refashioning and the joy of renewal...

It's remarkably springlike outside today, and this post is a feeble attempt to infuse new life into my poor neglected blog. The truth is, there has been some stuff going but not really a lot to blog about... on the surface it's been a lot of the same with just variations. Spring, renewal of old things, revitalizing things that were dormant... AH! a common thread!

Some old clothes have cute details that I can't let go of, but that obviously will never fit this figure (or lack thereof); sometimes the same details are too twee simply because these were clothes I had when I was 20. Usually it's both. 

This cotton polo has a pretty embroidered collar and extended placket; it was an easy fix to re-cut it into an A-line tunic dress. I reused the sleeves'original hems (which were a nice length instead of an awkward cap on K). 

 

A cool dragon print is inexplicable in a knee-length skirt (...it was the 90's?) but made a nice raglan. Stretch velvet binding adds texture.

Beautiful black-on-white eyelet, but doesn't go over my hips and has odd coffee stains. 

Kept the original lace insert and hem, re-cut into a Apple-picking dress; I even reused the original lining. The placket (with pretty black flower snaps!)is just a single one because I didn't have enough width for a double-breasted one. Black cotton voile is the perfect match in texture for the tie and sleeves and adds a bit of old-world monochrome-ness.

Black-and-white in a white-on-white room... 

There are some pants that are going to get re-made into uniform sweats for P, and DH tossed some brand-new underwear he got for Christmas -- I rescued them with plans for dance pants. Basically, rip out the interior back-to-front and leg seams, get rid of the strangeness at the crotch (worn-out in one case, extra fabric in the other) and home free. I think I can even re-use the original waistbands.