Gold Buttons

My sister has thee best thrift store down the street from her where she always find thee best and most stylish vintage tops and I always am thee most jealous sister when I visit and see her enviable closet.  So, you can imagine my delight when she presented me with this vintage beauty for my birthday this year:
She took the liberty of taking it in for me as it was a tad wide (being the same size has a ton of advantages including, but not limited to, borrowing, altering for each other, borrowing, and borrowing some mo) but it was still missing some buttons down the back making it the perfect candidate for a little update.

Enter these buttons I found at JoAnn fabrics (at 50% off):
Everybody say hello to Vanna.  Ms. White wouldn’t leave me or the buttons alone.  ;)

All I did was remove the existing buttons and replace them with the new gold ones.  (I made sure when I was buying buttons that the new ones were the same size as the old so they’d fit through the existing button holes because a button hole (re)sewer you will not find here.)

After (sorry it’s a bit blurry):

Here’s a few of the lots and lots of ways I plan on wearing my newest button down: (Note:  the first two of these outfits look really sweet from the back thanks to the new buttons but a photo of my backside just didn’t feel notawkward so frontward it is.)

From left (and speaking of left, apparently it’s my go-to lean?):
1 >>> Standing like a cowgirl with some camel wedges and bootlegs.  Add a scarf for a pop and aviators for UV protection and I’m out the door in one hour flat (because three kids…).
2 >>> It’s still 90 degrees down here in the deep South and I cannot wait for the weather to give me the o.k. on my magenta cords!  I threw on a statement necklace and matching points to give the win to pink.  And speaking of those pink points, you might remember this ‘gram in which I went begging for help on how to fix them as they literally fell apart whilst I was making my way through a store, in public, everyone watching.
 
I reattached them using some Liquid Nails and so far they’re holding up well except they look a little worse for wear where the sole meets the actual shoe because when they separated, a little of the vinyl came off too so I’m on the fence whether to just toss them or not.  I’m not too sad though because they’ve lasted me multiple wears over seven years and I only paid ONE DOLLAR for them at Gabe’s in college.
3 >>> See numba 2 except add a mustard sweater and some blue suede pumps.  Too colorful?  Anthony would say something like, “Yes.  Yes it is.”

Last but not least, here’s how you can recreate this top.  I tried to find one similar to mine but in my limited search time, the only one I could find is this one:
 
[via Fovever XII]

It buttons down the front but since the buttons seem to be hidden, you could always just sew a few buttons in a line down the back to create the same look.  Of course, you could really do that to any shirt just to add that “party in the back”.  It’s a really simple update that only requires sewing (or even gluing) on a button.  If you’re not into the whole sewing/gluing thing, wearing a button-down shirt or cardigan backwards is always an option.  Seriously!  See here and here!

TGIF!

Fringe Benefits

That title should really read “The Easiest Infinity Fringe Scarf to Make Ever Ever Ever With Only a Tee and Scissors” but I was afraid I’d come off a little too vague.  So, let’s leave it and let me explain.  A long time ago I pinned Lakeland Local’s tutorial on how to make a nifty fringe scarf out of a tee shirt.  Then, a long time ago, I made one for myself using an old tee I had laying around.  Ta-da:


A short time ago I was about to toss an old tank into the donate pile when the idea struck again and two more mini fringe scarves made their way onto two mini necks:

[Stolen from this Instagram]

They’re simple, no-sew, and really cheap to make (or free if you reuse like I did!)  They can be worn in the winter:


They can be worn in the summer:



I made mine out of a cotton/spandex blend tee and like how the fringe strings curled in at the sides.  The tank the girls’ scarves are made out of was straight up cotton so the fringe strings are basically long rectangles with no curling.  Both versions are pretty snazzy doncha think?

[And speaking of snazz, the girls are dripping with it above, no?]

Target must think so too because they’re carrying these right this second:

via Target.com

They’re a little longer therefore able to be wrapped twice ‘round the neck (like S & C’s) so if you’d prefer the length, all you’d have to do is find an XL tee to cut up or sew a strip of a knit fabric together at it’s short ends making one big circle, and then cut the fringe strips all along one edge. 

If you make one, let me know so we can be BFFs, that is Best Fringe Foreva.  Okay?  Okay.  #passthecheese

Referee Chic

I haven’t done many alterations since Sebastian was born but a couple of months ago my best friend was here and while shopping with her, I scored a black and white striped dress for three bucks at Dirt Cheap (it was Xhilaration, originally from Target).  I had Sebastian strapped to my chest per the usual so I didn’t get to see the inside of the fitting room but I just scooped it up anyway (knowing there was a no return policy) and home we went.  Then I tried it on.  The pattern?  Loved it.  The fit?  Bad, bad, bad.  I had do something and quick so I got out my sewing machine and slimmed the sides of the skirt.  Things went from bad to better and it could probably still use a little more slimming and shaping in the waist area but for now…
Much better, wouldn’t ya say?

In my haste, I didn’t take a-one picture of my process but basically I laid the dress out flat, pinned and sewed two straight lines down either side of the skirt, cutting out two triangular pieces of excess fabric from either side.  Having vertical stripes helped because as long as I followed those, I was good.

I love how versatile this dress is!  I can dress it up, down, and sideways.  I shared this sneak peek on Instagram awhile back.  Let’s refer to it as “The Concert Goer”:

[Except the last concert I went to was………..long before kids.]

Then there’s “Her Husband’s Date”:

[See how I still managed to keep the small curve up to the side seam?  I love that part.  :) ]

And the “Throw a Sweater Over It Because It’s Chilly”:


And my very favorite aspect, all the colors of cardigans that there every were can be matched up with it and live in synchronized harmony:

Fingers crossed, this dress brought me out of sewing stagnation so stay tuned for more snips and tucks!

I Wear Short(er) Shorts

I like bermuda shorts (see here), but when I found these maternity bermudas on a Target clearance rack several weeks ago, I knew if I pulled the trigger on them that they’d be in for a little alteration. 
The fit – a little notgreat and a lot awkward.  Besides they did nothing for my twig legs and miniature calves…which I say with the greatest admiration for you lucky ones with curvy legs.

I figured that by shortening them just a tad, I might be able to up their appeal.  So, first I figured out how short I wanted to go by rolling and unrolling to different lengths while they were on until I was satisfied.  Then, I pulled out my measuring tape and measured the inseam, took them off, turned them inside-out, and made a little pen mark on each leg at my desired length, adding an inch and a half for a hem.    
 

Next, I rolled each leg up so that the rolled edge was right at my pen mark.
Snip, snip, all the way around…

Then, for extra fraying protection (and not at all following any sewing rules so if this be wrong, well, sew me), I sewed a zig-zag stitch around the bottom of the shorts before folding the bottoms up an inch and a half and and sewing in a hem.

And then I went crazy and paired them with some tights, boots, and other fall/wintery gear because all the real fashionistas are doing that on Pinterest. 
 
[Add a little overexposure and incorrect camera settings and call it a fashion shot.]

What do you think?  Am I breaking every 2930 fashion rule in the book?  Would you wear shorts with boots and tights?  Maybe you would, but would you in public?  I have yet to.

To Infinity…

And technically there is no such thing as beyond that because, well, it’s infinity.  So, sorry Buzz.  Better luck next sequel.

Sorry, was that a bad intro?  I tried as hard as I could to think of some pun with the word plaid but the only thing I could come up with was something like “They Got Plaid” (you know, like “They Got Played”), but considering I’m pulling the two tots into this post, it seemed a little off kilter.  Toy Story seemed the right road to travel.  :) 

“Let’s get to the point here, Bean, Legume…whatever you call yourself”.  Right.  Specifically, this: 

I was at our local Hancock Fabrics a couple of weeks ago getting something or other that I needed when I strolled past their remnants basket and spotted this plaid, flannel remnant:

It was nice and soft and I had been wanting to make some scarves for the girls (and plaid is “in”, right?), so I snatched it up.  It was marked down at $2 a yard and the remnant was a smidge over half a yard; the perfect amount for two little scarves. 

So first things first, I cut it in half so that I had two pieces measuring 20 in. x 29 in. each.  

Then I sewed it into a circle/tube.  If you make your own, here’s where to sew (iron-on tape would work too!):

To get a seamless-looking connection where the two sides would be sewn together I first lined up the edges, folded one over the other, folded once more, and pinned the seam in place before sewing together.  Here’s a step-by-step guide: 
Make sure you only pin the seam though!  You might have to put your hand in between the two layers of fabric (down the tube) to make sure you’re only getting the seam and not the seam plus the other side of your tube of fabric.

Last, stitch down the seam, cut the excess strings, and you’ve got yourself an infinity scarf in a matter of minutes.  Just a few side notes:  I didn’t measure the girls’ heads or necks to figure out how big around I wanted the scarves before I started so they’re a little on the loose side.  I probably could’ve made them a little shorter around for a more snug fit by cutting the initial rectangle to 22-3 in. x 20 in. instead).  Also, if you make your own tot an infinity scarf, I’d play it safe and make it so that it just fits right over their little noggin’ once without looping it over again.  If you make it loose enough to be doubled up, I’d be afraid they’d either pull on or get one loop stuck on something and risk the other getting too tight around their neck.  On the bright side however, this is the first article of clothing/accessory I can share with my girls because the scarves fit me perfectly.  :) 

And that’s that.  But what would any tutorial be without some cute after shots?  Get a load of these two:       

They LOVE being outside and this southern weather is perfect for granting them that wish.  Sun, leaves, dirt, sand…they’ll take it. 

[Unbuttoned onesies >> Carters, Jeggings >> thrifted Garanimals (C) & Carters (S), Boots >> Target, Headbands >> homemade]

.          .           .

Stay tuned though for there is more plaid to come and it involves one growing baby bump.  AND for all of you that know via Instagram that the ottoman is DONE (finally!), I’m working on getting that very detailed tutorial worded and up but it probably won’t be until next Monday.  If you haven’t seen the sneak peek, you can catch a glimpse here.

Have a good Monday folks!

All You Need Is A Scissors

>>> If you can today, try and offer up some prayers for all of the sweet, suffering people affected by the monstrous typhoon in the Philippines.  I was on Facebook last night and scrolled across a photo taken of a father carrying his little girl, who looked to be no more than four, lifeless, to a morgue.  It broke my heart.  I could only stare at it for a second before I had to look away.  It would’ve affected me had I seen it before I had my own three little angels, but having them now and imagining going through a similar fate…I just can’t fathom the thought.  Pray for all of these poor people and all of those who have died or lost a loved one(s).  They need it so desperately. <<<

This quick alteration isn’t really “maternity” since it has nothing to do with making something maternity or changing something that is meant to accommodate a baby belly but it’s worth sharing because I know a lot of people don’t know how to sew and sometimes you don’t need a sewing machine to alter an article of clothing, just a scissors.

So, this dress:

(Once again, this is a post filled with phone pictures…sorry they’re a little on the fuzz ball side.  I took the above still and sent it to my sisters to ask their advice on the whole ensemble.  Wasn’t sure about the black wedges…  Would’ve gone with cognac boots but with 75 degree weather, the tights were even a stretch.  Boots would’ve given me more looks and a sweat glow.)

I wore it to church a couple of Sundays ago.  It’s a short-sleeved, shift dress my mom sent me a few months ago; she’s been holding onto it since I was in high school and thought I might like to have it back.  It’s been sitting in my alterations pile because the sleeves and neckline need a little trimming before I don it in public but I pulled it out and lo and behold, it fit quite nicely over the burgeoning belly and didn’t look all that bad with a cardigan over it.  So, I wore it.  But, only after a quick little alteration (even though it wasn’t seen).  I cut the elastic gathering/ruffle off the sleeves right at the point where it met the actual sleeve.  By cutting it off before the place it was stitched to the sleeve, I didn’t have to hem it because the existing seam held everything together.  See?
 
I’m still planning on making the sleeves fitted and getting that same ruffle off the neckline, but for now it looks ten times better to me.  Less high school-ish and more mom/30 year old-esque – always a good goal for those of us at this stage in the game.  :)

And a bonus bump picture.  This was at 32 weeks.  He’s a growing and my hips and back are stiff and aching, things I really didn’t experience with the twins’ pregnancy.  Go figure. 
 

A Temporary Fix

You know Target?  You know when you walk in and you just have to walk past the women’s clothing section to see what amazing pieces they have out at the moment because they never fail in that dept?  You know when you really, really want to just spend your life’s savings to buy up the whole section because everything is so dang trendy and the prices are way under J. Crew?  That’s my story line every.single.time I walk in to the bulls’ eye.  So one of those times this summer my eyes spied the cutest pink and orange color block top but I did the usual take-a-deep-breath-and-keep-moving and kept on going.  Well, a month or so ago I was pilfering through the clearance racks (per my usual as well) and spotted it.  The only one left…XXL…$5…all mine.  I’m no stranger to shrinking things with my sewing machine so this shouldn’t surprise anybody.  Here ‘tis fresh off the rack and out of my alterations pile:  
(The party’s color-blocking’s in the back…you’ll see.)

This alteration is a wee bit different from my others though.  It’s only a temporary one.  Being preggo and all, it obviously makes no sense to take this top in and then not be able to wear it.  My solution?  Sew a straight stitch a couple of inches in at the bottom of each armhole and only a few inches down.  The dotted line below shows where exactly I stitched. 
Once on, there was a large flap of fabric under my arm but by just folding it back, you’d be none the wiser.  I almost put a stitch in to hold it there but after wearing it around the house for awhile it stayed put, eliminating the need.

Those few inches of stitching gave me a top that fit up top and accommodated the growing belly.  And I’m a sucker for pleats so the little ones that were created on each side just made the top 10x cuter.

After baby boy has arrived I can always just rip out the stitches I sewed in and take the shirt in all the way down so it’s a little more fitted, but still flowy.
 
For now though, I’m relishing it, the bright colors and the room it gives baby to grow.

[I realized yesterday after my umpteenth self-timed photo sesh that I really need to replace the self-timer for the husband, running commentary and all.  :)  It’s nice how you can get a detailed shot of our fence as the camera focuses in on that but blurry ‘after’ shots just aren’t going to cut it anymore…sorry about them.]

I finished this top just in time for Mass yesterday so here’s how I wore it to see the Big Guy, minus the scarf because it was sweltering when I stepped out of the house.  I really, really wanted to pair it with some black boots too but sometimes comfort takes precedence and I really didn’t want to be sliding around with pools of sweat in the bottoms of my cute boots.  :)

 
Outfit details:
Scarf:  Joyce Leslie (thanks Momma)
Top:  Target (altered)
Blazer:  Target (altered)
Polka Dots:  Target via Dirt Cheap (altered and dotted)
Shoes:  Gabriel Brothers

.           .           .

In case you’re wondering, the coffee-table-going-ottoman is still in the exact same state as it was last week.  We’ve got foam and a piece of wood for the top on our to-buy list.  With that, does anyone know where we can get some reasonably priced upholstery foam?  I’ve checked JoAnn’s and spending $45 on foam (and that’s with a coupon!) just isn’t what our bank account had in mind…if that’s all we can find however, we’ll save up for it and bite the bullet.  I’ve heard of people using camping mats from Home Depot but ours doesn’t sell them nor are they available online…help! 

Oh and P.S., it’s party time!  I’m linking up with Fine Linen and Purple for What I Wore Sunday!  Fashionable times to be had over there! 

Are You Making a Dalmatian Costume?

That’s what Anthony’s first words were to me one night last week right after walking in the door, home from work.  You see, I had this great plan awhile ago and only needed some white skinnies to hatch it.  After searching on the cheap, high and low, I finally found these babies at my local fave discount store, Dirt Cheap, for $4.  They’re Liz Lange for Target maternity jeans but as you can see, they’re a little baggy:

 

But, after a little nipping and tucking, they’re perfect mediums for this DIY plan I’d been itching to try after stumbling upon and pinning this picture on Pinterest:
 
[via Pinterest via ???]

Behold:
 

Here’s how it all dotted out >>>
[Not pictured:  a measuring tape and pencil for marking out your dots in case you want to.]

All of these things I had on hand – black acrylic paint, fabric medium from this polka-dotting venture, and a random measuring cup and lone plate, both used only for painting purposes.

The foam pouncers I purchase at Michael’s specifically for this project.  Using a 40% coupon (thank you Michael’s app), they added up to $3.  I used the pouncer on the top right for this project but am so excited about all the other sizes and their future potential (baby clothes, scarves, shoes, curtains, walls…the list goes on and on)!

So, after gathering all the goods, I started out by making tiny X’s about every four inches across the front and back of my newly altered pants (check out my tutorial for turning wide leg/boot leg pants into skinnies here).
I wasn’t too picky about perfection here.  I just tried to get evenly spaced X’s as well as I could, knowing nobody but a crazy person would notice minor defects in my dotted pattern.  Honestly though, after dotting I realized I probably could’ve gotten away without the measuring and just eye-balled it.  Next time…

After the entire pattern was X-ed out, I stuffed the pants with some plastic bags to make sure paint didn’t seep through and onto the opposite side.  Wax paper would have worked but would’ve had to have been cut/folded to fit, a step I didn’t feel like doing…luh-azeee me.

Next, I mixed my paint with the fabric medium (2 parts paint to 1 part f.m.), spread the mixture out on my plate, and dotted away.
 

I dotted the back of the pants first, let it dry for eight hours, and then dotted the front.  The next day I dotted the left side, waited another eight hours for drying, and then dotted the right side.

To set the paint, I went over the pants with an iron (iron to pants without anything in between) the day after I dotted the sides and then threw them into the dryer on max heat for extra setting.  And that’s that!  Half a dalmatian costume or snazzy, new pants – whatever floats your boat!

So yesterday, while the girls were clocking in their afternoon siesta, I played dress up to see how many outfits I could put together with my new polka-dots.  Turns out they’re pretty versatile!  Check it:  
I noticed while I was editing pictures last night that I forgot all about accessories!  I’m not a huge accessory-wearer, mainly because I forget about them when I’m in the throes of throwing on an outfit before the twins tear apart my closet, but I am trying harder to add those little details.  :)

I added sources and prices just to prove my point (made in our About page) that you can have a cute wardrobe for not a lot of cash.  I shop a lot of clearance, thrift stores, and discount stores and while I don’t feel I’d fit right in to Vogue everyday, I definitely have found that I can achieve an Anthropologie/J. Crew look with just a bit of cash.

Anyway, the pants are fun, no?  I love that they’re maternity but I’ll probably have to make some non-maternity ones after baby boy makes his debut to ward off any withdrawal…

You know I will.  :)