Blue & White

 Hello Readers. Look at this blue and white dress. I love blue and white. It is simple, classic, calming... My house is almost all blue and white. When I saw this blue and white dress I thought it was fabulous. 

Before and after.

It didn't seem to close well. But I thought it could be a cute jacket style layer.

I found these marks after I brought it home. I was disappointed. 

I had to cut the dress off. It was going to be a tie-front top. 

The dress had a fabric belt attached around the waist so I could use that to make ties.

I made a bunch of short ties. 

I measured to make sure that the ties were placed evenly on the front of the shirt. 

I sewed the ties to the inside of the front of the shirt. 

I was glad I could still wear this and I liked how the ties turned out. 

The top is a nice second layer as the weather gets a little bit cooler. Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself.

Loungewear From A Dress

 Hello Readers. I found this dress at a clothes swap and it was new with tags. I liked the stripes but I wasn't sure what I wanted to make with this dress. A skirt and top? Lounge pants? I decided to cut out a top and see how much fabric was leftover. 

Before and after.

What could I make from this? It took me a little while to figure it out. 

I had some navy blue elastic that could match if I needed it. 

I wanted a sleeveless top from the dress. I used this red shirt as a guide. That was cut out in no time. 

I used my serger to sew the shirt together.

I cut out some loose shorts because it was clear that I did not have enough fabric to make pants and a skirt just wasn't feeling right. 

 

I sewed the shorts with the right sides facing each other. I was going to need that elastic.

I added an elastic waistband to the shorts. 

Did I make pajamas? Lounge wear? I am not even sure but I wore this outside to walk the dog. 

I liked my new outfit but Gordon the Dog didn't seem to have an opinion either way. Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself.

Jeans From Scraps

 Hello Readers. You know I like to cut up, remake, and refashion clothing. That leaves me with a lot of scraps and leftover pieces. What do I do with them? I try to put them together in a new way.

Before and after. 

I had the front of these jeans leftover from a past project. 

I found this pair of jeans at a thrift store for less than a dollar. They were so torn up that the store priced them low. I cut the waistband off for a project that I never actually did. So with these pieces could I make a complete pair of jeans. 

I decided to cut the front of the light blue jeans off. The holes in these jeans were so big that they wouldn't be warm enough in winter. I am trying to prepare for the coming colder weather. Sort of like a bear preparing for hibernation. 

I put the right sides of the jeans together and sewed the inner leg seams first. I matched up the center crotch seam to make sure they were lined up. Then I sewed the jeans together. 

I sewed the back of the waistband on the back piece of jeans. 

I sewed the front waistband in between the front and back pieces of jeans. I sewed the sides together. I started at the waist and ended down at the ankles. I wasn't sure if the pant legs were exactly the same length so I started at the waistband and figured I could hem the pant leg lengths later.

I stitched the light blue waistband to the front of the dark jean piece. I didn't need to do this to wear the jeans but I wanted to add the waistband for fun. 

I have worn them a couple times and I like the two tones of blue together. They are comfortable because they have some stretch to them and because I made sure they were a little roomy in case I eat a big pasta dinner. I think looser styles of jeans are supposed to be in style and I am all for it. I want to be as comfy as possible. Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself.

Make Press-On Nails Last

 Hello Readers. I love the look of a manicure but I don't want to pay for a manicure every week or 2. (I also don't like to have people handle my hands like that. That is a personal issue though.) I like to use the inexpensive press-on nails from the drug store. But will they stay on? I have found a method that gets me 10 days of wear or more. Let me show you how I do it. 

Let's make these nails stay put!

 

 When you open the package this is what you will find. The nails have adhesive on them. (I don't want to deal with messy glue so I don't use that type of nails.) There is a little direction pack that has an orange stick, an alcohol pad, and a small emery board.

 

I cut my nails as short as I can. The shorter the nails are the better the fake nails stay on for me. I don't cut so short that it hurts, I just trim as short as is comfortable.
 

I try to do my nails after a shower so that my hands are clean and my cuticles are soft and ready to be pushed back. I don't really use the included orange stick. 

I like this larger rounded cuticle stick. (Similar here.) I think this round shape is easier to use and fits the shape of the cuticle better. 

 

The little emery board is cute but honestly, I don't use it either. 

 

I like to used this 100 grit emery board. It is rougher than the little pink one. I can use it on the ends of my nails.

I use it to gently rough up the whole surface of each nail. 

I admit that it doesn't look great at this point. It is sort of a mess at this stage. The rough nail surface really seems to adhere to the press-on nail much better than a smooth nail surface. 

Now it is time for the alcohol pad. I use this one or a cotton pad with rubbing alcohol would be fine. It is just to rub off the dust from all that filing and it removes any natural oils, moisturizer, creams and such from your nails. 

I just wipe the nails and that's it. 

Now, it is time to just wait. If you just washed your hands, or showered or had any moisture in your nails it will cause the adhesive to fail. The nails need to air dry for at least an hour. 

It is time to apply the press-on nails. I peel the plastic cover off the underside of the nails.

If the nail is a bit rough at the tip, I just file it a little.

That is it. My nails are done and will stay put really well. 

I try to wear gloves when I clean because I think the chemicals are not good for my skin and because I think cleaning chemicals seem to dissolve the adhesive in the nails. 

I also wear latex gloves if I am gardening and dirt would get into the little nooks and crannies around my nails.

 Usually I just go about my day and don't really worry about my nails or give them special treatment. They really stay on well. Thanks for reading along

 

 

 

 

 

Removing the Hood From My Hoodie

*Update - Hello Readers. It's time for an update. This was simple refashion but it is one of my most popular posts. The hood on this jacket was heavy and made the jacket uncomfortable. The hood became a collar. Easy-Peasy!
*Originally Posted-4/5/16 Hello Readers. My project today is a hood removal. I liked this jacket that was handed down to me, but the hood was way too heavy. The hood is lined nicely but the material weighed it down and it pulled the jacket down in the back. This caused the front neckline to ride up. I felt like I was being choked when I wore it. So, I never wore it.

I saw a post that gave me the idea to change it. It was written by a woman named Saga. You can read the post by Saga, here.  She altered a child's hoodie for safety reasons and I wanted to pass them along. She gives details and measurements that make this an easy alteration. (Thanks Saga!)

You can see where I cut my hood off at the same angle as the neckline of the jacket. I used my hubby's sweatshirt collar as a straight edge.

I left a little extra for the seam allowance.

*I tucked the fabric in and stitched it down. 

I tried to pop the collar so it would be more visible. It looks pretty dorky. The top picture is best at showing how nice it looks. I like the red collar and how it matches the exposed red seams all over this jacket.

*Did y'all pop your collar back in the day?

Thanks for reading. Now go make something fun for yourself.