Mending Day and Refashioning Ideas

Having spent yet another Saturday devoted to my hobbies, I came home tonight afire with ideas. Last week I had attended a mini-war and didn't have any photos, but it did bring something to my attention. My red raw silk dress needed work. So today, my amazing friends Camilla and Rosslyn fixed the problem.

Forgive the night shot--I would've forgotten entirely if I hadn't taken the photo tonight. They added a modesty collar to the dress. Before, the dress revealed my under-garments. Now, they are covered by a false collar to look like I am wearing a chemise under it. Simply amazing what those ladies can do in an hour. Rosslyn also made me a mockup pattern for bog shoes, so I can stop running around wars in my mary janes. Just need a good leather to make them out of. I did a ton of mending though. So far this month, I've mended two pairs of pants (one twice), two pairs of socks, and a skirt. I have another skirt in the mending pile, but that one will be tricky. It's hand-sewing.

After tonight's crafting session, I came home, read my blogs, and came across Miss P's Refashioner's Project.

Now, I'm not much of one for going thrifting and revamping clothes when I have clothing at home that needs this kind of work. I have four candidates for revamping right now. First, there is my ivory cardigan that I use to cover tanktops or sleeveless dresses nicely--it needs taking in at the shoulder and a little in the sides. Second, there is my teal sweater. It fits wonderfully, but the sleeves are long and I look more flattering in elbow-length sleeves, so I'm going to shorten them.

After those known projects, I looked in my closet for things I don't wear at all. After my purge at the beginning of the year, I don't have many such items left. However, I do have two dresses I don't wear. So my third project is the easier of the two to fix.

I really do apologize for the photo quality--go by the second picture for the idea of color and construction. This dress has multiple problems and so it has been forgotten for awhile. Well, we'll just see about that. The top of this dress currently is too low and wide in the neckline, has no sleeves, and is too short in the body. The skirt is kinda shapeless, but it covers and feels nice. Unfortunately, the overall effect of the garment is one of making me look dumpy and pregnant, and emphasizes my cleavage too much. The black shrug I've been using to cover up needs to be pinned into place with every outfit I wear it with, making it useless. 

I have a lot of black fabric waiting for a project, so I'm going to tear out this old top entirely and make either a nice black blouse, or refashion and add in a new top. The skirt will be worn at the waist instead of the ribs, and potentially gathered in at the sides and back for additional shape, if it needs it.

The fourth and last project is another dress, also black and pink. What can I say, I like the color combination, and they came from the same store. As an fyi, the pink sash there is the belt. It's extraordinarily long.

Again with the major problem of being sleeveless. This dress is actually rather flattering on it's own, but the skirt part is t-length on me, which gives me the appearance of being even shorter. Also, I wear it with the useless shrug, so after awhile, it's too much effort to wear. But! I was hit with a stroke of genius tonight. If the skirt is too long...shorten it and use the excess fabric to make sleeves! Brilliant! Hopefully I'll have enough fabric to make the sleeves and raise the back to hide the undergarments from sight. I can't wait to make these look nice again!