not my style shoes ==> cute shoes

It is amazing what a little black fabric paint can do to some canvas ballet flats. Happy Mother’s day to ME!

ugly coat==>cuter coat

My "frugal" Sister-in-Law picked up this warm dress coat from a thrift store. It has a fabulous wool zip in liner and at $14, I know she couldn't help but get it to take to the mission field. It fits her well (this is me modeling and it's way too big), but it's just really dowdy. We decided to cut a foot off the bottom (the "before" pic is after that. Seriously, this thing practically touched the floor. Not a good thing if you are walking in snow) and used that material and black fleece to make the plaque, then added some chunky buttons. The plaque was created to make it look like it's double breasted, even though it isn't.  If I had the time before she left for Tulsa, I would have taken the cuffs off the sleeves and affixed them to the shoulders. I also made a fleece hat to go with it, but it ended up fitting the kids better than my sister. Quality photography by my 5 year old.

tunic==>skirt

I just went through my closet and pulled out a bunch of clothes that don't look good on me anymore (part of my FLYing). I stuffed them in a box, and while I *should* have put them in the car straightaway headed for goodwill, I just couldn't do it. Here the box still sits. I've rifled through it, my mind reeling over all the things I could turn them into. I've read many a blog post lately on refashioning, and it was time for my tunic. I found it at a yard sale, saved from the 70's, it's that awesome polyester knit that never dies. I wore it a lot because I like the fabric so much, but even though it did nothing for my figure, I just didn't want to see it go. The oldest also liked the fabric, so to her it goes as a new skirt. Inspired by this skirt and these pockets, I accomplished my task by  using the stretch of the knit instead of elastic for the waistband. I LOVE the way it turned out.

T-shirt hack: peasant top

I saw this tutorial by Obsessively Stitching and fell in love with how easy this is! I cut off the collar and the bottom of the sleeve, stitched around the top with some elastic thread and voila! I resurrected an old t-shirt that I never wore anymore! If you don't have a serger to finish the edges, you can also fold the edge under and encase elastic. Elastic thread is really simple to work with, just wind it by hand onto a bobbin without stretching it, and use it as you would a normal bobbin. The only thing I would have done different is making the collar cut just barely over the shoulder seam, and cutting the sleeve off just over the sleeve seem. The shoulders on this are on the skinny side for my taste. AND, I would not have cleaned up the bacon grease on my griddle after I made this either. Thirty minutes after my 6 year old took this photo, I got a three inch splat of bacon grease right in the middle of the shirt. I think that the baby "helping" me had something to do with it. And I also think that the stain finally came out in the last washing. Maybe I can wear this out in public now!