Some quick organization

I've been doing some organization; not as much as I'd like, but some. I was looking at my kitchen towels the other day and decided six years was long enough. They were stained and ready to be replaced so I got rid of all the old ones and bought a bunch of new ones at Ross.
Another project was the throw blankets in the living room. This project has seen many iterations and I think I finally found one that works for me. For awhile I used a cheap, white shoe organizer but it was flimsy and kept falling apart. Then I saw the ladder idea on pinterest but do you know how hard it is to find a wooden ladder at the thrift store, IMPOSSIBLE. But I bought a crib for $10 only to get home and realize pieces were missing so I used one side as my new throw blanket storage rack. I tied it to the mantle support.

The last item today is the bathtub storage. I hate tripping over bath toys while I am taking a shower but it was difficult to store the bath toys because if you were taking them out of the bath, they needed to dry and then you forget about them until you trip over them naked in the shower (not fun, mormon cursing ensues). So I saw a trick on pinterest and did it myself. I added another curtain rod in the back and then found curtain rings at the thrift store and plastic baskets at the dollar store. Ta-Dah

Refashion catch-up

Another post starting with long time no see. I'm not even going to look at when my last post was, way to depressing. But I'm ready to try again.
So first, a quick no-sew refashion.
Found this at a thrift store for $1

Took the red print polyester off, luckily the construction was an actual sweater with fabric pieces sewn on. I've seen it done different ways.

Now a cool outfit. 

Shirt: Old, like really old.

Vest: thrifted $1

Skirt: $10 JC Penny

Belt: From pants somewhere

Boots: eBay $10

Here is an almost no-sew project.

My son needed new church shoes but no way was I ever getting my toddler shoes with ties ever again. I scoured thrift stores and couldn't find nice slip-on church shoes. Then I found really cute ones with ties for $3 and decided to fix them.

I bought thin black elastic from the fabric store with a coupon on sale (this is like the white elephant of craft shops, usually you can't use coupons on sale items but it was special), so only $2

Thread the elastic through like shoe laces, the hardest part is deciding how to thread them for visual appeal. At the top, make sure this part is hidden, overlap the two sides then hand stitch them together. Viola!

Here is an old one from when I was pregnant. I was going to a wedding and this is what i came up with.

 

I started with these two, thrifted for $1 a piece.

End result. I used a different belt and you really can't see but it accommodated my pregnant belly just fine.

Pleated Purple

I finished a refashion spur of the moment last night. In retrospect maybe I should have checked into it more. I took a purple bottom down polyester shirt that was a size 20W and took in the sides and shortened the sleeves.

It looked great with a purple wool pleated skirt I thrifted and yellow thrifted belt and yellow shoes.

So I was sitting in the foyer during Sunday School and Zane was very active. I stood up and one of the other women pointed at my shirt. All but the top button was unbuttoned. I mean I was completely exposed. So back to the drawing board after one very embarrassing event.

I was told it was not flattering

I did a refashion recently and my husband really didn't like it. It originally fit me great but was too long. I thought it had a vintage vibe and when I shortened it it would also then have a modern vibe. Anyway, here it is. Bought for $0.75.

3 finished sewing projects

I have just finished three sewing projects, two were 'from scratch' and one refashion. The jacket and the vest I started before I was pregnant; my son is almost a year old so these were 2 years in the making. My problem is I get to a step like hemming or buttons/buttonholes and the project comes to a screeching halt. It is not that they are hard to do it is just that I don't like doing them. But I finally finished.

The leopard skirt is V8425 I made from a large floor length skirt from a thrift store find. Sorry no before pics.

80's homage

This is an outfit I wore to church Sunday.
Skirt: refashion about $.25
Top: old
Cami: khol's. old
Shoes: target $9

Minimal to no-sew refashions

 Before

 After: Goodwill $1.29 per pound. Took the bodice off and closed waistband

 Before: Goodwill $1.29 per pound

After: Chopped the top off, folded over material to make waistband and created a system of snaps to take it in and close it since it was too big and I couldn't use a zipper.

 Before: Goodwill $1.29 per pound

After. Took off halter top and now it is a high waisted skirt.

Tie front blouse

How do you tell if a blousy top is too big? I mean, it is supposed to be large so how do you tell if it doesn't fit.

Top:Goodwill $1
Skirt: JC Penny $11
Belt: Charming Charly's $5
Shoes: Shoes r 8.88  $8.88
Necklace: old
Earrings: Gift from mom

This top is an example. It fits in the shoulders and sleeves but I'm not sure if it is too full where it tucks in to the skirt. Also I know I am pale, too bad.

This is from today. I found this button up shirt that fits absolutely perfectly. I may have to try to make a pattern from this.

Shirt: Goodwill $1.29/lb
Jeans: Goodwill $1
Camisole: Walmart gift

2 Thrifted Outfits

With and Without belt, what do you think?
Tunic: Goodwill Outlet $0.50
Pants: DI $4
Shoes: Target $7
Belt: Claire's $2

Yesterday's Church outfit
Necklace: don't remember
Top: Haven of Rest Thrift $0.50
Skirt: Salvation Army $3.00
Belt: Goodwill Outlet $1.29/lb
Shoes: 8.88 store $8.88
earrings: gift

Spring green

No, green is not my favorite color. It just happens to be the color that has been photographed recently. I bought these at the goodwill outlet the other day. So far, no alterations needed but the pants are a little big so I may work with that a little.

Top: Goodwill Outlet $0.50
Capris: Goodwill Outlet $0.50
Belt: came with pants
Shoes: Charming Charly's $10

Green

So I have been traveling with my family over the holidays and am finally getting back into the swing of things. I have had so much fun making new stuff but I'm trying to figure out how to get pictures taken of my outfits. I can't do it myself so I'm really going to have to work on my husband's photo skills. I have been working on alot of projects but I am a perennial 90%er, my husband says I always get a job 90% done and then have a hard time finishing. We laughed about that when my son was born 3 weeks early (he was fine), I couldn't even finish that, he said.
I did get to the Goodwill outlet store in Greenville, Sc. Loved it. I have absolutely no problem digging through bins and everything was $1.29 a pound. Clothes weigh more than you think, by the way. Most items weighed about 8 oz, or half a pound. A leather jacket I bought was 2 pounds and suit coats for my husband were more than a pound but most other stuff was half a pound. So $0.50 for most stuff.

This is a thrift store outfit                Jacket: Goodwill $4
                                                    Skirt: Hospice of Upstate $0.75 (it has pockets)
                                                    Shoes: 8.88 store  $7
                                                   Jewelry: old

Thrift Store Haul 12/20/12

Thrift Store Sales today. Here is the haul.

                                                          All of these were from Goodwill for a dollar.

                                           All of these were from Hospice of Upstate for $0.75 a piece.