Sequin Refashion

Confession: the "before" of this project, is neither a hand-me-down, nor is it a rockin, thrift store find; it is from my very own closet. SGHS prom, circa 1995. Not as embarrassing as a couple of my other evening wear selections from that era, but embarrassing enough... I kind of wish I had a photo to share from back in the day, but I never got any copies from my date, because we stopped speaking the next day. My only regret about that is not getting those darn pics!

With this awesome little number, I wanted to create something a bit less, Vegas party-girl, and a bit more classic/classy sophisticate; something appropriate for nearly twenty years later, to wear to a friend's wedding. As mentioned in my previous post, I've been collecting both inspirational and aspirational ideas for this sparkly revamp on a SequInspiration Pin board.

The deconstruction:

Inside-out, I marked the front, waist line and cut line with chalk. (The back was easier as I just popped those straps off with a seam ripper, no sweat.) Carefully, I de-sequined in between the lines. Once that arduous process was complete, I sliced off the top.

The reconstruction:

I added a band of elastic inside the waist for strength with a give, then hemmed and folded down the flap of sequin-free material over that, hand tacking it all in place. The beast of this process was individually hand-sewing sequins in place that were bent, broken, scratched, or missing. I also needed a full row for the new top of the waist line. Now complete, but not quite finished.

The addition:

Axed as my original idea for a blouse, I cut apart another old, unwearable dress that I had dyed navy to match.

These strips became a dainty, sheer, ruffle trim. I saw a similar detail on an image that I just could not get out of my head! Had to have it. Not only does this create additional length, but it adds an extra dimension of personality that I adore. 

I love the way it turned out, and proudly wore it to what turned out to be an absolutely beautiful wedding. 

Paired with a simple navy blouse, and nude pumps, I achieved the look I was going for- and happily accepted multiple compliments on my new skirt throughout a wonderful evening!

Remaking the Lab Coat Dress

You can undoubtedly understand the nickname, no?

I really loved this dress when I bought it, as one usually does when one purchases something. However, with time (and not too much of it) that love faded; I don't even get it now! What was I thinking?!?!

It's made quite well, by Tabitha, and wasn't cheap, so I kept it... for years. Why I waited so long for such a simple refashion I'm not sure. Bet it will serve me far greater as a tunic, layering piece instead of an awkward, odd-length, plain, boring, unflattering dress/ lab coat.

Cut and sew. 8 inches removed from the bottom. A button replaced on a cuff. Huge, saggy, belt/sash loops removed. Not quite your classic white button down, but a close kin. More wearable for sure!

If I can figure out a low-maintenence, chem-free way to keep it from wrinkling 5 seconds after it's ironed, I bet I'll wear it even more!

Vintage Dress turned Blouse

This is another great thrifty find, albeit perfectly my size, not perfectly my taste. I adore the tiny floral print, and was able to see the refashioned look in my head instantly. It's a simple one, but one that I'll get continued wear out of for sure!

Cut and hem, presto! I considered taking out the lining that creates the tucked/slouched waist to see what it looked like dropped, but once I tried her on, I decided to leave well enough alone.

I think that sometimes, refashioning is about what you envision more than what kind of skills you have.

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Refashioning is also (in my humble opinion) about not being afraid to fail.

I took the remnants of the success story above and attempted part deux. Not so successful. The problem really is primarily because of the sweater. It was once a delicate, deep-V, long sleeved, "boyfriend" cardigan by Velvet, which after an extreme amount of wash and wear, had become so mangled, that I had already cut it up thinking a casual shrug might be its final chapter. Well, that wasn't really a go, so I thought this might be:

I still like the idea, but the execution along with the battered shape of the cardi... not fab. The good news is: I lost nothing. A little time, a little thread, but I like to think I gain something through every attempt.

Rainbow Brite Remake

Some have dubbed it Rainbow Brite, some christened it the Gay Pride dress; whatever you wanna call it- I love this vintage number. I'm guessing early 70s? Anyway, it just makes me happy! I picked it up in Eugene, OR on a road trip with my sister in 2005. I wore it plenty in its original form, especially when I worked retail in NYC. (Loved it with boots and a sweater!) However, what ever kind of poly blend it's made out of does not breath and is HOT. Factor in the less than opaque white base (which calls for an under layer) with sweltering Austin temperatures, and you have a recipe for sweat city. So, sadly it went unworn for quite a few years, until: I decided it was time to give it an easy breezy make over.

I saved the part of the skirt that got the axe and wear it as a sash, but have hard belted it too for a different look.

The fabric was pretty tough to work with, and took my novice self several rounds of undo and redo. Frustratingly slippery! I couldn't quite to get the sleeves right so I cinched and wrapped with ribbon pieces as a cover up/solution. It's far from perfect if inspected up close, but to me it's wearable! The heat is now tolerable, and I actually think it's much more fitting of its playful and flirty rainbow stripes this way.

Let's start at the very beginning

I pulled my mother-in-law's Singer Fashion Mate 257 (circa 1972) out of storage, dusted it off, and took it to the doctor. When I went to pick it up, the gentleman at the Singer repair shop (who probably owned the joint, and had since before this model was made), asked me if I would rather just purchase a new machine instead. That did not seem to bode well- I was worried.

However, this little green machine has some life in her yet! Don't misunderstand, she definitely has quirks and limitations, and is certainly not as user friendly as a fancy new machine, but I like her. And I'm determined to employ her as long as she'll have me.

My own mother (who taught me the basics of sewing when I was a kidd), passed me a dress that wasn't working for her. Simple, black, thick knit jersey- which would never have made my rotation in it's original form. So, channeling inspiration from a blog I'd recently stalked (NDAD), along with good old trial and error, I chopped and hemmed, and chopped and hemmed some more- and was super excited with the result! And encouraged enough to sew another day...