Vested Interest

We all know I love to knit and I love to refashion thrift store garments. So why not combine the two passions? I picked up this little pullover a couple years back (it may have been at one of the first clothes swaps I attended - I can't recall). I adore argyle, but sadly, this was only worn once, maybe twice.

It's the short sleeves. They're weird. If I'm going to wear a sweater, I want an actual sweater. Like, one with long sleeves. Plus, the ribbed band at the bottom always turned up, no matter what I did. I do like to layer up in the winter though, so an argyle vest would be perfect!

Thursday Thrift Score & No-Sew Refashion

This dress, if you want to call it that, came to me through my local Freecycle community, which is to say, it was free. Because seriously, someone paid money for this originally? I've seen the blouse-under-a-sweater-vest fake-out a thousand times. That part, I get. What I don't get is making the faux shirt tail into a full circle skirt. It's short enough that one feels compelled to constantly tug it downward, making the stretchy knit vest hug all the wrong curves (and rolls and bulges). Plus the stripey polyester was so staticky I could feel it riding up with every stride. And the final straw? It was so shoddily made, the thing lost three buttons the first time I washed it!

Thursday Thrift Score: Denim, Part VIII

I have, admittedly, been a tad reluctant to accept the return of 80's fashion. I realize styles are usually cyclical and everything old will be new again eventually. However, my full absorption of the trend took me by surprise when I found this denim vest in a box of garage sale leftovers and thought, "Ooo cute!"

It came as an even greater shock when I immediately thought of pairing it with my bright, bordering on neon, salmon maxi skirt (courtesy of Target's clearance rack).

I decided to forgo the trifecta though and skip the side ponytail.

Blazers, Part VI

Sunday's inclement weather delayed my return from a weekend road trip, and yesterday my photograhusband didn't get home from work until after dark. I swear, I really am trying to maintain a schedule. It just seems like every week something else gets in the way. Eesh!

Anywho, last Thursday I showed you how this piece began - as a thrift score on a much heavier Carissa, purchased for $5 at Goodwill with the original $165 Nordstrom tag still attached!

But since it no longer fits, it's time to make some changes!

Cotton Cables

I've had this vest for a while now. It was one of my favorites for years. Of course, now it hangs off me, armholes clearly too large - but I think with just a little tweak, it could be totally wearable again.

Also, this before picture was about 20 pounds ago.

Two for the Price of One

I have two remakes to share with you today. The first is a basic resize; the second was a bit more involved. Let's start out simple. These khaki-colored denim capris may look like they fit in the waist, but that's because they sagging down on my hips quite a bit. They're intended to be much higher-waisted than in these photos.

Same Stuff, Smaller Size

Today's makeovers are not drastic changes; the shirt is still a shirt, the pants are still pants, and the vest? Yep, still a vest. However, our menu today does feature my first-ever pants tailoring experiment, of which I am pretty proud. We begin with a pair of slacks, a button-down top, and a vest that were getting snug on me last year, but are now a few sizes too large. I'm afraid I don't have a before picture for the vest, but as I said, it started out about the same as it finished, just bigger.

Great Divide

Often, my fashions involve combining elements of multiple pieces to create one new garment. Well, today we're going the other way around - one pair of over-sized slacks is becoming a skirt and a vest!

(I swear, I try not to make goofy "before" faces, but it's more difficult than you'd think!)