KISS-ing It!

Sometimes you gotta follow the KISS rule-keep it simple, stupid! Some of the coolest, easiest re-styles can be done without even using a sewing machine.

I recently had a 50% coupon for JoAnn Fabrics. All the fabrics I wanted were on sale, so I couldn't use my coupon on them. And one does not waist a 50% coupon! I headed to the trim aisle to find the next best thing. I found this funky, chain link type of trim. It was costly at almost 8 bucks a yard. But I just loved how unique it was and went home with two and a half yards courtesy of my coupon. By the time I had reached home, I knew what I was going to use it on.

I had a pair of ankle zip crop jeans I found on a clearance rack for  $5. I am old enough to remember when ankle zip jeans were cool over 20 years ago. So I was quite pleased when I saw they were making a comeback. I decided to use the trim to go down the sides of each leg, ending just above the zipper.

I did not want to nor did I think it would be possible to stitch the trim to the jeans. So I broke out the next best option-Fabric Fusion glue. This glue is great for adding details to clothes as it is machine washable and even dry-cleanable. And it sticks very well. 

I glued the trim to the sides of the jeans. I did one leg, one night at a time so it could dry adequately. The end result was so cool.

I think these jeans will look great tucked into boots for the fall and winter. And it was so simple to do.

Another recent non-sewing project involved a skirt re-style for Second Impressions. The skirt was missing one button and a very blah looking button at that. I removed the remaining buttons and dug through my stash to find some very cool, silver square buttons. On the side of the skirt where the smaller buttons were on the pockets, I added two round silver buttons. The entire look of the skirt was transformed.

This skirt can be found and purchased at Second Impressions thrift store. The jeans will be found sticking out of my favorite black boots all season long.

Remember-when in doubt, KISS it!

Kiss it good.

Bohemian Rhapsody

Remember when you were in elementary school and one of the first books ever read to you or that you learned to read was The Little Engine That Could? The heartwarming children's story of a little train  that puffed it's way up the mountain remains in memory with that that one line.

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can......

Such was the case when I went thrifting a week ago on a rainy day during my lunch break. I was browsing through the dresses at Second Impressions and came across this dress with an AWESOME print. I was in love. I seriously heard harps playing. Really.

I absolutely loved the colors, the print, the fabric, the length, the style. What I didn't love was the tag that contained the size inside the dress. It definitely was not my size. I sighed and put it back on the rack, but before I left the store, I ran back and grabbed it.

I know I am not the only woman who has purchased a dress in hopes of fitting into it someday. And I have been watching what I eat lately. But even if I dieted well into the winter, never cheating, it might just be a year before I lost enough to fit into this dress. Sometimes I can be rather impatient, especially if I see something I want to wear RIGHT NOW.

I tried the dress on and it fit to a certain extent, that extent being it wouldn't zip all the way up the side. So, like the little engine, I tried and tried to get the zipper up, all the while saying to myself, "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can."

In the end, I knew I couldn't. I was beat. It was either 6 months straight of only melba toast and cottage cheese or the alternative. Elastic.

Out came the scissors and slashed away the upper part of the dress. I was careful not to hurt the colorful waistband. I removed the side zipper entirely and then stitched up the side where the zipper once had been.  On each side of the bottom remaining portion, I added elastic to the colorful waist band. 

I then dug through my re-style stash and found a simple black knit top. I made a line with tailor's chalk across the top where I intended to cut it in half.

I then stitched the black top to the bottom portion of the dress. I used a stretch stitch when I went over the elastic in the waist.

Not wanting to waist one bit of that awesome print, I removed part of the sleeves from the original top portion of the dress and added them to the sleeves of the black top. Since I plan on wearing a belt around the waist, the elastic will not be showing. Once I do lose a healthy amount of weight, I will remove the elastic and stitch the waist band back together.

The end result is a funky, bohemian print dress that will look great with boots and a long, beaded necklace. Ultimately, a black floppy hat and large shades would complete the look, but I don't think my children would ride in the same car with me if I wore a floppy black hat. They tend to be embarrassed when I wear hats around them in public. 

With the added elastic and the stretchy knit of the black top, I am now able to comfortably wear the dress and even manage to breathe! I am so glad I didn't leave this little baby behind because of a silly sizing issue.

I think I can. I think I can. I think I can!!!!!!!

Text Print Fabric Infinity Scarf

Not to sound too much like John Mellencamp, but I was born in a small town in North Dakota. My parents still live in the same small town.

I could go on and say that's probably where they'll bury me, but that would be too depressing. And I am not that big of  a John Mellencamp fan.

The small town where I grew up was the typical small town in rural North Dakota. It has it's fair share of churches, bars and of course, a grain elevator. Through the years, businesses on Main Street have held shoe stores, dress boutiques, bakeries, hardware stores, drug stores, florist shops, bars, department stores, bars, appliance stores and the coolest movie theatre a kid could ever dream of seeing E.T. The Extra Terrestrial on a big screen. Well, the screen was pretty big to me.

Through all the changing tides of my small town's main street, it has remained a busy and integral part of the town. It still holds a nostalgic feel for those who live there and those who come back to visit. And recently, it became home to a fabric store. Gasp!!!

When I heard the news that a fabric store had opened up in my small town's main street, I couldn't put gas in my tank fast enough. They had me at 'fa-'. And it is not just any fabric store. There are very unique prints of fabric in this store. It is a very happy place for me.

It was there that I found this Cynthia Rowley fabric that I used to recover my comfy sewing chair.

Last week I made the trip up north again to see family and of course, just had to go in to Sew On Sew North and see Peggy, the owner of the store. There I found fabulous fat quarters and this cool text print fabric. I wasn't sure what I was going to make with it at the time, but by the time I had reached my parking spot at home, I had a plan in my head. 

I decided to make an infinity scarf. These are great to make with cotton fat quarters or cotton fabric because you can throw it in the washer and dry it when it gets dirty. Normally this project would work best with three fat quarters or one yard and a half of fabric, but I cut my yard into three fat quarters and stitched them together. Next, I folded the long, sewn together piece in half and stitched across the top to form a tub.

Once the tub was formed, I removed the pins. Leaving the tub with the wrong side out, I started from the right side and pulled the left side through the tube to the right side.

I then lined up both sides so that the right sides were facing each other. I pinned 3/4 of the side, pinning 4 pieces together. I then stitched down the side.

Once that side was stitched, I removed the pins and pulled the scarf through the small opening I left.

This is what it looked like when I had it all pulled through.

I then top-stitched the remaining pieces together. You can also slip stitch this, but if you are lazy sometimes like myself, then this works also.

This scarf is perfect for many different outfits, from casual denim jackets to work outfits, and even to the currently very trendy military jackets.

Sew happy with my selection of fabric. I also made a few scarves with several different prints of fat quarters. These would make excellent Christmas gifts, so go and stock up with fat quarters or yardage right away and get stitching! Sew On Sew North is located on Main Street in Langdon, ND. Look it up on Facebook, drive there and shop away. Tell Peggy I say hi!

Happy thrifting and stitching from your fabric buddy of the north!

Gramma's Got It Goin On!

While perusing through one of my many magazines searching for inspiration for fall outfits, I came across the asymmetrical zip tapestry top by Vince Camuto, part of the Two by Vince line. I loved the look of the floral tapestry mixed with the edgy look of leather. However, Vince Camuto clothing is not on a secretary's budget.

So I went in search of a tapestry-something that I could re-style into this cool top. Only I wanted sleeves to my top, unlike the Vince number. For some unknown reason, I like to hide my arms in sleeves.

My thrifting travels that day took me to Gramma's Attic, a cleverly hidden wonder of a thrift store. There, in Gramma's back room of fashion wonder, I found exactly what I was looking for.

Check out this lovely, 1980's tapestry jacket. Pastel in all its glory! Padded shoulders and a beautiful mauve lining. It almost looked like fancy 80s bedroom wallpaper!

The jacket was a bit snug, but the price was so right, Drew Carey couldn't have made me any happier. It went home with me and right onto Olga. I decided to remove the sleeves and make the armholes a bit roomier. I then trimmed off a bottom portion of the jacket so it wasn't so long. The jacket itself would not button around my waist with the button on the far right, so I removed the button and the snaps. Using the old sleeves as a guide, I created new sleeves from faux black leather. I also added the faux leather to the bottom hemline as a trim. When it was done, I didn't think it looked edgy enough and it needed a little something 'extra' on the neckline. So I pulled something off a piece I used last week to create the breaking bad tuff jacket. Remember this guy?

I ripped off the zipper from this jacket and used it as trim around the front openings. It added just the right amount of edge to the jacket and the perfect finishing touch.

I was so pleased with the end result. I can't wait to wear it with a long drapey top underneath and black jeans and boots or even denim and boots. And it was at the bargain price of 4 bucks total to make!

Happy thrifting from your tapestry clad friend in the north!

Zelda's Transformation

Two weeks after I brought her home from Junkfest, Zelda is on the wall and transformed in all of her glory. Here she is before:

I dug through a box of vintage magazines I had picked up at another junk sale a few years back. I found a 1919 September issue of Pictoral Review. The print and the advertisements in the pages were perfect for Zelda's new look. After a quick trip to Michael's to purchase a very large container of Mod Podge, I was ready to go to work.

I covered my table with wax paper because working with Mod Podge is messy, especially when you are using such an amount. I cut my pages out ahead of time and tried to have a variety of shapes as it would look better to have a combination of different ads and text. I used a lot of ads for corsets, soap, toilette water, shoes, cars, baby food and even a wedding dress. 

The process itself was quite messy, but the end result was worth the sticky mess. I had glue all over my arms. One piece of advice if you are doing a decoupage project of this size-wash your hands periodically throughout the entire process. This makes it easier to handle the newsprint. Otherwise it will end up sticking to your fingers and ripping. 

I let her 'cure' on the table for at least 24 hours before I hung her back on the wall. I had planned to cover her with vintage lingerie, but I loved the look of the text so much, I decided to leave her without clothes, for now. But accessories always make the look, so I gave her a flapper headband that had  vintage millinery plumes and some long pearls.

She looks quite cozy and stylish next to my display of vintage hats and purses.

She is also placed right next to my sewing area so she is the perfect 'muse' for future stitching and creating! The boys still think she is creepy with even her new newsprint look, but I think she is smashing, old sport!

Happy thrifting from your mod podging friend of the north!

Breaking Bad Jacket

Everywhere you turn on the web, there is a story or a comment or a post about the final season of Breaking Bad. 'What will happen?' it asks. 'How will it end?' it reads. I have never watched Breaking Bad before. And then two weeks ago, everything changed. Everything.

I subscribed to Netflix so I could see what all the hub-bub was about. All it took was one episode of Walter White in his tightie whities and I was hooked. I haven't slept much. I find myself turning on Netflix whenever a child is not in the room just to get a few minutes in. I find myself ending sentences in the word 'yo.'

I am currently on season 4. I don't foresee it getting any better.

Somehow, my children have managed to have hot meals, the floors have been vacuumed, clothes have been laundered and I have found some time to sew and do re-styles. The latest piece is a combination of  two different jackets.

I have been looking for an old school, loose fitting, slightly oversized denim jacket. Most likely the optimum jacket would be from the 90s. I consulted my thrifting 'finder,' Amanda from Second Impressions. It took a few weeks, but she found the perfect denim jacket for me. Oversized to the point where I had to take it in and just the right cut and color. I was so excited about it that I started ripping it up before I could even get a before picture. I slashed the sleeves off and took in the sides of the jacket so it fit me better, yet still was a bit relaxed and loose in form. Then I let it sit.

Next, I went to work on the second piece. A black leather jacket. I only wanted the sleeves.

It seemed almost cruel to cut the sleeves off of this fine, leather wonder. But I hacked away.

Next, I added the sleeves to the denim jacket, just like I would if I were sewing a jacket from a pattern. The end result was this rough and tough denim/leather jacket.

I love the look of the two fabrics together. The jacket is cool, funky and yet very warm for the fall months. I can picture it with an infinity scarf, jeans and boots. I can even see it with a skirt and boots. Either way, I will get a lot of wear out of this jacket in the coming months. 

But that would mean I would have to quit watching Netflix, yo.

Happy thrifting from your thrifting buddy of the north!

New Fabric +Old Fabric = Fabulousness!!!!

Last April, I received a subscription to Burda Style magazine for my birthday. Every month, I get a new magazine in my mailbox with at least 35 new patterns. It is like a child getting candy in the mail every month.

I find the Burda patterns easy to understand and very true to fit. The patterns have to be traced and it is a bit confusing to see all the different lines and colors at first, but after awhile, the eyes adapt and the tracing comes easily. I traced a pattern for the long oversized cardigan from the July 2013 issue. The pattern picture looked like this.

You can find the pattern available for download here.
I used a boucle knit lace fabric for my cardi. For the contrast I used a long, darker colored, prom-type dress from the 90s that I got at the .99 sale last month. The fabric was great, the tags were still on the dress and there was enough so that I didn't have to purchase any extra yardage of fabric. My end result looked like this.

It is lightweight enough to wear now without a coat. When it gets cooler, it will still fit fine underneath a long, heavy coat. I paired it with a peach colored, sleeveless cowl neck purchased on a clearance rack for $5. The boucle fabric came from www.fabric.com, clearance of course. I ordered it in the beginning months of January when the temps were WAY below zero. Since the fabric cost $6, the entire cost of the cardi came to $12. Not too shabby for something that you won't find in anyone else's closet.

When you are thrifting, pay attention to the fabric of a piece and not just the style. That dress hanging on the rack may be just hideous in style, but the fabric may be useable for another purpose. Apparel fabrics can be costly and as I have found, hard to find in stores anymore. I usually have to resort to online shopping when looking for yardage of fabric. But I always check the thrift stores first.

I may have been working on a pattern from scratch this week rather than re-styling an old piece, but I was still thrifting like a mad woman. My thrift store find of the week is this awesome pair of Doc Marten sandals I found at Second Impressions.

Never worn, not a scratch nor a scuff can be found on these little darlings!  I have a very warm and fuzzy spot in my heart for Doc Martens. And they will go perfect with my 90s throwback outfits I am working on. I found the pieces, I just need to cut and stitch and we are back in the days of grunge and flannel my friends.

Happy thrifting from your stitchin' friend in the north!