From 1980's to 2013 LBD Transformation

Evening all, I hope that this week is being good to you.
 
Just a quick mid-week catch-up.  Its been a busy week, Easter holidays and a day trip to Manchester.  But there is always room for a quick customisation.  This one took 2 hours and gets the rating of EASY. 


 

Another Oxfam find.  £5.99 for a Japanese silk dress.  With potential.

 

 Beautiful shoulder drape detail with black glass buttons.

 

 

Getting to work with the stitch ripper and off come the arms!  I will save these for another project.

 

 

Different camera filter.  Arms completed, handstitched. 

 

 

Waisted and Belted

 

 

I think I'm turning Japanese :)

 

 

Close up of the front

 

 

Closeup of the back

 

 

Its my birthday next week so I think that this dress deserves a special night out!

 

I am off to catch-up on The Great British Sewing Bee!  Have you been watching it?

 

 

Till next time,

Christine x

 

G

 

 

 

 

 

 

From Country to Catwalk: Re-styling the Aran cardigan

A spring time Saturday morning has sprung and I am enjoying a welcomed visit to Scotland, and a day trip to Edinburgh. 

Ireland and Scotland have many things in common, landscape, weather, humour and of course...lots of sheep.  Both countries are famous for their tweeds, Harris in Scotland, and Donegal in Ireland to name the most famous ones. 

We have just literally stepped out of winter and into spring, but the winter woolies are still our wardrobe staple for the next few weeks.  The arrival of spring brings the new lambs who will over their lifetime provide the fleece to be spun and knitted into our woolies.  And so the circle of life spins round and round.

I love wool, but I can see this blog going off in a tangent already so I am bringing myself back to the Aran knit.  This link brings you over the the West coast of Ireland, the Aran Islands to explore the History of Aran knitting.  I will blog a dedicated post to the Aran knit at a later date.

This is one I found unloved in a charity shop for £5.  They are priceless to me.

This picture is after I had removed a worn zip.  I don't have a fondness for zips on aran cardigans so it had to go.  The cardigan needed updating.  Heres what happened next....

The ribbed collar was cut off and again, inspired by Chanel I made it into a corsage.  Binding it in a  salmon coloured soft leather.

Adding a centrepiece pearl button.  I also bound the front and neckline with leather.

Wrapped a plaited pink suede belt around the waist to complete the transformation!

What happened next....

I spotted this fabulously frilly skin toned dress in our local Oxfam and knew that it would work great with my new cardi / Chanel style soft jacket.

Not forgetting the shoes of course!

I added a pair of clip-on pearl earrings to the front of my shoes.  I had bought these when I dressed up as Marilyn in the Seven Year Itch.  (another blog post perhaps!!)

The finished look, ready for summertime to come.

Now off to get the bus to Edinburgh and enjoy the cobbled streets, vintage shops and pottering about!!  Happy weekend everyone. 

Christine xx