Sunday, March 29, 2015

Sunday Sew-Day: TST Swap Revisited

So you've already seen the 'before' of the two pieces I refashioned this weekend. They came from the lovely Miche, of Buttons and Birdcages, as part of our Thrift Style Thursday swap.

Thrift Style Thursday: Swap!

Let's start with the easy one, shall we? The navy blouse was quite nice, but just too tight in the neck for me. To remedy this, I first cut out a new neckline.

Navy Blouse - In Progress

Then I pinned and sewed some bias tape - leftover from another refashion - around the edges, and then pressed it upward.

Navy Blouse - In ProgressNavy Blouse - In Progress

Then it was folded toward the inside and sewn "in the ditch" to hide the stitching. After a final press, it lays perfectly flat!

Navy Blouse - In ProgressNavy Blouse - In Progress

Am I the only one who thinks a little polka dots make anything better?

Navy Blouse - AfterNavy Blouse - After

Inspired by my foray into mixing blue hues this week, I added some seafoam-y jewelry, but kept it mostly neutral with a white belt and brown wedges.

Navy Blouse - AfterNavy Blouse - After
Top: swapped and refashioned // Skirt: $3 thrifted // Shoes: $8 Target clearance
Belt: $2 Old Navy clearance // Ring: Yerdle // Earrings: Etsy (gift with purchase)

Navy Blouse - Before & After

Then it was time to tackle that frumpy, floral skirt. This refashion was slightly more seat-of-the-pants, so the pictorial might be little lacking. It started simply enough, with the removal of about a foot of fabric off the bottom of the skirt and re-hemming the edge.

Blue & Tan Floral Dress - In ProgressBlue & Tan Floral Dress - In Progress

This is where lots of trial and error happened and I failed to properly document things photographically. Basically, I cut the trimmed-off bit into two pieces right down the side seams. Then I used one to create the front of the bodice and the other for the back of the bodice. Once I had all the kinks worked out, I attached the bodice to the skirt's waistband, echoing the existing pleats from the bottom to the top.

Blue & Tan Floral Dress - In Progress

But my dress still needed straps. So I cut two strips from my remnants, about 3 inches wide and 16 inches long, made them into straps, and attached them to the top of the dress.

Blue & Tan Floral Dress - In Progress

Now I'm ready for the 84F/29C weather we had this weekend!

Blue & Tan Floral Dress - After

I feel like I should be going to a garden party in this dress.

Blue & Tan Floral Dress - After Blue & Tan Floral Dress - After
Dress: swapped and refashioned // Shoes: $7 Target clearance // Earrings: $3 Target clearance

Blue & Tan Floral Dress - Before & After

Thanks again, Miche, for the awesome swap stuff and the opportunity to get in some more time with my sewing machine!

Friday, March 27, 2015

TST Swap & Gift of Thrift Giveaway!

A couple months ago, Martyna, who blogs over at Spoolish, had the brilliant idea to do a swap amongst us Thrift Style Thursday girls. So we paired up, settled on a price range, and each went thrift shopping for another. Wanna get in on the fun? Read all the way to the bottom for your chance to win a thrifted outfit we'll pick out just for you!


Miche, of Buttons and Birdcages, was my swap partner, so I tried to keep her sort of Bohemian, world-traveler kind of style in mind while I perused the racks. One of the pieces I picked up was this lovely, beaded skirt with a gold butterfly print, which I styled as a dress with gold and pearl accessories, before I sent it along to her.

Thrift Style Thursday: Swap!

To see what Miche did with this skirt, along with the other goodies I sent her, click on over to her blog.

Thrift Style Thursday: Swap!
Skirt: $5 thrifted and swapped // Belt: $2 thrifted // Bracelet: me-made // Necklace: inherited from Granma // Earrings: Etsy // Ring: gift

Now for the stuff she sent to me! Miche must have some awesome [read: super cheap] thrift shops in her area, because when I opened the box, the contents practically jumped out at me like one of those prank snakes-in-a-can.

There was a burgundy Merona tee and a beautiful red and green scarf, which I paired with my black skinnies, cream peep-toe flats, and an emerald (not real, of course) ring.

Thrift Style Thursday: Swap!Thrift Style Thursday: Swap!Thrift Style Thursday: Swap!

The faux leather details and back zipper on the top were fantastic!

Thrift Style Thursday: Swap!Thrift Style Thursday: Swap!
Top and scarf: thrifted and swapped // Jeans: $7 thrifted and skinnified // Shoes: $7 Target clearance // Ring: $5 thrifted

The next item was this mesh tunic with lace details on the front. I can see this being a great swimsuit cover-up when it warms up a smidge more.

Thrift Style Thursday: Swap!

For now though, I went a little hippie-chic, adding a woven leather belt, distressed jeans, teal sandals, a me-made necklace, and a mother of pearl ring.

Thrift Style Thursday: Swap!Thrift Style Thursday: Swap!
Top: thrifted and swapped // Jeans: $5 thrifted // Sandals: $5 Yerdle // Belt: $2 thrifted // Necklace: me-made // Ring: $3 thrifted

Next was a super cute burgundy Lush dress with black detailing.

Thrift Style Thursday: Swap!Thrift Style Thursday: Swap!

I kept it simple with my black leather Born boots, black leather Fossil bag, black faux pearl necklace, and a hematite ring.

Thrift Style Thursday: Swap!Thrift Style Thursday: Swap!
Dress: thrifted and swapped // Boots: $20 thrifted // Bag: hand-me-down // Necklace: inherited from Granma // Ring: $5 thrifted

Miche also sent me a black, loose-knit sweater, originally from Bloomingdale's. The high front and low back of the neckline reminded me of this hot pink dress I had, so I decided to give the whole sweater-over-a-dress thing a whirl.

Thrift Style Thursday: Swap!Thrift Style Thursday: Swap!

My black pumps and a gold locket [and of course my kick-ass tattoos] completed the outfit.

Thrift Style Thursday: Swap!Thrift Style Thursday: Swap!
Sweater: thrifted and swapped // Dress: $6 thrifted // Shoes: $5 thrifted // Necklace: inherited from Granma

My favorite of the items Miche sent me were this ruffled white NY&Co blouse and a navy polka dot pencil skirt originally from Target.

Thrift Style Thursday: Swap!Thrift Style Thursday: Swap!

The pearl bracelets were also from the swap, and I added my denim peep-toe wedges and a blue Sapphire ring.

Thrift Style Thursday: Swap!Thrift Style Thursday: Swap!
Top, Skirt, and Bracelets: thrifted and swapped // Shoes: $5 thrifted // Ring: Etsy

Finally, sharing my love of refashioning, Miche sent me a frumpy, floral skirt to makeover, and this navy blouse, which she may have meant to be worn as is, but I think I'm going to tweak it too. I repaired a busted side seam and replaced a missing button, but the neckline is just too tight for my liking. Check back on Sunday to see what changes I'm making to these two pieces!

Thrift Style Thursday: Swap!

Are you as anxious as I am to see what the other Thrift Style Thursday bloggers swapped too? Well then, let's go see! Check out the other swap partners to see what they thrifted for each other!

My partner: Miche of Buttons and Birdcages
Martyna of Spoolish and Andrea of Little Did You Know
Zhenya of Being Zhenya and Beth of Bethie the Boo
Kristi of Delightfully Kristi and Brittany of The B Life



And now if you've stuck with me to the end, you deserve a prize! Here's your chance to win an outfit thrifted just for you! That's right! All you have to do is follow some or all of us TST ladies on some or all of your favorite social networks by filling out the Rafflecopter below for up to 36 chances to win a thrifted outfit of your very own. Four winners will be selected and a pair of participating TST girls will go shopping for you! How awesome is that?

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Thrift Style Thursday: Winter Blues

The theme this week was chosen by Andrea, of Little Did You Know. While she, in her northeastern climate, may be experiencing the more traditional winter blues, my blues are instead caused by the brevity of winter in my area.

Thrift Style Thursday: Winter Blues

Thrift Style Thursday: Winter Blues

I took this challenge as an opportunity to experiment with a color combination I've been wanting to try - cobalt and turquoise.

Thrift Style Thursday: Winter Blues

Thrift Style Thursday: Winter Blues

In addition to colors you might not think to put together, I also paired unlikely fabrics - a jersey knit maxi skirt and a 100% cashmere tank top.

Thrift Style Thursday: Winter Blues

And since it was such a lovely day, I decided to try out some different lighting scenarios as well. I wandered around the park for an hour and a half, playing with light, shadow, and camera settings. There were plenty of failures, but I think the successes made it a worthwhile enterprise.

Thrift Style Thursday: Winter Blues

Thrift Style Thursday: Winter Blues
Cashmere top: $1 thrifted // Skirt: refashioned // Sandals: Yerdle // Necklace: me-made // Lapis ring: thrifted // Blue opal earrings: anniversary gift

How do you think the other Thrift Style Thursday have chosen to express their winter blues? Click their pics to visit their blogs and find out, or the TST icon in the center will take you to our Facebook page.

And be sure to check back tomorrow for the TST swap unveiling! See all the goodies we thrifted for each other, and have a chance to win a thrifted outfit for yourself!