From Laundry Bag to Laundry!!

About 3 years ago I was at Ikea with my sisters in law and there was this adorable laundry bag. (Bad photo, sorry.) It was just too cute....the print,...the colors,...just loved it. I didn't need it but it was only $3.00, and I remember thinking at the time that it would be a shame not to buy it. (Where I get these thoughts I do not know!) So home it came with me. I opened it up and it was huge. Enormous! I had no idea what I was going to do with it besides look at it. (Did I mention that it was really cute?) I tried using it as a swimming bag and I looked like Santa Clause with his pack of toys. It has sat it my closet for 3 years!!! I couldn't donate it because it was too CUTE!!! So,........another skirt. I know! But really,.....I live in the desert in the scorching heat and I wear skirts nearly every day as a defense mechanism. (Extra breezy.:)) So why not have 3-dozen-ish skirts in my closet, right? Besides I like it even better as a skirt. YIPPEE!! It is too CUTE!!!!!

Wardrobe Rehab Part VII

I have had this plaid skirt for about 7 years. Even though it is light weight it has sort of a winter feel to me. I haven't warn it for months,...possibly even years,...so I thought I would see if I could lighten it up a bit.

I cut it to a length of 21" and sewed a strip of 2" crocheted lace to the bottom. (I actually cut the top off and used the bottom half of the skirt so that it would have more fullness. Then I just made it into an elastic waistband.) I finished it off with a doily. I like it a lot better now. I think that paired with an ivory blouse un-tucked, a thick brown belt high on the waist, and some chunky brown sandals that this outfit might just rock a summer feel. I am going to try it out.

Wardrobe Rehab Part VI

So I had this little dress. I just bought it to be a swimsuit cover up, so I was ok with the fact that it was rather short. After wearing it to the pool a few times and receiving half a dozen compliments on it I started to wish that it was long enough (for my particular taste, comfort, religion :):)), that I could wear it as a 'regular dress'. I took it to the fabric store with me and carried it around (like a true geek), and held it up to every bolt in the place until I found what I liked for a 'coordinating' fabric.

I cut an 8 inch strip and sewed it right to the bottom of my dress. I liked the results but it still looked a little bit "just thrown on there", so I made a posy and attached it to the shoulder.

Now I love it!!! Yahoo for recycled clothes.

My hubby caught this candid of me at a get together with friends. He really is no better at photography then I am. :) But,...you get the idea!!:)

Wardrobe Rehab Part V.....

Another boring shirt!! (Yes I do seem to have many of those.) It nearly made a trip to the Good Will this morning when I realized I still had some old blue toile fabric that would compliment it beautifully.

I just cut a slit right down the middle. (Put it on first and mark a spot so that you do not accidentally give yourself a plunging neckline. (Unless of course you are into that sort of thing,...in which case,...be my guest.:)) I don't even bother to finish off the edges since stretch cotton does not tend to fray. Then I made three cute-est posies following the fabulous instructions found here. (Blurry photo warning,........dude I just don't know what is wrong with my photographer.)

I sewed them on. (I probably could have even used liquid stitch, but I usually choose to sew.) And,........VOILA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Shirt not as boring. I still think I will try to come up with something frilly and a bit clown-esq for the bottom. (Just wouldn't be like me to stop while I'm ahead.;))

The best thing about these posies is that they look even better for the wear after they have been washed a bit. They get all frumped up and full of frayed character. YAY!!! So go find a boring shirt and 'Un-Boring' it!!

Wardrobe Repurpose part IV?,or...Just Felt Like It part II?

Had these pants that I didn't want. You know the pants that you think you love when you buy them, but then you never wear them? They just don't seem to look quite right? Well this pair is one of those. They sit there un-used,...and then there is guilt. (Hate the guilt.) So I thought it was time to experiment. I unpicked the seem right up the middle, and used the lower legs as inserts to create a skirt.

Then I OF COURSE used one of my favorite things (felt) to make lots of embellishments. I used 'Liquid Stitch" to glue them all down and then tacked them here and there with thread just to be on the safe side.

Now I have a skirt that I will actually wear. (YAY!! bye bye guilt!!:)) And....it was a surprisingly fun project.

Wardrobe Embellishment Part III

Are your flip flops boring??

Embellish them!!!! :)

Hot glue and flowers from the craft store are an easy fix.

These ones I sewed by hand and topped off with an over sized button and embroidery floss.

Summer is already hot, but not always in the right way! Why not spice it up? LOVE THE CUTE FEET!!!

Wardrobe Renovation Part II

Four shirts that I never wore are now........................

Two shirts I just ADORE!!! I know that they are very girly and frilly. Possibly even a little 'clown'-esq, but LUCKY ME that is exactly what I clothe myself in on a daily basis!!! :)

So go find some of your clothes that just aren't doing it for you and see if you can't just spice them up a bit. Everybody needs some sassy in their wardrobe.

A Few New Bows,...and Wardrobe Repurpose......

A few friends and I got together today to make bows. Yes, more bows!!! One can never have too many bows. :)

I don't know if anyone else has been feeling this way lately, but I certainly have. I open up my closet and.......SNORE........Everything in there is BoRiNg, boring, BorinG!!! I don't want to wear any of my clothes, and I don't feel like the state of the economy will really help me to justify buying any new ones. I rounded up a bunch of clothes to donate, and made a decision. I would take the ones with the most potential and try to make them into something that I would be more likely to wear. This skirt is my first and most simple re purpose. I will be doing a series of them over the next while. It was gaucho pants (which are adorable on girls with tiny little thighs, but not adorable on me.) I bought them on clearance because I loved the bohemian fabric and thought that paired with the right shirt I could make them work. Ya,...Not so much. I cut down the middle seems of the legs. Cut out the excess fabric in the hiney area, and stitched them back together to make a skirt. ( I took pictures of the process and managed to lose them in the many file folders of my computer...so sorry.) Still not my absolute favorite item of clothing, but much more likely to be worn now. One down, about 5 to go. Wish me luck!!!