capetastic!

i've had this kimono-sleeved top hanging in the back of my closet since lex and i went on vacation last year.

when i bought it, i though i could use it as a cute cover-up, but the fit was awful, and i hadn't lucked into my sewing machine back then. i loved the fabric, so i held onto it until i could come up with something better.

i recently turned it into this little piece of magic:

the one thing i'm really proud of is the closure--i hand-made these simple frogs, and i love the way they turned out!

hooray! i've got a sweet cape!

but now i'm stuck wondering: how on earth am i supposed to wear it? i haven't been able to come up with a really good idea of how to work it into any solid outfits.

can you lovely ladies give me any suggestions?

as always, you can catch me over at my blog, the village star.

see you again soon! ~j

hi everyone!

my name is jane, and i'm thrilled to be here! i live in a tiny town in south carolina where my boyfriend, lex, and i share three sweet cats and seem to be the only vegans in a 30 mile radius.

i'm completely brand new to the world of refashioning. i just got my first sewing machine for my 27th birthday, and i'm in love--but it was a long, long road to get here!

this is my first-ever refashion, and it was a real lesson for me.

i made the tank from a giant knit shirt, and the leaves came from a terrifying 80's-era blouse.

i wrote about the experience here.

when i was a little girl, my grandmother made all of my clothes, and i remember sitting and watching her turn yards of fabric into garment after garment--it was like magic! i attempted to learn how to sew when i was younger, but i never had the patience for it. when i couldn't make a perfect, complete piece out of thin air, i tossed my hands up and threw in the towel. so, i spent my childhood summers drawing designs for fashions that (i thought) i'd never be able to bring to life.

about two and a half years ago, i started my own business hand-making all sorts of things--jewelery, cards, monsters, whatever i could think of. but i still steered clear of the sewing machine because of our dark and twisty history.

i haven't shopped in a regular store in ages. i love everything about thrift stores--the atmosphere, the thrill of searching through a bin and finding that one piece that's just right. besides, my style tastes change far too frequently for my wallet to keep up with mall prices! but there's always that issue of falling madly in love with that one dress/shirt/curtain that just won't quite work. lex has been encouraging me to try sewing again for a while now. so, this year, i finally decided to accept the challenge to give it another shot.

this is a dress i made from a massive muumuu i got for fifty cents...

and that's one of our cats, bijoux, photobombing the picture.

and so far? i'm having a blast! i don't have a ton of time to put into sewing, but i already have a whole shelf full of pieces to refashion, and i just finished drawing up a series of sketches for a capsule wardrobe that i can create to get me through the rest of this spring and summer.

anyway, i'm so glad this co-op exists, and i can't wait to share my triumphs, giggle at my mishaps, and be inspired by you all!

in the meantime, you can catch me over at my blog, the village star.

see you again soon ~j