Remake: Red Velour Nightgown

When you find a red velour nightgown on your thrifting adventures, you immediately think, "this is something 6-year-old me wore."

Seriously, this could be the adult version of my Christmas Eve jammy-jams.

I feel like it's my upcycling duty to make this piece work.

Because, there's lots of potential here.

Non-nightgown-y potential here, ya know?

I started by unzipping the zipper down to the lace trim.

The neckline is going to be a bit different - we don't need all that velour up there!

The collar got trimmed, er, removed and the lace is going to be a lovely guide to creating a new neckline!

Post-neck tweaks came the sleeve adjustment. I got a little scissor happy and snipped off the sleeves, past the elbows.

Some pinning and stitching came next to make this short-sleeved!

I wanted to make this fit better, so I took in the body a few inches. Less billowy, overall :)

I had dinner plans with friends, so I wore my new piece with black chunky flat sandals and my vintage purse.

Using a mix of modern and vintage accessories, the former nightgown feels much more "wear out in public" now.

I arrived just in time for the most magical sunset.

It was a perfect balmy night with good friends, amazing food, and city lights in the background. If only every night could be this dreamy.

Ooh and I became BFFs with a telescope. Maybe I missed my calling?? (Actually, I definitely did NOT as I barely got through Freshman year ASTR 100 when the Physics element of the star-gazing got in my way. Science...not this girl's BFF.)

Yay for old nightgowns turning into fun and comfy new dresses!

Three cheers!!

Upcoming Outfits!

I've been playing around with a bunch of fun pieces that you'll see over the next few days!! This one looks like something that I would have worn when I was six as my nightgown. This is like the grown-up, adult version! PS, it's velour!!!

This one feels like I should be in Annie. You know, if Annie gets remade again and it's all adults playing the orphaned kids?

And this might be the piéce de resistance. HELLO, too big jumpsuit!!! The before shots that go along with this one are AMAZING. Just you wait...

All coming soon to a screen near you!! Stay tuned :)

Remake: Vintage White Nightgown

I felt a bit ambitious when I was away and thought that I could get away with making something fun with this top sans a sewing machine. It was a Goodwill find and the lightest, gauze-iest, cotton I've ever felt - super perfect to wear in a hot climate. I planned out my DIYs in advance and brought some tools along with me that's going to make this piece fah-bulous!!

Any thoughts on where I took this??

I met up with my concrete pal over by the outdoor shower and gave this top a bath.

Then came the rubber banding :) See where this is going??

I brought along some of ILovetoCreate's dye (they're awesome powder dyes that come in plastic bottles) and then filled them up with water before I got to playing. I didn't have to worry about any dye leaking in my suitcase using these guys, which make them perfect for on-the-go crafting. Blue, orchid, and green shades made the cut!

With my dyes set and my top rubber banded...

...I started adding color!! I added five rubber bands to the piece and matched the color from the outside going in, making a green/orchid/blue/orchid/green color combination.

Ready to add the blue!!

When I finished adding all of the color, I tossed the piece into a freezer Ziploc (smart move Maris, using that Ziploc bag that brought over your carry-on toiletries in.) and let it marinate.

I got some work done and consumed some Indonesian beer while the dye soaked.

I got a little pool time in while I waited...

And, I even hit the local flea market for some textile browsing while my piece was chillin'.

I ended up letting it veg overnight just to make the color super rich. When it was ready to exit the Ziploc, I thoroughly washed it in warm water until all the excess dye had come out and the water was running clear.

I let the piece dry in the sun (it was literally hanging over the balcony ledge...when in Bali...) before making some final tweaks!

There was a flower on the front of it that just screamed nightgown, so I removed it.

With the flower gone...

...I created a little pinch and cinch in the center of the lace portion...

...and had my new piece ready to go.

Unfortunately I shot my after pics at home because I wore this as a bikini cover-up and was in/near the water the whole time (blerg on leaving my phone at the room while on the beach) but, the pics are just as fun.

This totally works as a top with a dark cami or bra underneath! You can't even see how sheer it is anymore!

Didn't the colors turn out awesome? I love this combo - I want to use this as my bedroom decorating inspiration!!

I found some flowers that I matched...

...as well as someone's vehicle.

Not my car, but when it's parked on the street it's just fair game for me and my photos.

I think the owner of that teal car needs my shirt! Teal car owner in the mid-city area of Los Angeles - if you see this and recognize your lovely car as the backdrop of my photo, hit me up and I'll get you some tie dyed gloriousness to match yo ride!