Project: Flannel Schmannel

     I went through a massive flannel phase not but two years ago.  I've realized since that wearing them did very little for my body, and then I had this impressive collection of men's flannels that I didn't know what to do with.  This is until I saw this Instructables how-to.  I had to give it a shot.

Before:

     Picked out this flannel.  Liked the colors, and had a couple brass buttons that would look great with the style.  I followed the instructions almost to a T, but instead of wearing it with the buttons on the back, I flipped it around to the front.  The result?

     A flannel dress!  Really pleased with this one.  Planning on going out tonight in it because I feel pretty good in it.  It fits tight across the chest, and it's supposed to be strapless, but as I expended my only strapless bra on a bustier top, I just keep my bra straps out.  

     I've gotten the suggestion that I get better photographs for detail on my blog.  I'm working on finding a photographer to collaborate with.  Until then, it'll be Android photos (which, the quality isn't that bad, but the self-portrait is pretty limited).  Looking forward to a different photo style though!  If you have any suggestions for me, feel free to leave them as comments.  I'm always looking for ways to improve both my blog and my sewing. :)

Project: Against the Plain White T

    Another thing I bought a couple months ago and never wore was this strangely designed tank top.  I should have taken a picture of it before hacking it up, but since I didn't I'll just have to hope a description will suffice.
This tank:
          a) Had no shape
          b) Had a waistline that didn't hit any waist that I knew of
          c) This awesome lace pattern that wasn't quite centered and wasn't quite off-centered
          d) Had one shoulder that looked like it was supposed to be different from the other, but wasn't.
     Ugh.  Really, the only reason I bought it in the first place was for the neat-o lace pattern.  So I grafted it onto the back of a plain white t-shirt. 

Front

 

Back

     I kept the integrity of the plain-t-feel in the front, I always liked the neckline and didn't want to interrupt it.  I then added the little peek-a-boo in the back.  You can't quite tell from the back view I provided (taking pictures from that angle is awkward anyway), but there's also a little bit of ruching of the tee underneath the pattern.  I'm still wearing it.  And it got a thumbs up from the boyfriend.  Yes. 

Project: Modernizing the Hippie Skirt

     I bought this wonderful floral hippie skirt from work a couple months ago.  I wore it once, but it was just too long.  I took it up, doing something similar to what I did with that ridiculous choir dress.  The difference in this one is how the upper layer is sewn onto the hem of the lower one: it makes a kind of bubble skirt effect. 

    Glad to finally come out with something that doesn't need to be belted (although this beige studded belt I have looks fffffff-abulous with it).

Project: Bustier Top

     While I enjoy re-using things, sometimes you come across ideas that are just too good to pass up.  Another Instructables.com browse brought me to this pattern for a simple bustier top, made from fabric and an old strapless bra.  YES.  Now I have a use for that stupid beige thing.

     I picked up some fabric at the fabric store, and went to work.  I opted for an orange and beige floral that was slightly sheer (I like sheer, ok?).  While the instructions said to find something in a jersey fabric, the stuff that I found was kind of lame.  Got this instead.  I had to go through a couple attempts to get it right, and this was the longest project to date.  Boyfriend knows this first hand by how many times I cursed at the sewing machine.

     Really happy with the final result.  It looks best by itself, but it can work with a cardigan.  Only issue is wrestling the thing on.  Still waiting for warm weather to pull this one out.  Or maybe date night.

     I keep looking at the spelling of 'bustier' and thinking "that has to be wrong".  If it is, Google won't tell me so, and I think that it's appropriate for how the final product sits on my body. (Wink.)

Project: Choir Dress

     Up until this semester I've been in choir my whole college career.  I dropped it (issues, drama, you know, the normal reasons why girls duck out of otherwise enjoyable activities) and I had this horrid dress left over.  I always liked simple sheath dresses, but this one was different.  Floor length.  Two sizes too big.  I looked like a nun in a garbage bag.  Redeeming qualities?  Well, it fit my tits, and had a nice neckline.  So I brought it up a bit and fixed up the waistline.

     Creds to Sheena for the creeps.

     Anyway, I tie a sash around the middle just because.  But who doesn't love their own little black dress?  You can't tell from this picture, but the bottom has two layers to it: a sheer black one over a silk under-thing.  (Because eff technical terms).  I cut the under-thing butt-short (ish) and then the sheer just floats on top.  

     Worn it out a couple times, good reviews.  Starting to feel more confident in my sewing abilities.  First time I sewed something with a truly straight and even hem (yay!).

Project: Vintage Sleevless Shirt

     Another project inspired by Indestructables.com.  I can't really think of it as anything else.  I had bought this simple floral western-style shirt from work, and it was cute, but it was a men's shirt.  Too big.  Pulled in the sleeves and trimmed up the bottom for a vintage-ey feel.

     Like how it turned out, but the sleeves are definitely uneven.  I notice, but who else would? 

     Can you tell I'm looking forward to spring?  All these cute little tops and dresses and it's only barely above 40 here. 

DIY Resource: Instructables

     Until I wrote the title of this post, I had been mentally calling this website "Indestructables".  When I realized I didn't know how to spell it off the top of my head, I also realized that I had been calling it by the wrong name.
Instructables.  Instructables, instructables instructables.

    While I mentally correct myself, it's a great resource for DIY stuff.  I got the idea for the scarf dress there, and a couple other projects are in the makings that also come from the same source.  It's not just clothes, but you can guess where I spend most of my time.

     Maybe I'll keep calling it Indestructables.  Implies that you can get more than one use out of something... maybe.  Or that just could be too analytical of my mistakes.  Anywho, I'd check it out if you're looking for some neat-o DIY.

Project: Scarf Dress

    In January I threw a house party.  Much alcohol was to be had, but at the end of the night, there was this scarf still in my house.  Some drunk girl must have left it.  Well, it's been a couple months and I heard nothing, and all the time I hated the color (orange).  I made it into a dress.

     It's another loose fit, so it has to be belted.  I'm still debating if it looks cute on me or if I look like a convict.  Gonna have to try it out with different color tights to see.

Project: Thrift Store Scarf Tunic

    Got the inspiration for this one from Stars for Streetlights, a DIY fashion (among other things) blog that I have been guiltily enjoying for the last month.  I figured it would be an easy project for my first one and I was right:

Front

Back

     I used a sheer black scarf for the back and a red and blue paisley one for the front.  The black one was smaller than the other, so there's overlap onto the back.  I kind of like it that way.  It fits really loosely, so belting it or wearing it with a skirt (like my inspiration did) is best.  Otherwise swimsuit coverup?  Hmm... I am working on a crochet bikini for this summer...

The Singer: How it All Gets Started

     I work at a typical retail clothing store.
     Half of our clothes come in used, half of them in new.
     I'm also an avid impulse buyer.

     For my 21st birthday I received a Singer sewing machine.  It's not fancy, but it does the simple things that I've been too lazy to do by hand.  Going through my closet, I have so much used clothing that I've worn once (hey, it's cheap, and I'm too impulsive not to buy cute things) and then let go to waste. I'm slowly working through my collection and combining/altering items to make things that I could wear more often.

     My personal taste is always changing, so I like to reuse old things.
     I'm also ridiculously broke most of the time.

     As I teach myself to sew, I'll be posting my project results on this blog.  Follow me as I attempt to stretch my closet into something that's a little more than one-use.