My new harness

Since I've been sick the better part of last month, I haven't really had much opportunity to apply much Victorian flair to my life. I have had the opportunity to do much research and when I came across this photo:



... while posting my Steamy Harnesses blog, I just knew I wanted one and I could figure out a way to make my own. Well, done and done!

I found three belts on clearance for $5 a piece, and bought a rivet kit at Joannes, and with my doubting husband in tow, we whipped it up one night. Here are some bad pics.






I'm rather proud of the way it turned out and even wore it to breakfast the other day... but I didn't get a pic, I was still feeling rather awful and getting dressed and out in public was quite a chore that day!

Let me know what you think!!!


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Bookshelf, addendum

I was greatly inspired by Eastlake Victorian's Blog about lace shelf edging.



I am interested in incorporating this look into the four plain board of the bookshelf. I'm unsure what exactly I want it to look like. I must get her curtains done so I can see how much toile I have left over. I'm planning on using some for a cord cover for her mini chandelier over her bed, as well as for her IKEA dresser drawer fronts. And if there is some left over to create some lacey toile shelf edging. This may be to much toile? We will see. Keep reading, this could be interesting!

Any opinions? I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas.

Bookshelf

Post Two on my daughters room.




This is a well used bookshelf, given to my mom by a neighbor years ago. It has four of the original oak shelves and had six glass shelves.



When we moved into this house four years ago, I put books on all the shelves in the living room. I quickly learned why you don't use glass shelves for books! So we're down to two glass shelves and four boards cut to size and painted pink!



I also painted the back pink, to blend in with the wall, since it's such a massive piece in a small room. And the four original shelves are pink, except for the trim.



In the future I may trim the edge of the plain board with lace shelving trim, a very vintage technique I was recently inspired by. But next is those curtains. Once my bronchitis leaves me!

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Mini Chandelier

I'm redoing my toddlers room. It's taken many different directions and is still in-progress, but I wanted a mini chandelier for over her bed.



I looked around and wanted to find a plug-in, due the the fact that hardwiring one in would be costly and permanent if she decides to redecorated one day, she's only two.



I used an IKEA lamp, with an iron base and beaded red top, and flipped it upside down, using the cord as an anchor from the ceiling. I intend to make a cord cover and attach an alternate on/off switch at the plug in, but I must finish the curtains first as the left over material will be the cover.

As you can see above, I painted the base with white acrylic paint, shabby chic style. I also added a LOT of beads. As I had everything but the beads, I'm in about $20, plus the cost of a new switch at the bottom. Must pick up one at IKEA next time!

As I finish more in there, I'll put up more pics in future posts.


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Working on a skirt...

So I saw this fabulous tutorial on Cut Out And Keepabout how to turn a pair of pants into a pencil skirt.. So of course I just had the most awesomest pair of men's brown striped wool pants, stolen from the closet of my poor husband, that would be perfect! Of course I intend to make them a little more Steampunk or Victorian like. But before I committed myself to what could be a major blunder I decided to recon a pair of my husbands discarded jeans first. I'm still trying to figure it all out. I've sewn and adjusted, and seam ripped and started over...

Yes, it's a work in progress. I will finish by the end of the week, as long as everyone else's schedule and my body's sudden coughing affliction subside. Motherhood is great! Any one else hate it when life gets in the way of what you really want to do?

So here's some pics of the tutorial so you can see what I'm working on:






Anyone ever attempted this before? It turned out to be more complicated then I thought. They were mans jeans, and I have hips! But they really, really show off my backside well.

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Sweater to Hoodie

Two sweaters, a zipper, some cord, and purple jersey fabric =

This was a 2009 X-mas gift for my "little sister" Sara.  Perfect for a sixth grader to cozy up into during winter classes.

Thank you to my model Casey, my other "little sister"!

Just Couldn't Let it Be!

Ok, now I can go to bed!  Not bad for a days work.  I have a pair of jeans to become a skirt ripped open on my sewing room floor, but tomorrow is another day!

Working on a new one

Working on a new one for my favorite muse. I think she's gonna really like it, I know I do. Almost finished with the top, must get some bias tape in black to edge the sweater! But here it is, will post the muse in her dress next week after she gets back from her dads!

Here's the Tutuorial I published on cut out and keep! My first one, rather proud of myself for actually posting and not just lurking on that site anymore!

See Upcycled Dress From Mom's Sweater And Kids Tee and 1000's of others - or share your own on Cut Out + Keep

Letting IT Lead

My girlfriends was recently doing the back to school clean out of the old clothes. Her daughter had quite the little pile, and I asked if I could rummage through and take some things. There was an awesome peace/skatboard tee that was sooo her daughter. When I saw it I knew I had to turn it into something wearable for her. I used one of her old hoodies and turned it into a hooded vest of sorts. She really liked it! Especially the arm warmers!

Sparkly Shiny Things!

I had an old sequined tank I shrunk, or maybe I just got to fat to wear. But at any rate, I thought it would make a lovely skirt. As I began my first two, I just knew I had to do something with this. I do confess, I bought a girls tee at JCP, but it was on sale, and I made it even better!

I joined the top with the tank which I cut off even with the back, and sewed a shiny black ribbon around the waist to tie in back. I sewed a black lace flower at the bottom of the skirt where a whole patch of the dark grey sequins had come off. And the final glitz was a shiny appliqué ironed on the top! Love this! Total christmas, holiday season dress with nylons and a little jacket.

Brand new, but forgotten...

I tucked this red tee away for my step son, I was gonna... but I didn't. So there it sat, until my creative flurry ascended upon it and I just had to do something with it! Same little girl inspired me, and with school coming I knew she could use some chic outfits to strut her stuff, especially cause "fourth grade is so crucial!"

Again, began with the red tee, and tore apart one of my mums old shirts for the skirt and additional sleeve ruffles, and not to mention, the biggest hit of all: arm warmers! Oooo...

Back in the Saddle

Wanting to stretch my sewing muscles and skills once again in life, I began to work on a cute little dress for back to school. I've been compiling clothes and "stuffs" over a year ago, to embark on a new journey of styling upcyled clothing. It began with this back and white t-shirt which was too short my for son Ayden. One of his friends little sisters is quite the little girly-girl-rocker type and I knew just which old lacy top I had which could be blended with the top for the right mix.

I have no before pictures, but I used a size 10 boys tee, and a woman's XL burgundy lace, lined top from Kohl's a few seasons ago. The lace on the top was all ripped, but I knew the bottom could be salvaged.

Restoration and Restyling Unconsciously

Growing up on Whidbey Island, I was definitely inspired to a certain extent by the hippy fashions of my neighbors here in the Pacific Northwest. There were some incredible handmade accessories and clothing I admired, but there was also much I didn't quite understand. When I was younger, I vowed I would never be one of those fugly-hippy-type granolas wearing obviously Salvation Army thrift store fashions, maybe taken in a size or two. I was gonna follow Harpers Baazar and Vogue even if it killed my parents bank accounts!

Unfortunately for me, my parents didn't have that kind of money, and being of the sensible pre-baby boomer generation I would never be allowed to buy a pair of $900 shoes to wear for one season, (And they were serious!). So I subscribed to the then W newspaper and began sewing my own creations. My junior year of high school I joined the newspaper and kept the girls of OHHS abreast of the latest and hippest fashions.

Unfortunately for me, I did live on an island, and while we did have a bridge on the north end, it still took a while to get off the island for anything, let alone the right fabric or pattern for a project. So I began to use what I had, or could find in my mothers stash of fabrics, our local thrift store, or any available closet. I thought I was being creative, turns out I was "Upcycling"!

It was also the early '90's and this funny little Seattle fashion called "grunge" was rocking' the runways! I was most definitely in fashion heaven! Not only were the high-fashions straight off the backs of my Western Washington neighbors, I had all the materials I needed to be extremely fashionable at my fingertips.