September 13, 2015

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New Dress A Day Goes to Japan!

September 13, 2015

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Hi friends! So sorry for the LONG hiatus from blogging - I've been in Japan!!

It's been such an amazing time so far and I wanted to share some of the photos. Back to regularly scheduled dressmaking/DIY programming this week!

I've been splitting my time between Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka with day trips to Kobe, Nara, and Himeji and it's been such an incredible experience. This is my first time to Japan, so I'm going a bit crazy stopping and OMG-ing every five minutes!

I mean...

...I literally found where magic began, at the Arishyama Bamboo Forest. Words cannot describe the beauty.

I've been flea marketing when it hasn't been pouring down...

New Dress A Day - Japan - Vintage Kimonos

...and the kimonos have been spectacular. I couldn't resist...

There have been 5 am sushi stops for some of the best scallops I've ever tasted...

New Dress A Day - Japan - Tsukiji Market

...and TONS of photos in front of the coolest things I've ever seen. You make a big version of a dessert and you've got a #1 fan in me! Who doesn't want that waffle-y thing topped in ice cream?

The castles. The views. The views from castles. I've been speechless on this trip more than I have in my entire life.

And, the food. Oooooh weeeeeeeee, the food. How about freshly grilled seafood on skewers topped in a soy reduction glaze? *dead*.

What's a trip to Japan without a stop to see this cat. (PS, for more Japan pics, head over to Instagram!)

I can't wait to share more and get back onto a blogging routine. I already have a pin board of projects I want to start working on once I'm back. Stay tuned!!

August 9, 2015

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Outfit Remakes

Remake: Ivory Romper

August 9, 2015

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Outfit Remakes

You. Guys. I was working in Orange County last month with I Love to Create and Joann's getting my tie dye on with shoppers, and I stopped at a sample sale on the way home.

First thing's first. I LOVE myself a sample sale. It's the one place where you can get your hands on more expensive branded gear for wayyyyyyy less than retail. This sale was at the Dainty Hooligan warehouse in Anaheim and I took advantage of the $1 bin that housed a ton of "damaged" items! I'm going to show you all the pieces I scored for a buck this week that I transformed into new, non-"damaged" items that look like they came right off the rack!

First piece I scored, this fab romper:

Romper - Dainty Hooligan - New Dress A Day

I couldn't find the exact one on the site, however I found something similar for $42.50.

So, I'd say I got a steal! But, the downside was that there were spots EVERYWHERE!

There's a spot...

...and there's a spot...

...and there's another few spots!!

So, what do you do when you're stuck with a slew of spots on an ivory romper???

You know what to do. When in doubt, DYE IT OUT!

Keep reading to find out what color I went with...

Into a bath of glorious dye this romper went! After a quick roll in the dryer, my romper was a gorg shade of cornflower blue!!

What I should have planned for was a bit of shrinkage even drying my new piece on low. So, note to self...air dry when there are no tags on a romper from a sample sale.

I LOVED the color!

Look how fab the crochet trim turned out too!

My shoes were a steal of a score at Goodwill in Austin. Brand new Juicy Couture for $6.99. Holler!

The before and after action below:

Because it was a little too short to wear out, I shot these lovely pics at home without worrying about flashing people in public. However, tomorrow...see how I made it public facing!

Check out the easiest little fix for when you end up shrinking your garments in 24 hours.

July 20, 2015

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Remake: White Vintage Jumpsuit

July 20, 2015

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Hi friends! The reveal has finally arrived. This lovely white jumpsuit has gotten a bit of a makeover :)

It started off a bit too tight (merm, not comfortable in certain areas fo sho!!) and it just wasn't something that I was going to want to wear in the current state.

I pumped myself up, did some kicks...

(I always think of Molly Shannon and her SNL, Sally O'Malley sketch)

...and got this jumpsuit ready to be DIY'd.

After taking in color thoughts from you guys, I created a dye bath for a handful of cotton/polyester pieces with a mix of RIT Peacock Blue and Emerald. My piece isn't shown below in the dryer, but it's amazing to see how the different pieces took to the color.

I began the deconstruction next and started off by cutting off the legs of the jumpsuit!

This didn't last in shorts mode very long.

I opened up the crotch area and removed all the seams keeping the legs together.

With the entire bottom of the piece open, it was time to create my skirt!

I took the left and right side of the piece and created a center seam down the front and back, bringing all the fabric together to create a flat front and back.

I stitched my new seams and created a brand new hem along the bottom of the piece.

We started off looking much different than this, didn't we?

The color was more of a turquoise shade which I loved. It's super summery and really a fab contrast with the black trim.

Love the crossed back!

Any of the slight discolorations from earlier are now gone and hidden by this gorg new shade.

I took my outfit to wine country with me because making multiple stops at vineyards calls for a comfort. When you've got pockets, you've got comfort...if you ask me!

I got every last sip of that tasting. (This vineyard, Jada, had the loveliest wine/cheese pairing as well. I could live on cheese. Le sigh.)

Oh and this shot assisted in the little hole below my arm in the above shot. I put my arm up and, tearrrrrrrrrrrr. Luckily I always try to carry a little emergency kit with me so safety pins saved the day!