Blog — New Dress A Day

49 Days to Go: Eleanor's NDAD Creation

OK, I'm utterly and totally obsessed with Eleanor's creation today.  I've used different fabrics and tied them into tops, but this is just brilliant!

I recently moved to South Africa from the UK and my sewing machine was sitting in a box being shipped for the last two months until I was reunited with it last week! I was so excited that I got to work straight away!  Sadly South Africa isn't really known for its charity shops (not that I've discovered yet anyway), but as I was unpacking boxes, I realised that I have a lot of things that I don't really wear as they are. One of them was a pashmina I was given as a gift from some girls I tutored, which they brought back from a trip to Pakistan. I LOVED the pashmina exactly as it was, but for some reason just never seemed to wear it.

New Dress A Day - DIY - E's Pashmina - 49

So I decided now was the time to set to work on it.

Let's see what Eleanor did!!

I cut it in half length-ways (the other half is still large enough to wear as a scarf, so even if this went horribly wrong I wouldn't have burnt my bridges entirely), folded the piece in half with right sides facing, sewed about half way up each side from the open end, hemmed, and then just sort of wrapped the top part round my neck.

New Dress A Day - DIY - Upcycled Pashmina - 49

After adding a couple of poppers at the neck and playing with the back to get the drape right, I'm really happy with the result!  I love that the neck still has a scarf-y kind of look to it so that you can tell that that's what it used to be.

New Dress A Day - DIY - Upcycled Pashmina - Back View - 49

The only problem were the tiny studs that were dotted all over the patterned part of the material – they broke 2 of my needles before I realised I needed to tackle it a bit more carefully!

New Dress A Day - DIY - Studs That Broke Eleanor's Needles - 49

I've been reading your blog for ages but have only just got round to attempting something - thanks for your creativity and inspiration!

Thank you for sharing your awesome piece Eleanor!  So perfect for the hot weather, but it would look rockin' underneath a fitted tux or blazer in the fall too.  I can't wait to rethink some of the pashminas in my collection now, thanks to you Miss E!!

50 Days to Go: Dear Amazon...

The holiday weekend is upon us!  I got a most awesome email that I had to share today.  It came from Amazon.com.  No, it wasn't from someone in particular there, but a lovely little newsletter suggesting books that I'd like. This is what I received, via a screen capture...

New Dress A Day - DIY - Amazon Email - Day 50

Amazon, you recommended me my book - New Dress a Day: The Ultimate DIY Guide to Creating Fashion Dos from Thrift-Store Don'ts - which means one thing. You know me VERY well. OK, actually two things. You have excellent taste. What a treat receiving this in my inbox today!! Woo!!!!

I felt it fitting to post as the unofficial "end of summer" goes down this weekend and fall is right around the corner.  Let's be honest, I was super giddy too!

What's on tap for everyone this weekend?  Who has already taken off?  Who's in town?  Who's working?  I'll be here in LA partaking in many wedding festivities, which I'll keep y'all afloat of via photo documentation on Instagram, and getting upcoming projects all set!!  Hoping to get a little bit of college football and garage sale-ing in too :)

Wishing everyone a happy, restful, and long weekend!  xo

51 Days to Go: Copycat - Zac Posen

It's been a wedding-y year for me and there's a few more around the corner (one this weekend!), so today is partially wedding themed.  You'll see in a hot second.  (PS, get ready for wedding week...it's coming soon!!!) New Dress A Day - DIY - bridesmaid dress - Zac Posen Copycat

First off, I was completely inspired by Reese Witherspoon's amazing Zac Posen dress she wore to the How Do You Know? premiere last December and knew I could remake it!

Zac-Posen-Spring-2011-Look-9

Remake it with something from my own closet...my black tea length bridesmaid dress from the wedding of one of my BFFs!!  In lieu of a silly before pic, I'm giving you actual, legitimate, wedding action shots circa 2007.

New Dress A Day - DIY - Bridesmaid Dress - Me & J - 51

We all wore a champagne sash at our waist and were able to tie it in different ways!

New Dress A Day - DIY - Bridesmaid Dress - Aisle - 51

J really picked easy dresses for us all to wear and it's one that has been in my closet for the past few years!  I've lent it out and now felt it was time to bring it back into my rotation!!

New Dress A Day - DIY - Bridesmaid Dress - BW - 51

Fun before shots today, eh??

I decided to match the pink metallic ribbon on Reese's dress with some ribbon of my own!  I went to the fabric store and snagged some organza ribbon - I loved the iridescent nature of it which really gives a similar metallic feel.

New Dress A Day - DIY - Bridesmaid Dress - Ribbon - 51

Before ribbon application, I got to bring back my signature move!!!

PINCH TIME!!

New Dress A Day - DIY - Bridesmaid Dress - Pinch! - 51

CINCH TIME!!

New Dress A Day - DIY - Bridesmaid Dress - Cinched with a Safety Pin - 51

Now that the top of my dress was now matching Reese's sweetheart neck, it was time to attach the ribbon!  I started pinning it directly to the dress, following the shaping of Reese's.

New Dress A Day - DIY - Bridesmaid Dress - Ribbon Affixing - 51

I had my computer next to me with Reese's picture up on the screen to match while I was being a ribbon artist!!  And now that I've said ribbon artist, it totally reminds me of Subway's title for their crafty sandy makers, sandwich artists.

New Dress A Day - DIY - bridesmaid dress - Sandwich Artist

(FYI, if I worked at Subway, guaranteed the honey mustard sauce and other assorted condiments would be doodled in ocean waves and flowers on those subs!  Also, your subs would take me 7 minutes to complete, but who's in a rush?)

New Dress A Day - DIY - Bridesmaid Dress - Pinned Ribbon Up Top - 51

I had the top of my dress complete and then finished the bottom half!  It was fun swirling the ribbon to copy the texture in the inspiration dress!

New Dress A Day - DIY - Bridesmaid Dress - Pinned Ribbon at Waist - 51

Now that all my ribbon was secured with pins, I began the hand stitching process!  Because I didn't want to spend 12 hours sewing, I just sewed sections of the ribbon.  A stitch at the top, a stitch in the middle, a stitch where the ribbon twists, etc.  I was strategic with my placement just to make sure all the artistry of the ribbon stayed intact.  You know, staying true to the ribbon art :)

New Dress A Day - DIY - Bridesmaid Dress - Hand Sewin - 51

After a little over an hour, my dress was complete!!

New Dress A Day - DIY - Bridesmaid Dress - After Dress - 51

I'm totally feeling like Reese!

how-do-I-know-premiere-Reese Witherspoon LA DEC13 photo kevin winter-getty- socialitelife

It was pretty cool to repurpose this dress a second time!!

New Dress A Day - DIY - Bridesmaid Dress - ECU - 51

The first time I wore this dress, I caught the bouquet...

New Dress A Day - DIY - Bridesmaid Dress - Bouquet Catch - 51

...and wasn't even trying.  Seriously, I was trying to avoid it, but it just fell into my hands.  Swear.