closet overhaul

lapis skirt from 99 cent sale

Last week’s trip to the 99 cent sale did not disappoint. I found a ton of clothes for me! I spent just under $25 if that gives you any indication of how much stuff I brought home. It was all good stuff, too. A really nice Eddie Bauer dress, a couple of skirts, a few sweaters and a ton of shirts. It’s a good thing, too, because a lot of my shirts were starting to look like they’ve been worn by the mother of an (almost) four year old.

I had good luck with size, especially since I didn’t try on anything at the store. It was a madhouse and the lines for the fitting rooms were crazy. Only two shirts that I bought need to be re-donated.

When I got home, I had to face some things in my closet. Not only did a lot of my shirts need the heave-ho, but there were other things I needed to put behind me, like clothing that was too small. It was hard coming to grips with the fact that even as I lose weight, my 40 year old body just isn’t the same shape as my 30 year old body. Also, I had to take care of some items that had sentimental value. Do I really need to take a trip down memory lane every time I walk into my closet? No.

Two big trash bags of clothes left my closet while my new duds took a spin in the washer and they are headed up to the People’s City Mission this week. I went through my stack of refashioning-to-do and weeded out a few things, too.

It feels good to only have clothes that I know will fit and will look nice. It was hard work, though. Some silly emotional decisions, a lot of trying things on, and too many loads of laundry. I’ve also renewed my interest in what’s my refashion pile and will have some things to post here on the blog soon!

thrifting: The above Lapis skirt is one of my favorite finds. I think it will look great in both late Summer with flats and into the Fall with boots.

thrifty thursday

It’s that time of year again: Neat Repeatz. I feel like there was even more clothing to go through than years past. I’m so glad I went while my daughter was in school or I might have come home with a lot more dresses!

red white and blue dress

She loved everything I bought, but these are my two favorite. I almost put the red dress back on the rack, and she told me that it’s her favorite. So glad I decided to get it!

red strawberry dress

thrifting: This is such an overwhelming event, but I’m always glad I go. I looked at both 4T and 5T sizes. Hopefully, everything will fit my string bean!

crafty retreat

crafty retreat

I spent this weekend thrifting and crafting and it was lovely! My friend Kaitlyn of Owl People organized a getaway at a local bed and breakfast for those of us who needed some time away from home to concentrate on our work.

crafty retreat

Before the event, Kelly of refibered and I met up for some early morning thrifting. (I think Goodwill’s 99 cent sale has officially become a standing date for us.) Then we headed over to the B&B for an afternoon and evening filled with creativity. So many crafts were represented: crochet, cross stitch, sewing, scrapbooking, decoupage, floral arranging. The next morning, Kelly and I checked out a Flea Market/Antiques Show before heading home.

This was such a great idea and everyone who attended insisted this be a biannual event. I know I’ll definitely be attending again!

thrifty find: crochet blanket

handmade thrifted crochet blanket

I miss posting about my thrifty finds, but there aren’t as many during the winter months. Most of my great scores come from church and garage sales, which generally happen in the spring and summer. Last week I went to Goodwill’s 99 cent sale looking for clothing and never expected to come home with this handmade blanket. It matches our walls, couch and carpet perfectly. And it is so warm! Just in time for another snowstorm.

The wooden tray on the ottoman was also a thrifty find from a few months ago, still with the tag! We don’t have a coffee table in this room, so we use it to hold drinks (and popcorn!) when we snuggle in front of the television.

thrifting: Blanket cost $6. Kind of expensive for me, but it’s just so perfect. Tray was $2.

how to sew a remote control pillow in five easy steps

I’m not sure why I’ve had pillows on my mind. Maybe because the sun has been hiding behind the clouds for too many days to count? Maybe it’s because I’ve been feeling under the weather? Maybe it’s because the holidays are fast approaching and I need some gift ideas for the guys in my life? Whatever the reason, I’ve been having fun. These are really easy. I know you’ll have fun, too.

remote control pillow

Notes

  • Remote Control Pillow v 2.0 is for those who only have one tv remote or are using a universal remote for all of their equipment. If you need a multi-pocket pillow, check out my Remote Control Pillow v 1.0 pattern.
  • Most likely, your pocket will have to be flipped and moved to accommodate a remote control. If your shirt doesn’t have a pocket, you can easily make one out of the sleeve or a contrasting scrap fabric. Be creative! Try a denim pocket from a pair of jeans.
  • Some men’s shirts don’t have buttons past the belt line. You can take one from the collar or cuff and stitch it on the band.
  • If you are using a smaller shirt, simply use a smaller pillow form. I usually sew the cover 1″ smaller than the pillow form size so the final pillow will be nice and firm.

denim pocket men's shirt pillow

Materials
1 – large men’s button shirt with pocket
1 – 18″ pillowform
seam ripper
matching thread

Step 1
With the shirt buttoned, cut a 17 1/2″ square out of the front of the shirt. Cut another 17 1/2″ square out of the back of the shirt.

Step 2
Carefully remove the pocket using a seam ripper. Spritz shirt with water and steam press to close up any holes. Reposition the pocket and topstitch in place.

Optional Step 3
If your holes don’t close, if you accidentally rip your fabric, or you are using a shirt like corduroy and the nap won’t fluff back up, you’ll need a patch. Just cut a square from the sleeve and topstitch it over the original area.

Step 4
Lay the pieces together right sides together and sew around the whole square with a 1/4″ seam allowance. Make sure to undo one or two buttons before sewing so you can turn it right side out afterward.

Step 4
Clip your corners, turn right side out and press.

Step 5
Insert your pillow form and button it up!

affordable decorative pillow button down shirt

This is an easy way to make decorative pillows, too. If you go to Goodwill on 99 cent day, this becomes a really affordable project. Plus, they organize their clothes by color, which makes it easy to find shirts that match your fabric. I used a little less than a fat quarter of fabric for the decorative pillow.

home decor pillow on a budget

recycle: Before you head out to the thrift store, check your own closet. All three of these shirts came from my husband. In fact, I have him trained now to ask me first before donating any of his clothes!

wardrobe refashion: trying to keep my pledge

I made a deal with myself that I was going to lose some weight before fall. I didn’t want to have to go out and buy new clothes just because the ones in my closet didn’t fit. I was doing really good until vacation. Pretty much all of the weight I lost at the end of the summer came back home with me on the plane. When we landed, there was snow on the ground. I couldn’t put it off any longer. I had to buy some new pants.

My wardrobe refashion pledge actually made me feel like this process would be easier. At a thrift store, you’ve got all kinds of brands and sizes on the same rack. I figured I would have a better chance at finding something than at a single brand store. I was wrong. It took 3 different stores and trying on about 20-30 different pairs at each store, to find one pair of jeans and two pairs of corduroys that fit.

Although this was harder work than just heading over to the mall, I feel much better with the quality of clothing I bought. Those capris that I complained about last spring barely lasted the season. I am not about to put that much time and effort into clothes that don’t last.

So why am I having a hard time trying to keep my pledge?
I know that if I walked into The Gap and found a pair of pants that fit perfectly, I’d have to buy a pair in every style and color. Seriously. And I won’t lie to you. I’ve been saving my Get out of Refashionista Jail Free card just in case. Pants that fit well make or break how someone looks, in my opinion. I can look past ratty sneakers or a worn t-shirt any day, but I can’t be busting out of my jeans. I just can’t.

What about you?
Are you fed up with the lack of consistent sizing in women’s clothing? Do brand new clothes last more than one season for you? Am I the only one who gets this darn frustrated over a pair of pants?

my new laptop sleeve

I knew I’d have to do some work on our trip to the beach and I had given my Timbuk2 bag to my husband when he got his new computer. He has made it clear that my Timbuk2 belongs to him now, so I had to come up with something else. I decided to sew my own laptop sleeve and bag. First, I started with the sleeve:

quilted laptop case

The fabric was an upholstery remnant that was already striped and quilted. I used some bias tape to enclose the raw edges before I sewed on the zipper and I serged the inside seams.

quilted laptop case

I love fabric that comes with the hard stuff already finished. No patchwork or quilting was needed for this project, but it looks kind of fancy, don’t you think?

stash: The remnant came from the east campus textile sale. Zipper and bias tape from the thrift store.

project to do: beach blanket to go

amanda soule mama handmade home beach blanket to go

Have you read Amanda Soule’s new book Handmade Home? I love all of her projects, but the Beach Blanket to Go really got my attention. I’m going to a beach wedding in October and have been wondering what to make for a gift. I think this will be perfect! I’m going to add a label that marks the date and place, too.

Finding the bedspread and sheet for this project was like a little bit of crafty kismet. Friday morning I was searching vintage fabric on ebay and put a red bedspread exactly like the one above in my watched items list. That evening, I headed out to a few thrift stores to see what I could find. I wasn’t planning to go to the store where I found these, but I felt a pull toward that direction.

I decided to follow my instincts and was shocked to see the same exact bedspread that I had bookmarked earlier that day. What’s more, this sheet was right next to it on the rack. I opened them both up and they were in excellent condition. It was almost as if they were destined to become this blanket. Now all I have to do is figure out my binding and put it all together.

Do you ever get that thrifty feeling? Like something is pulling you to a particular store because the exact thing you are looking for is there?