Red Jacket Stylin'

As the holidays approach, I am on the look out for red, red, anything red. This sweet little number was just the color I wanted. It needed a few tweaks but hey, that's what I am here for!

Ah yes, a familiar friend from long ago....shoulder pads. These were twisted sisters so they had to be snipped and flipped and sent to the land where all shoulder pads live.

Now it was time to make some decisions about the collar and buttons. It was a tad snug in the neck region and I am lovin' bolero style so I made the exec decision to take off the top 2 buttons. Ready for folding action.

Then there were these pockets. Sure, I am a fan. Who wants to always carry around a purse for Kleenex, lipstick, car keys? Pockets are an awesome invention. Still, these were just too much. Too big. Too on stage. I used the seam ripper and they came right off. As did the lint that literally lived at the bottom of each of these. Used a bit of spot remover for the dirt line which worked like a charm.

Pinned down the collar leaving one button as the main closure. I hand sewed this to avoid obvious seams, ran the iron over the new collar and presto bingo.....

Luuuuv this! I had to add my wintery hat and a black top underneath for effect. I think I may be ready for Santa. He's such a pal.

Vest Action

This was a little goodie found at a local yard sale. $2.00 firm price! Ah well, I took it home as I saw potential. I am a sucker for gray stripes.I haven't worn a jumper since third grade so this was not an option now. I went the vest direction and started by cutting the bottom half. Away you go!

Then it was time to snip the back belt. Won't be needing it!As it was still fairly large, I pinned the sides to take it in, tried it on until it was just right and then...sewed it up tight and tidy.
Trimmed off that excess stuff. Byeee.
I thought I'd match the vest with my off-white lounge pants, a long sleeved pullover and top it off with one of my handmade crocheted scarves. Then I put my peace scarf on to try a different look. Quite sassy, in my opinion! Ready for the office if I went to an office. Which I don't but I'm just saying.

Front to Back

Do I have to say much?? I am such the cardigan girl and it sure wasn't going to take much for that to happen. I got this at a church rummage sale (the BEST places to find bargains and well taken care of discards). Loved the color, the fit, the weight and texture of this sweater. I simply and easily turned this baby around and presto change-o...a ready made cardigan!

Except something had to be done with these pockets. Where they once were in front are now in the back, right above my ahem...bum. Don't need anymore focus on that part of the anatomy, you know what I mean? I used my seam ripper and removed the pockets. Easy peasy.

Lola approved of this make-over. And I was thrilled that I have an item of clothing that she can not shed on - well, at least her sheddy hairs will blend right in. Blonde dog, blonde sweater. Smart move.

Pearl Harbor Here I Come.

Only in my dreams of course but if I WAS heading to Oahu, wouldn't this be the dress I'd want to be decked out in? I was mad about the pearls down the back of the dress as well as the flower pattern and general feel of the dress. Ultra flow perfect for sashaying around Ala Moana Mall in downtown Waikiki....

A clever trick I learned from newdressaday.com is to simply turn the back of a dress into the front for a completely new look. This number was the perfect culprit for this little ruse.

I did need to shorten the hem a couple of inches and create a new slit in the back (which was formerly the front...). I used my seam ripper and let out a few inches in the middle seam and created the slit so my legs could have some breathing room.

Ah yes, the lovely and amazing shoulder pads. Seriously. I have enough of my own shoulders but thanks for thinking of me.

Took this photo so you could get a close up of the pearly buttons. I want these to be showcased.

I added a fave black belt, slipped on a black tank and unbuttoned those precious pearly buttons a few notches to let the front have all the attention..

Kind of took my breath away how cute this turned out. Another grand creation for $1.00. I'm on a roll, don't you agree?

It's a Wrap

My new motto - one can never have too many black sweater wraps. Black cardigans, black coverups, black is just so...Angelina Jolie.

Ok yeah I get carried away. I admit it. But I was so excited when I found this beauty. The 2 major issues were as follows: the extra extra large size (which worked in my favor length-wise but not width-wise) and the attached sweater tank. Both very workable so I got right to it!

First on the agenda was the removal of the inside attached-for-life tank insert. I took sharp scissors and simply cut the inside right out. Bye Bye, no crying. Don't need ya, don't want ya.

After a pinning session to adjust the massive width, I sewed the seams.

Perfect fit! I then proceeded to trim the excess sweater fabric and grabbed a white tank for the after effect. L-O-V-E-D the finished product.

This is certainly a sweater I would have eyeballed at Kohls or JC Penneys and walked off with it, happy as a clam. Can't wait for more cold fall days necessitating a spin in my new wrap (did I mention it cost $1.00???).

and check this one out - only $118.00 at Soft Surroundings! AND they have it in black....I think I got the better deal.

Referee for Hire

I love black. I love white. Most of my wardrobe consists of these 2 basic go-to colors. What drew me to this sweater was the texture and the light weight quality plus the super bright hues. And hey, I can wear it with just about everything I own.

However we have a few issues. The neck of course was way too turtle-necky for my liking. And there were a couple of stains that actually came out with a little Oxi-clean and elbow grease.

Otherwise the size, sleeve length and wearability factor were rated 10! SCORE!

I bought it with the goal (dontcha just love the play on words...) of turning it into a cardigan/loose wrap top.

To be sure of centering it correctly, I laid it down on a flat surface and counted the knit/purl indentations from each of the shoulders until I reached the very center. Took out the sheers and just followed the knit line straight down.

I hand sewed the cut seams with black thread to make them clean and tidy. A winner in my book! Score 1 - 0 ($1.00, 0 credit card charge!)

Periwinkle Perfection

I absolutely ADORE this color of blue. I call it periwinkle which may be a legitimate Crayola Crayon color come to think of it. It is a mixture of blues and grays which are my faves. I found this dress at a outside garage sale with a bonus - a sweater in the exact same shade of blue. My lucky day, indeed. You bet I grabbed them both with gusto.

The sweater had a few minor unraveling issues that I took care of immediately with some periwinkle thread and needle. I wasn't going to let anything get in the way of my matching set!

I must address the neck. Not a fan of anything touching my neck so will be making this into a v-shape. Take off the first three buttons, fold over, stitch and Presto Change-o new neckline that I can live with.

I tried on the sweater and folded down the dress neckline to get a quick glimpse of where I was headed.

Mui bueno, yes?

I had to sacrifice the side pockets when I took the hip area in. Just needed a smidge of 2 inches or so and I was ready for the finished product. Rolled up the sleeves, grabbed the sweater, jauntily placed it over my shoulder and another make-over complete. Yeah baby.

Now I am ready for some blueberry yogurt, blueberry pancakes, blueberry jam on my PBJ sandwiches. Got to get the color co-ordinated thing going on.