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.