail! Back to the drawing board with the scarf cast aside as it just did not sit right. Then last weekend I chanced upon an amazing deadstock dress from the 1970's. Swing tag still intact.....gosh it had never been worn. So I took 1 dress, 1 cardigan and 1 sweater and turned then into a fun quirky Failed Scarf Skirt.


So this 1970's deadstock dress 

Became this fun quirky skirt.

To see more pics as to how a failed scarf was turned into a skirt...come and visit me at my blog