New Accessory...

I love loud, bright earrings.

I have a few that are my all time favourites ever.

My most favourite pair are my big, pink Kellie Christie vintage button replica polymer clay earrings (say that 6 times fast). I asked my husband to grab them and bring them to the city where we were meeting for dinner a few months back.

Unfortunately he lost one of them along the way. He was so apologetic because he knew I loved them. But I was already conjuring up a rescue plan for the lonely one left behind.

First I had to pry off the backing which I must say wasn't as easy I thought it would be.

Ready my hot glue gun which has been hibernating for a whole year along with a ring base and wait for it to dry (learnt that the hard way). I suggest calling a friend or making a coffee to distract yourself for trying it on too soon.

Now I have a brand spanking new big, pink Kellie Christie vintage button replica polymer clay ring instead.

Kellie would be proud!

Thong/Flip Flop Rescue...

This is a rescue as a posed to a refashion but it's a pretty neat one so I thought I would share it with you all.

We are all familiar with the story of a strap breaking while out dancing or someone walking behind you and stepping on your heel. Well I have a pretty sweet pair of Havvies which use to belong to my Moo but they broke and have been kicking around our back yard.

See what I mean?!

I was checking out a few things on line when I came across this blog which has the perfect rescue instructions. Whilst I was rescuing these I thought it would be pretty neat to crochet a foot piece too and found this lovely blog with great pics and step by step crochet instructions.

The rescue took all of 5 minutes and I am super happy with the results.

Even Moo loves them and wants them back haha. Too bad... So sad!!

Compai Inspired T-shirt Refashion

Believe it or not I managed to actually refashion something just for me!!

Move over kids this one is for the Mamas.

It has been unbelievably hot and if I had my way I would just do everything in a sarong like I would when I was pregnant but alas it's just not do-able right now (unless I happen to have a massive bowl of chicken laksa then I might be able to get away with it...hehe)

Armed with my $3 op shopped copy of 99 ways to cut, sew, trim and tie your T-shirt by the every so awesomely inspirational Compai girls and a plain singlet I devised a plan...

Find a top that would allow for the following:

-maximum air flow during the hot days

-cover up enough of my lovely body to be happy with (you know the marks that giving birth leaves you with?)

-looks sexy

-that I could complete in 15min or under (had to pick up the kids from school... not in the top though).

Tah Dar...

The top is super easy to put on and is pretty much like wearing a bikini top.

My favourite part by far is the back...

I know right?! For the first time in years I remembered I had a tattoo back there... Hurray!

Now you can see the other books the Compai girls have written here. They are about denim and scarves... NOICE. But I have post it notes stuck all over the pages of my book ready to make a few more so stay tuned!!

Oh... I also joined in the Buy Nothing New Challenge last month and blogged about all the wonderful things we found under my husband bed. Think of all the things you would love to have all at once... That's pretty much what we found here.

All Star Brooch

I wouldn't normally share a refashion accessory even though that's primarily what I create for Over It!.

BUT...

I think you'll all love this transition from a second hand pair of cons I bought from the treasure shop. I wore my white cons with pride until I lent them to my daughter Moo who for what ever reason pretty much trashed them.

I was devastated and wanted to rescue what I could.

Pretty impressive for a pair of shoes.

I loved the cracked worn logo and so does my friend Sophie who received the 2nd cons logo brooch in the post for her birthday (because there were 2 shoes)

Of course I had to make a bag to match it didn't I?!

xo Steph

Toddler T-shirt Dress...

I called past the op shop and picked up this Sesame St number. It actually fits me perfectly. I was nearly tempted to keep it myself but Bubble saw it and claimed it.

So I set to work.

Found her favourite dress EVER... handmade by The Awesome Tina, lined up the arm pits traced the shape leaving seam allowance and cut down the sides to make it more of a toddler dress shape than a T-shirt.

From there I hand sewed the sleeves back on adding pleats to the shoulders.

Everything else was left as is because I really didn't want to cut into Oscar The Grouch!

There you have it!

One very long t-shirt toddler dress.

She also has another one I made here.

4 buttons away from a refashion

i picked up this skirt for $4. I loved the contrast between the heavy brown and silk pink lining. I had full intensions of wearing it myself.

Isnt't the pink just yummy.

Note the label? They were very naughty for not practising fair labour laws!!

Miss Bubble was holding it for me and had it around her waist. Immediately I knew it was meant for her instead.

All I did was move 4 buttons. EASY... Now she has a skirt which will grow with her so long as I keep moving the buttons every year or so...hehe.

I love the steam punk look it has.

Apologies for to being more present. This little Bubble has just had an operation so my energy has been focused on her and the family.

Happy to be back blogging...

Big love Steph

Itty Bitty Dress

This is the quickest and easiest dress to make for anyone who is expecting a baby or if you have only just found out 'it's a girl' too. I used up some fabric which a friend passed my way.

This one was made for a little girl who will never know I made it just for her. I know she'll be wearing it and feel all the love and happiness it took to make it and that's all that matters to me.

I also made this dress for my daughter Bubble and my niece Kelly who were born 1 month apart. You can see the dresses here on my blog.

You can also find the pattern for this dress here.

Using up my scraps

This week I have been making a few 'bag tags' using up left over fabric and felt scraps. Have you ever notice that kids get really frustrated trying to do and undo the zippers on their bags?Personally I have trouble finding which side the zipper is actually on.

My bag tags solve both problems. They are bright, easy to locate and hold. Best of all they are made from 100% recycled materials and scraps!

Who hearts scraps?!?

Zipper fun

I normally work with recycled nylon zippers but a few friends have pleaded me to make metal zipper flowers so I delivered.

These will be brooches as far as I know...lol.

xo Steph

A quick fix

It's not so much a refashion.

I like to call it the "most adorable salvage ever".

I have a huge stash of hexagons which are made from my off cuts. They get put aside depending on the scrap size then turned into different size hexagons.

Not one knee but both were completely shredded. It's cold and they really needed patches so in came the scraps to save a pair of jeans which btw were already 2nd hand.

The back pockets didn't need patching... Just a little detail.

I hope you find some new ideas for patches xo Steph

Little pj's and little booties

Since joining RC back in February I have to confess I have only introduced myself once here. I am very much back and ready to do a post every week of all the refashions I manage to fit into our crazy life. Most of my refashions end up being for the kiddies because they are the ones who normally need new clothes/toy/gift for a friend but don't worry there are a few refashions in the works for little bitty me.

So first off the rank is a pair of my pj's which the elastic has over stretched in. I couldn't be bothered unpicking the elastic and to be honest Bubble needed a pair of long pants so that's what I turned them into. I used a pair of her existing pants and created a pattern from there.

Bubble loves them as they can be both pj's and day pants. Wish I could wear my pj's out during the day. I even sewed on a button to each pant leg. On the inside I sewed a strip with a button hole so she can wear them rolled up and buttoned into place!!

I also had to whip up a quick gift for a new baby. I only had limited materials at the time. All it took was some scrap felt left over from the kids Easter craft, self covering buttons and embroidery thread. Gotta love a recycled, handmade gift.

I am also currently working on a different refashion project which I have called my therapy quilt. It is a collection of recycled materials from around blogland and I am absolutely loving it!

Can't wait to see what else YOU have refashioned!! xo Steph

Introducing... Steph

I am so excited to be here (waves frantically at the computer)...

My name is Steph and my husband, Carlos and I run the Aussie eco kids wear label MooBear Designs which was stitched into creation from our love of recycling and refashioning while staying true to our ethical and environmental values. We have 3 kiddies Moo, Bear and Bubble who are learning the benefits of living a sustainable life and helping the planet no matter how small it may seem. I also started Over It! which is MooBear's little sister label. I love my fair trade coffee and have always got at least 3 refashion projects on the go. So lets get to know me a little better shall we? I might learn a thing or two as well. Below is a pic of me in my no sew top.

How did you get into refashioning? I was about 8 years old and one day my Mother sat me down and we made a heart shaped photo frame from a recycled weet bix box, some left over padding, glue and scrap material with coloured hearts all over it. I put a picture from my parents wedding to display in it and to this day I still have it on my dresser!! So I am thinking it all started there.

What is your motivation for refashioning? My motivation today is more about leaving a clean mark on our planet and showing my kids that it's more fun to be an individual and not follow the fashion of the masses. Having said that my 2 youngest children Bear and Bubble appreciate what I make them as there is less pressure from peers to be fashionable and cool. This dress below was made with the help of my friend Jazzy from a pattern and made from a doona cover!!

Where do you get your inspiration? My golly... Inspiration is everywhere. My children, facebook, blogs, fellow refashionistas who are always more than happy to share! Thank You ladies. All my creative friends and the little rainbow creature that lives in my head. Sometimes Carlos will randomly ask me 'Hey can you make this?' I'll disappear for about half an hour and come back with the goods. I secretly made a pair of transformers shoes once. Check them out.. There is a tutorial too!

Which techniques do you use in your refashions? Well I learnt to sew in high school on my grandmothers Singer. I would pick out patterns to make for class assignments and my Grandmother would end up doing most of the sewing because I just couldn't follow the instructions. I was a pretty hyperactive kid and just I wanted the dresses to just magically appear. I guess she got the A+ when I made a formal dress hey?! Hmmm... I tend to just go with the flow. I'll get an idea in my head and make it. Sometimes it takes a few attempts but you have to make a few mistakes to learn what works. My traffic stopping dress is a true mistake turned wonderfully perfect.

Where do you find things to refashion? Do you know that most of my friends are the ones who keep me supplied with materials. They bring bags of denim, shirts, dresses, ties, scarves... Anything and everything knowing that I will transform them into some new and seriously exciting. Some of them are WAHP and sew as their business (like us too) and I end up with all their scrap materials which is like gold to me.

I also live and breath op shops although we call them Treasure Shops in our family. I honestly can't stand walking into a shopping centre anymore it feels horrible and it's easier to buy a 50c toy at the treasure shop than a $20 toy at k-mart... Am I right or am I right?! Or better still we just make our own. Below is Bear's very own handmade Ben 10 Omnitrix which we made for him.

What is your favourite refashion? That's so so hard. There are so many big and small that I just love. But one of my all time favourites would have to be Bubble's 1st Birthday outfit which was refashioned from her big brother Bear's size 4 shirt. I made a dress along with matching bloomers and headband.

Do you recycle anything other than fashion? Yep... I sure do. I have turned ice-cream containers into earrings, curtains and bed sheets into satchels, dresses and banners. Zippers into headbands, brooches, pencil cases and rings. We even make our own paper too. I once collected 5kg rice bags and turned them into a skirt!!

Where can I read more about you and refashioning? You can call past my blog anytime! There is always a fair trade coffee to be enjoyed together. I look forward to meeting you wonderful refashionista's...