Convertible Dress

Here it is - the dress!

Ever since finding this American Apparel dress that can be worn in multiple ways, I've been wanting to make my own convertible dress. Then I discovered a forum on Craftster (one of the best craft/sewing sites on the internet, by the way) discussing the Infinity Dress, a similar take on the convertible dress that uses just ONE SEAM.

I finally got around to it last week. I had some time and a few yards of cotton jersey fabric, and here's the outcome:

The dress has a few simple parts - a circle skirt, a waist band, and two long straps - that are all sewn together. Here's what it looks like:

I've been experimenting with it, and there are literally dozens of ways to wear it.

If you're dying to make your own convertible dress, here are the instructions I used. The whole project took about 2 hours, and cost a grand total of $15.

Pillowcase Apron

What do you get when you combine an old Ikea pillowcase, a sewing machine, some ribbon, and a few hours of free time?

An apron for the fashion-savvy housewife! I call this number "Hipster Mod for the Kitchen Broad." Cook with flair! Cook with attitude!

The project took about two hours from start to finish, and I was quite pleased with the result. So pleased, in fact, that I wore it around the house for a few hours. And I wasn't even cooking. The apron joins my ever-growing collection of reconstructed sewing projects - like this skirt-turned-top, this long-sleeved-shirt-turned-halter-top and this dish-towel-turned-hand-bag.

I would have posted some instructions, but I actually made it up as I went. Because, quite frankly, working with patterns annoys me. Seriously, one can handle only so much cutting and pinning and measuring before one's head explodes.

Also, I still have the other half of the pillowcase, so I might make another apron at some point in the near future. Could a contest giveaway on the blog be coming in the near future??? Quite possibly!

Farewell until next time, dear readers. I'm going to go prance around in my apron some more.

No Candy For You

Upside Down Man & Lucky Cat make their grand entrance.

We spent about three hours and $20 at Goodwill to create these masterpieces. That's how we roll. More photos from Halloween here.

True to form, we had to do our annual crap-we-forgot-to-buy-candy-for-the-kids routine. Some lucky kids received the Godiva chocolate that I got as a gift last week, while the not-so lucky ones got the banana Laffy Taffies that have been sitting in a bowl on our coffee table for a month because they're the reject flavor.

Speaking of trick-or-treaters, I believe that our neighborhood attracts an inordinate amount of "trick-or-treaters" with no costume. Is it just me, or is that lame and undeserving of my delicious candy? I was tempted to withhold candy from the trick-or-cheaters, but their moms were there and they looked like they could beat me up. Moreover, there were at least three different people who were over the age of 50 (I'm not kidding), and who were NOT dressed in costume, who came to the door. At first I thought these folks were bringing their kids (or grandkids) to get candy, but that changed when they stood there sans children, holding out their plastic bags expectantly.

Me: Um, where's your costume? And aren't you a little too old to be doing this, anyway?
Old Dude: (shrugs shoulders) Hehe.

After deciding it would be simpler to just give some candy to Old Dude, he walked away saying, "See you next year!" How wrong is that?

Tell me, what's been your most creative Halloween costume?

Dish Towel Bag

It is ridiculously hot here in LA. I have had five glasses of water in the last hour, and I am pretty sure all of it has already sweat out of my pores.

I was bored this past weekend, so I made this bag out of two dish towels.

It has pockets, and is reversible! Reversible anything makes me happy. I made the bag without any pattern, so it's not the most precise sewing project. I have no patience for using patterns - they take FOREVER, and are way too meticulous for those of us with little attention span. Because of that, though, my sewing projects are all probably destined to end up as rejects at Goodwill at some point. Oh well.

Now please excuse me while I go sit in a bathtub of ice cubes.

The Scissors, the Stitch & the Wardrobe*

Another clothing reconstruction! This past weekend I took a nasty purple long-sleeve shirt that I found on the Old Navy clearance rack for $3, and made it into a halter top (that can be worn multiple ways).


Why this new obsession with reconstructing old clothes? This is due, in part, to Steve and I nixing the purchase of any new clothes from our budget. It has been a good discipline in simple living for us, but the little fashionista inside me has needed an outlet. So I've taken to rummaging through my closet for things to tear apart, re-envision, and sew back together. And presto! I have new, fun summer-y things to wear. Plus it beats spending $59 at Urban Outfitters.

*Forgive me for the corny title. I've been reading The Chronicles of Narnia in my spare time.

The Master Cleanse - Day 8

I am pretty ready to be done with the Cleanse. I only drank about 1/2 of my usual 8 cups of lemonade. After eight straight days of that stuff, it's beginning to look completely unappetizing. But we're nearing the home stretch, thank goodness.

In other news, I was busy all afternoon turning this skirt...



...into this.



It took about 3 1/2 hours (and lots of work with my seam ripper) to complete. Yay for reconstructing old clothes!