buffalo plaid dress refashion

Well, goodness! I might have to ask R to stick a pin in my head tonight — thanks for all the sweet comments and great suggestions! I decided to take the path of least resistance: I chopped out the middle of the dress and used the existing hemline to make a minidress, moving the gathered waistline up to the natural waist.

I almost shortened the sleeves to 3/4 length, but it’s still really cold here (in case you missed the memo), so I kept them long for now. They might get whacked once it gets warmer. I did take them in by several inches so that they are now maybe a hair too small, but eh, it still fits.

I didn’t plan this, but I love how it looks peeking out from underneath my pea coat (I’ve worn that sucker every winter for the past 13 years — it’s a winner). I wore it out on errands today with a chunky knit cream-colored scarf and black boots. I originally wanted to wear it with a wide black belt, but they didn’t have my size at Wal-Mart (tangent: I am reading The World is Flat, which helps a little in justifying such practices as shopping at Wal-Mart, but I am not sure how I feel about that, but that is neither here nor there) and besides, the skinny belt I got is reversible. Like you can twist the buckle around and suddenly it’s a tan belt. Awesomeness.

This last picture is for my dad, who, when I was talking about this dress with my mom on the phone, hollered in the background (with reference to the previous post), “Why isn’t she smiling??”

Plaid is rad, yo!

lay it on me

I scored this totally 1980s dress yesterday at the Salvation Army. Weirdly, it’s from American Eagle (though the tag doesn’t bear their current logo — I’m guessing it’s fairly old). Melissa’s amazing refashions have been really inspiring me lately (here and here), so I’m gonna pretend I’m cool like her and try it.

So, whaddya think: do I split it pretty much in half and make it into a short dress and a short skirt (both to be worn with leggings or skinny jeans), or do I make it into a knee-length skirt (cutting it off below the waistline) and forget about the top?

I’m wearing it over my pajamas. ‘Cause I’m still in them at, oh, two o’clock.

advice, please

Meet Lizzy’s dresser. And Lizzy. But you already know her.

I got it at the DI — before Lizzy was even born — with the intent to refinish/repaint it before the baby came. Ahem.

It didn’t happen then, but I’m feeling up to the challenge now — especially since I’ve got some pretty paint leftover from painting Lizzy’s chair. I have basically no experience in this realm, though, so I’m hoping you guys do. I’m not sure how to describe the finish on the dresser, other than that it’s really shiny. My question is this: do I really have to sand it? Or will a good coat of primer suffice?

totally jazzed.

This might be the first refashion I’ve tried where it hasn’t completely flopped. Usually the finished product ends up being worse than it was when I started. But this, I think, is going to be a happy exception.

This used to be a long linen jumper my mom bought for me when I was in high school. I wore it all the time back then, but since getting married, I think I’ve worn it maybe twice (and we’ve been married six years). Then, during this last visit home, my mom let me snatch a handful of stained/unfinished doilies my great-great aunt made a million years ago. I sewed a few of the doilies to the front, cut off the jumper at the knee, then used the trimmings and some lace I had to make four gores (basically just a long triangle inserted into a vertical cut in the skirt) for some extra swinginess.

Linen + lace = happiness. I think I’m going to steer the shop in this direction for fall — more on that very, very soon!

linen & lace