How Resourceful! Alterations to a Red Blouse

This weekend I spent a couple hours browsing the local Habitat for Humanity just to see if I could find some thrifty goodies (read here to see what Craig's normal reaction is when I go to the thrift store...).

And after finding several charming mid-century dressers that I have absolutely no room for, I meandered over to the clothing and picked up three shirts for a grand total of $2.70.

This red blouse was one of them.

I was drawn to the shirt for three reasons:
1. the color. I think I must be going through a red phase because it's been popping up in my wardrobe a lot lately.
2. the front pleats. I love the way they drape down the front and remind me of a vintage-era.
3. the fabric. It's 100% silk. When you find 100% silk for less than a dollar, you buy it, people! You buy it!

BUT, as you can see by the image above, the blouse is rather frumpy. As in I'm pretty sure the last person to own it was in her sunset years. So I've brainstormed some alterations and I want you to tell me what you think...

First, I want to cut off those billowy sleeves! But rather than just take the sleeves off at the seam, I want to cut into the blouse yoke, exposing the shoulders. This line reminds me of a halter style except that the back will be closed rather than open.

What do you think so far?

Then I need to do some tailoring. I'm thinking that I will need some darts at the bustline for shape, and will probably also have to take-in the side seams a little too.

I'm hoping that these two quickie alterations will forever banish the potato-sack shape.

And this, my friends, is the final vision I have for this blouse. Silky, drapey, and not at all like your grandmother's Sunday top. Of course, this will be my first attempt at this combination of alterations, so we'll see how it goes. I suppose that if I make a total disaster out of it, I can create a lovely silk accessory out of the fabric instead.

Either way, this thrift store find for under a dollar has a lot of potential. I'll post the finished project when it's complete!

Any thoughts on my design or sewing tips you'd like to share? Post your comments below!

The Thrift Store Chair: a marital feud

husband: Where are you going?
me: The thrift store.

husband: (with anxiety in his voice) Why? What are you looking for?
me: Nothing. I'm just browsing. You know--for fun.

husband: The last time you were "just browsing," you came home with the ugliest set of shelving I've ever seen. Remember those?
me: Yes. I remember you making me take them back.

husband: Because they were awful.

Later:
husband: I knew I shouldn't have let you go. I hate this chair.
me: How can you hate it? It's great!

husband: It reminds me of the dentist's office.
me: Pfff. You never even go to the dentist.

husband: You need to take it back.
me: No.

husband: You know, it doesn't even go. It looks out of place in here.
me: It goes just fine. I'm the one with the design sense around here--not you. Besides, why do you care?

husband: I'm just saying I hate it.
me: You'll get used to it.

husband: I'm serious. Tomorrow. You need to take it back tomorrow.
me: (with a long sigh) Alright. I'll take it back. If you hate it Soooo much, I guess I have no choice.

That was three months ago. I think I've won the battle. Don't.Tell.Craig.

Design for the Seasons

This week I'm posting on some of my favorite things from the past year. And if you've been following my blog for any length of time, you know that one of my favorite things is to (re)decorate my home compulsively.

Now, before you start to judge me for over consuming, let me at least say that almost all of the images you see above and below are from items that have been handmade by myself or my very handy husband. Furthermore, the majority of them come from materials recycled from thrift stores, old clothing, and pieces of nature.
Part of my compulsion for redesign is to match the interior of my home with the changing seasons. For instance, right now I still have pinecones and cable-knit pillows lying around, which isn't very spring-like.

What would be more spring-like would be to swap out those items for some of the ones shown just below--like the lime green pillow covers I made last May to mimic the colors of budding Aspen trees and gray, rainy skies.
Of course, once spring passes I'll probably pull out some of the items you see in the first collage, like my great-grandmother's quilt and my patchwork pillow shams in red, white and blue (I get a little country-cottage in the summer...). And then I'll move onto the theme below. The smoky tones and woodsy textures always remind me of autumn.
And finally, a year from now, I'll once again be pulling out my faux fur throws and sheepskin and cable-knit pillows. You know--the ones I need to start putting away now that the weather is getting warmer.

Some people ask me if I'll ever get to the point when my designing is finished and I'm content with things the way they are.

These people obviously don't know me very well...

Do you do any seasonal redesigning? Share your favorite spring decorating tip below!

Classic

I tried ribbon. I tried ruffles. I considered satin and silk. But everything just looked wrong coupled with this old ribbed sweater I've been carting around for years.

And then I tried wool. Herringbone wool, to be precise.
The wool was from a thrift-store pair of trousers I bought several months ago. I never intended to wear the trousers (believe me, they were Not the cutest...), but instead saw potential in the fabric. Little did I know that they would turn another one of my bland sweaters into one of my new favorite cardigans.With elbow patches, of course. There aren't nearly enough elbow patches in the world today, don't you think? I'm just doing my part...
The style is classic. Cotton and wool hand-stitched together--what could be more versatile and timeless than that? And easy. The panels at the top of the sweater are just laid directly over the original knit. And the pockets are imposters--really just strips of wool pretending to be functional.
This particular sweater is a grayish-blue and brown, but I also think that cream with tan would look fantastic. In fact, I might just have to hit the thrift store sometime soon in search of that combo.
And as with all of my sweater makeovers, this one was very nearly free.

In other related holiday news, can you believe that we only have a couple weeks left of this holiday season? I have a few more crafty ideas up my sleeve for Christmas and New Years...and then it's on to other crafty ideas for 2010! (you didn't think I'd stop making things just because the holidays are over, did you? Because that would be crazy. Crazy.)

As always, happy crafting!

Consider making this classic design for yourself or as a gift this season! Click here to learn more about this pattern.

Holiday Comfort

I was at the craft store the other day picking up a few odds and ends, and I just happened to notice the Christmas display.

Okay...so maybe it didn’t “just happen” to notice it. Maybe it ambushed me from the store threshold. Maybe it managed to devour at least half of the aisles. Maybe I never want to see red and green again.

Ahem...I digress. My point in bringing up this little story is that it confirmed to me that my holiday taste in decorating is decidedly less...um...holiday. I don’t want Santas and reindeer. I don’t want little tiny houses all lit up in a row. I don’t want red and green lights and peppermint pillows. Of course my husband does...but that is another story.

Basically I don’t want my home to look like a craft store threw up in it. Instead, I want decorations that are comfortable and cozy. Things I can leave out from Halloween through Valentines Day. Timeless. Classic. And easy.

Like these pillow covers, for instance. I designed these specifically with the holiday season in mind. Don’t they make you want to curl up on my sofa? Wouldn’t you like to have a pair for yourself? Or perhaps gift a set to a friend or relative?


Then please let me tell you that if you have an old cardigan in your home that you never wear (or that your husband/sister/father/etc. doesn’t wear), you are already halfway there! These, for instance, were stitched from one sweater I owned, and one I bought from the thrift store for under $5.00. That’s four covers for a little over a buck a piece. Affordable, right?

As for the assembly, if you can sew a straight line, you can do this project. It’s that simple, and a great task for beginner crafters.

And I even suppose that if you wanted to, you could make them in red and green. Just don’t expect me to be happy about it.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a sofa to curl up on.

To learn more about this pattern, please click here!

Friday Gift!

I wanted to wrap up this mini-series on home design with a special gift for you. For a limited time only, I am offering a free download of my e-book, Thrift Store Design, to you!



I had such a great time compiling the photos and content for this e-book this past spring, and even hosted a special Design Day to celebrate it!




In it, I include tips on how to tell whether that used armoire is junk or treasure, how to find great fabrics in unlikely places, and how to create your own do-it-yourself art on the cheap!




To download this e-book, please click the Thrift Store icon in the lefthand column!

Hope you enjoy, and have a wonderful Friday!

Previous Related Posts:
Ode to Pillows
I Swore Never Again, Part 2 (DIY roman shades)
Box Store Boycott

Montenegro or Bust: tales of a Red Dress

A Recessionista's tale of shopping thrift, and experiments in fashion design. Part 1.

I was at the used clothing store yesterday, browsing the aisles in search of a new dress or shirt to inaugurate the warming weather. Or at least that was the reason I was telling myself. Closer to the truth was that after recently watching the newest Casino Royale and seriously coveting every wardrobe piece that Eva Green's character wore (do you know what I'm talking about? the amethyst ball gown? the emerald green day dress? the red chiffon wrap dress?), I was looking to mimic her taste. Or perhaps mimic the lifestyle of Vesper and Bond, attending elegant evening affairs or traipsing around in coastal resorts. Alas, in lieu of said elegant living (have I mentioned that I reside in Colorado? One of the most casual places in all of the world?), I decided to keep my eye out for something red and swishy rather than satin and sparkle. And after searching the racks, I came across a red knit dress that might, perhaps, do the trick.

Swish-less
Carrying it into the fitting room, I quickly discovered that flattering it was, but swishy it was not. In fact, the fit was nearly perfect, but the fabric was...um...clingy. Clingy as in "I need to buy a pair of Spanx in order to wear this out in public." Now I'm all for snug, but this was too snug. Besides, how was I going to pretend I was swishing around in Venice with James at my side when my dress was creeping up my backside? So I sadly took it off and tried on some other things.

Too Good to Pass Up?
But while stepping into a polka dot vintage housewife number, and a magenta strapless dress, I couldn't help but think that maybe the red dress was too good to pass up. I mean, with a quarter of an inch added to the seams, and a different fabric, it could be perfect. Perfect as in bringing-a-piece-of-Montenegro-to-my-Colorado-life perfect. Besides, I had been to my usual shopping stops in search of a dress like this only to find the floor length beach bohemian types that are popular this year. I did not want to be a beach bohemian. I wanted to be Vesper--world traveller and companion of rugged spies.

In Pieces...
So, in Pretty in Pink fashion, I channeled Molly Ringwald's wrong-side-of-the-tracks sensibility and bought the dress for $12, brought it home, and promptly cut it apart with my fabric shears. Where it now lays, in pieces, on my floor. My plan, naturally, is to use the pieces as a pattern for a new dress. Red, of course.

Join me next week to see how my weekend sewing project turns out...

Previous Recessionista Posts:
A Thrifty Success!
The New Midas Touch
Vintage Green

Thrifty Secrets! (an event Coming Soon!)

Have you ever watched those design shows where they snatch up these great finds from thrift stores and then convert them into awesome home decor items that you seriously covet? And then did you find yourself wandering the aisles of your local thrift store in eager excitement, only to turn to dismay after picking through row upon row of nothing but junk? Did you secretly wonder if maybe those design-show people planted those great finds and were just pretending to be clever, or perhaps that the only good thrift stores are located in New York City or San Francisco, where incidentally you do not live? And then did you find yourself back in the comfortable aisles of Target, where everything was clean but entirely predictable, lamenting that your thrift store dreams may never come true?

Don’t lament! The thrift store dream is not dead, not even in your town. Perhaps it is just that you just don’t know the secrets to thrift store shopping yet. Because there are secrets--little tricks, things to be on the hunt for, timeless strategies for finding treasure. Secrets that I would like to share with you.

So join me for a Thrift Store Design Day on Saturday, April 25th at 1:00 pm, to talk some shop and then put theory into practice.

For questions and/or to RSVP, email me at shillberry@stephaniehillberry.com today!

Don’t live in Northern Colorado? Don’t worry! I’ll be compiling all my notes to share with out-of-towners soon, so stay posted for more news!

Previous Related Posts:
A Long Time Coming
Ta Dah!
Thrifty DIY Art

A Long Time Coming

By the time Friday rolls around, I always need a little R&R. And as many of you already know about me, I often turn to home design for a fix (I'm like a junkie...). It makes sense, then, that I would be posting today about my most recent room makeover.

A Long Time Coming
This makeover has been a long time coming, but oddly it kind of snuck up on me. It started about a month ago--during the height of my spring cleaning--when my husband mentioned ever so casually that our dining room was a total disaster and that he hated everything about it. Now, these types of comments are unusual for him because a) he rarely has strong opinions about the house, and b) he knows better than to stoke the embers of my design addiction. But sitting there with him at the top of the stairs peering down, I knew he was right. The dining room was by far the most neglected space in the house. Just peek at my before picture and you'll see the problems:

Problems:
1. the less-than-stylish commercial light fixture that generically hangs in every home in our subdivision
2. the long bench at the table (an Ethan Allen find I snatched at a thrift store for $5.00) was practical but didn't fit the style we were going for (this bench is destined for a great future, though, so don't be surprised if it pops up again as something else entirely....)
3. the hand-me-down mirror centered on the wall which I slapped up there several years ago because I didn't have anything else to hang
4. the two iron sconces flanking said mirror, which look a bit too...well...Mideval/country for my midcentury modern ambitions
5. and finally the jute rug under the table which admittedly I thought looked okay but Craig hated with a passion

All in all, it was a sad tale of a room gone awry--a neglected space where all the miscellaneous discards had migrated to rest in a confused jumble of mismatched design.

It Started with a Catalog...
The solution? Well, it started with the delivery of my long-awaited Room and Board catalog. Thumbing through page after page of midcentury design, I caught the bug to hit the local thrift store to see if I'd get lucky. Needless to say, I did. About five minutes before I arrived the staff rolled a beautiful armoire onto the floor. I was instantly smitten. Two minutes later they were loading it into the back of my car. And like all my room makeovers, the domino effect had begun:
1. I positioned the furniture in the corner, and noticed that it immediately made the dining chairs more appealing
2. I liked the contrast of the wood with the deep blue wall, but had a problem: I needed to patch some holes and didn't have any more paint. So I grabbed my Pottery Barn book, selected a similar Benjamin Moore color from the back, and headed to the store. Two hours later the wall was refinished in a better and brighter blue.
3. I ditched the rug per my husband's pleading request, and have to admit that it really did improve the room
4. I replaced the light fixture with a simple fluted lamp shade. Truthfully I would have preferred a barrel, but couldn't find the right one...
5. And I hung my DIY thrift store art pictures in place of the mirror/sconce duo. A vast improvement!

All told the project took me one afternoon and less than $200.00. And the furniture and art were made from reusing and recycling discarded items. Not bad for a Saturday! Now maybe I'll be done with room makeovers for awhile (it's not likely, but my husband can dream...).

Please enjoy your weekend, and if you embark on a makeover, send me the pictures! I'd love to see them! And don't forget to sign up for my newsletter to enter next week's raffle for a Buttercup Bag, and to become a Recessionista insider! click here to learn more!

Previous related posts:
Nesting Before & After
And then it Happened...
Before & After Part 2
Ta Dah!

Nesting: Nurturing my Maternal Side

I wrote last week in The Personal Side of Nesting that, for me, part of this season is about preparing for motherhood.  And while most women do this by taking vitamins and getting in tune with their bodies, I will do it by decorating (naturally).

So I thought I would get in touch with my maternal side by launching a few projects.  Now, I've noticed that there seems to be a lack of variety out there in the world of nursery wares, or at least in my price range.  I'll admit that I like some of Dwell Studio's designs for Target, but otherwise the options seem to be a bit...generic.  Incidentally, I do have a sewing machine, and some time, so....

First I started with this fabric (above left).  I found it disguised as a dress in a thrift store.  I loved the coral, mustard yellow, chocolate brown, and just a touch of blue--perfect for...say...a modern baby girl, no?  Six dollars later, some scissors and a seam ripper, and I was well on my way to my first nursery design.

Pieced together and sewn over several days, I ended up with two quilts and a little extra fabric to spare.  I'm thinking the next project will either be coordinating curtains or a crib bumper...

And while I was out, I also picked up what is undoubtedly the world's most hideous floor lamp for $6.99 at Goodwill (my husband said I was scammed).  In spite of its shabby state, I have some major makeover plans for this sad discard, and think it will be the cutest nursery lamp someday.  So even though my hubby is contemplating banning me from thrift stores from this point forward (he just lacks my optimistic imagination...), I think in the end it will be a triumph of recycling and resourcefulness!  

Thus concludes my Nesting update for this Monday.  But don't go far--debuting later this week will by my first ever giveaway along with my first ever email newsletter sign-up, more chat on Mavens, and of course, more Nesting.

Previous Nesting posts:

Nesting is Creating

Nesting Before & After

My Domestic Renaissance