Cooler Than A Body On Ice...

...Hotter than the rolling dice!


Let There Be Rock - AC/DC Minidress
This project has been a lot of fun so far.  With the only plan in mind to convert a men's AC/DC t-shirt into a minidress, I've been kind of winging this one just to see what I can come up with.  

It may not look like much so far, but I've added a sweetheart neckline with ruching in the center.  Also, because cutting off the sleeves of the shirt made the back of the almost-dress really low, I made the sleeves into a band (on the right of the pic) that mimics the neckline and will go across the upper/middle back.  The lace is just a placeholder for halter straps that will be added - likely salvaged from a matching skirt.  It will end up just covering your bum...perfect for wearing with tights (or alone if you're brave enough!)

Slate Gray & Mint Dream

My sewing machine is in the hospital!  I've had to put on hold quite a few projects, including some that were for my own closet and wanted to get done before I left for vacation.  I had to stick to stuff that didn't need machine sewing.  Enter drab 50's-style dark gray dress.  Cinched waist, full pleated skirt.  I had just a few hours to get it up and running and pack it for my trip.  I salvaged some awesome mint green pearlescent buttons from a vintage raincoat to replace the 3 buttons on the front of the dress that were black.  I also cuffed up the sleeves and added cuff buttons.  You'll be seeing me in this one around town!

New Blouse Sneak Peek

I'm in Boston for a few days so the rehabilitation process has been put on hold for a few.  I recently got some GREAT blouses in some GREATER patterns and snapped a few close-up pics.  Proceed....

...Carriages!  And gas lamps!  And motorbike-type-things!  

Striking vintage Asian-patterned print blouse.  It's hand-sewn and looked to be quite old but was missing all of its buttons.  Why would some @$$ take all the buttons and leave the blouse?!

Well luckily, looking through my stash I couldn't believe that I found the perfect buttons.  Pearlescent black-gray, they match so damn well.  They're salvaged from the navy silk blouse on the right that was used for the belt for this dress.  Serendipitous!  Ok, maybe this is all boring sh!t, but if you can't tell, I love reusing and repurposing.  So if one blouse can be upcycled to make a belt for a dress and supply buttons for a blouse, then I feel like I've happily done my tree-hugging duty.








And just for fun...barn swallows!  Shot at Warren Dunes State Park in Michigan.  Apparently, if you get too close to their nests, they dive down, come within inches of your face and chirp loudly into your ear.  At one point, a swarm had descending on me.  Cute little buggers get defensive, I guess.

From Farmer's Daughter to Admiral's Mistress

My latest dress rehab is too hot to let go of, but sadly it is a bit small on me.  So look for it on Bombshell Rehab in the next few days.  The navy and gold combo give it a military feel and it's so utilitarian with the side pockets!   

When I first came across this dress, it was too long (almost ankle-length), its buttons were chipped, and had some pilling that made it look more worn than it really was.  It was downright dowdy...but I saw potential in its great pencil shape.

I took 9" off the bottom and put in a new blind hem.  Fortunately, I was able to retain the back-slit. It also got a thorough pill removal that gave the fabric new life.

The chipped buttons were replaced with gold crest buttons salvaged from an old blazer and placed lower down to allow for a racer-back look with the straps.

The finishing touch was a vintage belt that seems to have been made for it: textured black and navy leather with a gold buckle in an abstract shell shape.

I feel like an Andrews Sister in it!

70s Strapless Dress

As you can see below, I've been working on converting this groovy 70's skirt into a strapless dress.  It is now finished and will be up at Bombshell Rehab soon!

After putting in the elastic waist, I went on a hunt to find a belt.  Not finding one, I salvaged the fabric from a beautiful navy silk blouse to make the sash belt.  It has a paisley iridescent pattern that matches the iridescent polka dots in the dress. The 3"-wide belt has some interfacing in it so that it retains its structure while the ends are free flowing so that you can tie it any way you like.

Rehab Projects

I finally got a sewing machine (in December).  It's so nice to not have to sew everything by hand anymore and take the trip down memory lane to when my mother taught me how to use one waaaay waaay back when....


Since then I've pulled stacks of clothing out of my closet to alter...stuff that would normally end up collecting dust or being given away because it was ill-fitting.  Now I've been hit with the upcycling bug, so as I've been thrifting and shopping I haven't been able to pass up some great finds that just needed to go into Rehab. 


Here are a couple of projects that I've worked on over the last couple of months.  Some of them I couldn't part with and ended up in my closet, others will end up on Bombshell Rehab.  If you're interested in something, shoot me an email and I can let you know when I list the item.

This pair of funky leg-warmers was fashioned out of a thrift wool sweater and a pair of (new) socks.  Cut the sleeves off the sweater and the tops off the socks and voilà!  (Credit goes to Born-Again Vintage for the brilliant idea.)

I bought this pencil skirt at Guvnor's, a very neat store in Brooklyn, NY.  It fit me like a glove, but was a few inches too long to look right for my legs.  

When I hemmed it up, I realized that there was a silky burgundy slip sewn into it that now extended past the hem of the skirt.  Originally I was planning to hem it up out of sight, but actually dug the look of it and sewed on the lace trim to snaz it up even more.

This was an old shirt that I always passed up on wearing because it was too short for my torso and looked boxy, but loved the screen-print so couldn't put it to pasture.  

I had some turquoise fabric that was left over from a shirt that I had deconstructed.  The pieces were from the ends of ties, so I had half the work already cut out for me to covert the boxy tee into a tank.  The end result was a sexier, better-fitted top that is now in my regular rotation!

New favorite outfit:

I loved the pattern on this vintage calf-length skirt, but didn't dig the frumpy look of it.  I figured it would look really good as a strapless dress.

I've been really into elastic waist dresses lately.  As a girl that has a hard time getting a dress that fits both my bust and hips properly but also needs the well-defined waist to prevent potato-sack-syndrome, they are a god-send!

So in goes the waist that the elastic will get sewn onto.  Now to find that perfect belt to go along with it.....