Style

I have recently taken up a rather unexpected hobby of

re-fashioning old clothes. I may be getting old but it seams
that not wear the same clothes all our lives, yet we like
some pieces so mucch we don't want to give away.
Not just yet. So, we can perhaps do something with all
these clothes that have pilled up in our wardrobes...

We can add pieces of fabric, trimmings, lace, buttons
and almost anything else you may think of.

Alternatively you can make crazy combinations of clothes
like a T-shirt with a skirt, a scarf or an old dress and see
how the new piece turns out.

In most cases it turns out OK. But even if it doesn't you
can still make alterations. Check out Pinterest for some
awesome ideas!

I have combined all sorts of fabrics that have been pilling up for years. My mum enjoyed it so much that she did some digging into her own closets and found some really nice textured fabrics. The striped dress has a seam added that came from a very expensive and shiny tablecloth. My mother added that she would have been mortified to do it herself but actually regretted not having done so many years ago!

these are far

better for the
beach.
They are made
using mostly
left overs and
scarves that
were too old
to wear but not
old enough tp
throw away.
I needed to add
straps or a
belt for an extra
touch of
summer
glamour.
They will be great
with a straw hat on!

Of course you will also
need some clothes to
wear at home.
I'm not quite sure if they can be labelled "homewear"
as they can be also great for
the beach or the pool,
a day out shopping around
the narrow streets of a
picturesque Greek Island ( for the super lucky ones) but
they will do the trick.

Try combining old tops with old dresses or just about any
kind of fabric you may
like.

They are very easy to make!
I can only give you one piece of advice. Since geometry is all you may need (and a sewing machine), when you cut a T-shirt,shirt, blouse or the top of a dress save the bottom parts. Cut them
in half and add them to the
lower part of your finished
dress. It will save you hours of work and extra sewing to get the seams right. This way, they will be ready and in a matching color too!

In any case, feel bold enough to try and make something you will be happy enough to wear.

The last (for now) board
is super summer but these
dresses can be your wildcard
in the city.
It is actually funny since

one of the pillow dresses
was created from a fabric
I had bought in Hawaii
some 20 years ago but
had completely forgotten
about and kept secretly
hidden in a closet.
I believe we all have
a fair share of similar
guilty secrets!
Anyway, my mum (again)
remembered the fabric
and Pinterest supplied
the idea. The pillow
dress is not new really.
But is is very easy to
make. Think of a pillow
case, in any fabric,
big enough around
your hips. Adorn with
a shiny velvet ribbon
around the neck.
Most tutorials are
about kids clothing,
so I didn't include
one here. But I believe
anyone can around
to making such a dress.
The stripped dress
was created combining
the top of a jersey
tennis dress with to similar
skirts. They are also stripped but one of the had slightly larger strippes.
Nobody notices really. I didn't need to sew any bodice that way. The seam came from my
mum's best tablecloth! She loved it!

Until Fall, I'll leave you with these ideas!
Let's talk about colors and make-up...

You know what's it like when you see clothes you really really like but cannot afford..well maybe, we'd rather try and alter our own. So, for winter....