Skies of Gray, Pants of Blue

Today was a gray day, but without the rain we so desperately need down here. Luckily, my pants were a cheery blue.  I've been working on turning clothes I own into clothes I wear and I've had these pants and cardigan for years.  I picked up the pants a few years ago on mega discount at Old Navy.  They are a nice medium weight but powder blue pants just didn't do much for me - especially with super wide flare.  Into the washer they went with some teal dye and out they came - Tiffany blue!  I love the new color, springy but not pastel. I stitched a straight leg and now I have some pants I'll actually wear.  

The cardigan is even older - I think I picked it up in 8th grade? I still wear it occasionally but thought it could be pepped up.  I picked up some polka-dot crepe fabric in the remnants bin and added ruffles to give a bit of romance to this wardrobe staple. A whole new outfit for less than $3?  You can't beat that!  I'm loving refashioning and I have one of just about every type of garment in my box - any great ideas?

Passion to Refashion

As part of my goal to purge every room in my house by next month, I recently took on my closet which was stuffed full of stuff that I wasn't wearing because it was too big or I just wasn't that into it.  I filled two huge Rubbermaid containers with clothes that are fine except for one or two tweaks.  For example, this navy pencil skirt was a pair of wide-leg shorts until I cut them open.  Straight seams down the front and pack and I have a skirt with pockets!

I bought two of these very light-weight cotton shirts in January 2010.  The other got a basic redo - taken in, sleeves shortened - but this was a little more in depth.  I wanted a shirt that was more casual, so I picked the stitches out of the collar to remove it. Then I took in the sides by a few inches and the arms by about an inch and cut the bottom hem straight across to give a more finished edge without having to tuck it in (bonus!).

I still wanted a shorter sleeve but I decided to add a little bit of interest by cutting off the shirt cuffs and rolling up the sleeves.  I went ahead and tacked them in place to make sure everything was secure and used the cuffs to create tabs.  They are just decorative, but I still really like this detail.

In addition to gaining tons of closet space, I organized my jewelry with this simple frame and chickenwire jewelry hanger.  My mom and I found these two frames at the Habitat Restore (look for one in your town - great prices on all sorts of construction and home goods and the proceeds benefit Habitat for Humanity!).  I painted them this bright blue and had a custom mirror cut for just $7 (please ignore the smudges).  I love the splash of color on my beige walls in my dark bedroom and I am wearing necklaces I had forgotten I even had.  I love getting organized.