Quick 'Fix' Friday: No-Sew Floral

As I'm forcing myself to do a major purge of my stash (being very strict about what I keep and what I pass on) I decided to spend my morning playing dress-up with some of the pieces to help me decide. I pulled out this oversized floral dress I picked up while in Michigan last summer. My sister and I always take the time to plan a thrifting trip early on a Saturday so that we can have breakfast and go shopping kid-free. Rare chance for both of us! I absolutely loved the floral print on this dress and knew that I'd be able to do something with it.

Little did I know that I wouldn't have to sew a stitch to completely love the after! I started by unbuttoning the top two buttons and folding the collar inward. Then I put on a thrifted gold belt and called it quits!

I'm loving the bohemian feel to it. It's light and airy and lovely to twirl in :). So romantic! Hoping I can wear it on a date with my husband come warm weather.

Well, it's definitely a keeper, that's for sure! I have quite a pile ready for donation, and more to go through, so I'll update as I go. But if you're looking for a 'fix' for an oversized dress, sometimes a belt is as far as you need to look.

Make sure you pop over to visit Agy of Green Issues by Agy to see her Fix It Friday post! She's sharing tips on sewing zippers...one of my sewing nemeses ;). Happy Friday, all, and happy refashioning!

Peace,

Andrea

// #thriftstylethursday // Time Machine

When I realized yesterday, that today was Thursday, I went into panic mode for a minute...but just a minute ;). Beth's (of Life with Bethie the Boo) choice of Time Machine was the perfect chance for me to show off a pair of thrifted jeans I picked up last week!

I've been toying with the idea of getting a pair of flared jeans again for the past year, but never came across a pair that fit...and my obsession with skinny jeans/pants is real.

So, when I tried on one pair of jeans and they fit like this ^ (see above) well, I couldn't pass them up. And the flares are kinda perfect...they fit through the thigh then go straight down and out. When they fit tight through the knee, I don't like the way they look.

My top is a clearance Target top I snagged years ago (maybe 6 or so) and have worn a few times, but not in recent years. I think I'll be reviving this one :).

I also thought I'd leave my locks and face au natural for the sake of today's look, which if you haven't guessed, harkens to the late 60's and early 70's. It's a look (era) and a style that I love but don't often wear.

And though this works for a day off at home while the snow stands tall and frozen outside, it won't last me the day as I have to head back out to pick up my son from school...and these flared legs will do no good walking through the snow! Spring, please come. Now. Love, Andrea.

And because these are extra long, my clearance woven leather heels came in handy and will do more so when I can actually wear this out and about. For now, I'll spend my days off cuddled up on the couch eating comfort food and making a mess with my refashion stash as I think of what I could sew and then get overwhelmed by how much I have, while completely ignoring my cleaning 'to-do' list. :)

Hope this inspires you to embrace your favorite style era! Make sure to check out all of the other Thrift Style Thursday ladies and what they put together. And if you'd like to follow along with us, make sure to check our FaceBook page here! 

Sweet Floral Nightie Refashion

Okay, so this before shot may not be very exciting or even inspiring for every refashionista...but for me, this sweet blue floral sweatshirt material was what inspired, not the shapeless nightie ;). 

I picked it up for $2 on half off day at my local thrift store along with this elastic for a whopping $.15.

I pretty quickly had an idea of what I'd be doing so I cut straight across from armpit to armpit, then cut the top portion into a new bodice. Now, a smart person would use some form of measurement or at least copy the bodice of a well-fitting garment as a guide...I am not smart, but I am lucky! 

I cut away the collar making the neckline match front and back, then cut the elastic and sewed the ends together after measuring it on my waist.

My next step was to close up the sides of the bodice and sew the elastic waistband on...but I did it wrong the first time, and had to unpick and redo it.

I then took the skirt in to an a-line shape, which helped because I initially just gathered the skirt and sewed it to the bottom of the elastic band, but it didn't look good at all! So, I had to unpick the waist a second time, take in the skirt (which also corrected some twisting in the material) and resew it to the elastic.

It still needs to be pressed so that the fabric lays a little flatter, but here's the completed and corrected waistband.

Now I've just got to decide how I want to finish the raw edges...make my own bias binding out of the sleeves, or simply fold under and topstitch? I'd like to do the bias binding for practice's sake, but my impatience may win out ;).

I have to say, I love that pretty blue floral print even more now! And to think that I paid $2.15 for the nightie and the elastic, bought on the same day, and the darker shade of blueish gray is a perfect accent! Kismet. 

I've decided I like it with the buttons in the back. It's fairly sweet, as it is, but part of me wants to add some lace trim. I think I'll stick to styling it with a denim jacket and flats, though. I don't want it to be too 'pretty' if you know what I mean.

The hemline is perfect as is, and yes, this could totally still be a nightie, or house dress, but I think I can make it work for everyday wear with the right accessories. For now, I'm wearing it as I do laundry, dream of spring, and enjoy the fact that it's over 30 degrees outside and snow is melting...even if only for today.

Thought I'd let you see how it looks with the buttons in the front! Hope you all liked this one, and though it totally distracted me from my Marsala refashion, I'm trying to finish that one for tomorrow! We'll see ;). Hope your weekend is and has been amazing!

Peace,
Andrea

Quick 'Fix' Friday: Ink Spots

So I nabbed this mint cropped sweater at the thrift store for $1.33. Only problem? Ink spots on one sleeve. Not too much of a problem though!

I rolled the sleeve up twice, just enough to cover the stains, then did the same on the other sleeve.

I grabbed some matching thread, scissors and a needle, and tacked down the cuffs on the seam and then on the opposite side of the sleeve.

Easy fix that took me all of 5 minutes! They reach just about 3/4 length and now I've got the perfect kind of layering sweater to transition into spring.

I put it on over a loose silk blouse, then over a dress to give you an idea of how I'd wear this (since showing my midriff isn't an option ;). Because of the loose fit of the sweater, it would also balance out well over a more fitted silhouette. Now, if you've got the stains on the ends of any sleeves, you can also hem them under after cutting off the offending portions, or if it's just a jersey knit you can cut and let the edges curl over on themselves! Talk about another easy option ;). If you've got the skills, the permanent fix for something like this could be to undo the knit past the point of the stains and reknit new sleeve hems...which may be a part two to this quick mend.

Hope your Friday is a happy one!
Peace,
Andrea

// #thriftstylethursday // Marsala

When I saw that this week's theme for Thrift Style Thursday was Marsala I got so excited!!! In a matter of a week in December I inherited and thrifted these three pieces... (insert jaw drop). Miche of Buttons and Birdcages did well choosing this theme based on the Pantone color of 2015 ;).

I started out by posting the above photo to Instagram posing the question of which piece to highlight. The skirt won out, but with the request of also doing a refashion of one of the tops. Well, I didn't get to the refashion. So I'll be showing off this gorgeous vintage wool skirt!

I styled it with a bold black and white striped slouchy top that, when tucked and bloused, brings the modern look I love to create with vintage pieces.

I'm also wearing geometric gold earrings, a thrifted necklace, thrifted booties, and some gray footless tights I picked up a few years back.

I really love this look and how I felt wearing it: chic and beautiful! Marsala is definitely a fast favorite color and I'm looking forward to refashioning the top next. Keep an eye out for that sometime this weekend.

Oh, and the button-down kick pleat is pretty sweet too ;). You can see it better in this photo.

Now head over to see the other looks our TST ladies put together and don't forget to show some love by letting them know how amazing they look!

Peace,

Andrea