Saturday, after work, my friend Beth and I headed over to a local thrift store for 50 % off day. We were there for about 3 hours, but to find good deals, you have to look through EVERYTHING! I found a bunch of cute clothes and got a couple of gifts too!
This is a really cute blazer I found and decided to get for Jessica. It ran small, so I'm making a couple of alterations to it so it will be a perfect fit! Can't beat $3.00!
First, I took out the lining. Most of time, just removing the lining can give you a lot more room to work with. As I studied the blazer to figure out just how I was going to approach it, I realized it was double stitched. The raw edges were sewn with a zigzag stitch and then inward from that was a straight stitch. I removed the straight stitch which provided about a 1/2 inch at each seam. I've got to make a few more adjustments, but I think
I will call this project complete!
I also found a Patagonia pullover fleece and Gap sweater for my favorite brother.
The fleece was black and very similar to this one that retails for $80I bought it for $3.50. The sweater, which I got in khaki, retails for $128, but is on sale for
$44.99 at Gap right now. I got it for $1.25.
And for myself...
I found a few things, a J. Jill 3/4 sleeve black shirt with the tags still on it that I got for $1.25. A vintage University of Tennessee t-shirt that is AWESOME for $1.25. Some shoes for $2, a belt for $.50, and a couple of other things. But my favorite is a skirt that I bought for $1.25 that I converted into a nice cocktail dress. Beth and I were having a blast giggling at all the 80s and 90s fashions in the dress aisle. Then, I came across a shirt and skirt duo. The shirt was no good, but the skirt I immediately saw potential in...
It was a super high waisted skirt that was a size small. So, I took out the seam and then the elastic in the back of the skirt. Then, I cut the skirt down and sewed the seam back up. At this point, it was a little big so I decided that I would reuse the elastic in the back in a different style to get a more fitted look. I was so surprised by the outcome of my masterpiece! I informed honey that he needed to take me somewhere I could wear it. He said my birthday, coming up next month, would be a good time. I will be sure to take pictures!
In other news, I FINALLY finished my shirt that I told you about 2 weeks ago. I have been super busy lately and didn't take the time to sit down and finish. But after all these little projects, I was in the mood to sew! Here is the finished product!
I still cannot believe I made a shirt by myself! This sewing thing is going to be a blast!
My next project is a vest. They are in style right now, but I never have been able to find one I liked. So, I'm making one. I found the perfect fabric at Wal-Mart for $1 a yard to make the longer vest on the left.
I also made a really CUTE tank top and top from the pattern below. I did views A and C:
I was very disappointed on both though because they are sized small. I haven't really paid much attention to sizing as I'm completing a project. I just cut out the size I need and sew it. I hadn't had a problem until now. The tank was about 2 sizes smaller than the cut. I awarded the cute tank to my lovely step-mom. The second project was the shirt. I whipped it up last night and had planned to wear it to my pre-birthday dinner tonight, but nope. No go. Same issue with it. I even cut out a bigger size on this one anticipating the same problem.
Sorry for the pic... this camera phone isn't very good. The fabric reminds me of a Chinese print. It has red, black and white in it. The tie is also black. Maybe next time if I use more of a stretch material I will have better results. Mom? You're next!
This is a really cute blazer I found and decided to get for Jessica. It ran small, so I'm making a couple of alterations to it so it will be a perfect fit! Can't beat $3.00!
First, I took out the lining. Most of time, just removing the lining can give you a lot more room to work with. As I studied the blazer to figure out just how I was going to approach it, I realized it was double stitched. The raw edges were sewn with a zigzag stitch and then inward from that was a straight stitch. I removed the straight stitch which provided about a 1/2 inch at each seam. I've got to make a few more adjustments, but I think
It was a super high waisted skirt that was a size small. So, I took out the seam and then the elastic in the back of the skirt. Then, I cut the skirt down and sewed the seam back up. At this point, it was a little big so I decided that I would reuse the elastic in the back in a different style to get a more fitted look. I was so surprised by the outcome of my masterpiece! I informed honey that he needed to take me somewhere I could wear it. He said my birthday, coming up next month, would be a good time. I will be sure to take pictures!
