Romper Lust

I have a thing with rompers. I really love them. They're everything a clothing item should be in the summertime--playful, minimal, slightly ridiculous. You can do a cartwheel in them. Unless, like me, you can't actually do a cartwheel without damaging your fragile 27-year-old wrists. In that case, don't even try. Instead, get yourself a romper, then throw a backyard barbecue to celebrate said romper and be the most appropriately dressed person at the event! If you have friends with young children attending your barbecue, be prepared to be out-rompered and out-sassed by those tots. That's OK. You can shine while sharing the spotlight. The little bitches. 

My romper love runs so deep that yesterday I actually went into a store and had a perfect romper put on hold so I could retrieve it after depositing my paycheck today. Then I went home and made myself a romper out of a frumpy thrift store dress. Then I still went back to the store today to buy the initial romper. 

Say "romper" again.

This is what I started with: an oversized 90s-ish frock made from a pretty turquoise material in that airy, slightly see-through fabric that I imagine an older woman who wears slips might wear regularly. 

Unfortunately I didn't take many photos of my process with the romper, because I felt like it might not come out and I didn't want to jinx it. Basically I cut the top and skirt apart from each other, then took in the top and cut off the sleeves. For the bottom, I used a pair of my shorts folded in half as a pattern to make two halves of the shorts, but I made them longer and flowier than the pattern shorts. Then I sewed together the two crotch parts--that part that sticks out when you fold a pair of shorts in half. From there it was easy to see where to sew up the butt and frontal seams. I messed up and sewed the last seam backwards, had to rip it out and then re-sew it. Learning!

I also sewed a sash piece in the waist because I thought the top was too short initially. Then I just sewed them together. Voila, romper!

This cat Ollie is an important part of my creative process and, as this photo makes clear, she loves me very much with all her kitty heart. 

If my penchant for sewing myself rompers and anthropomorphizing my cat's feelings didn't already clue you in to my special brand of badassery, then this final photo definitely will. I loved the weird button situation on top of the dress, but the white collar and everything made it look too "buttoned up" for my taste. Luckily, all those unnecessary buttons gave me plenty of options for buttoning the top wide open to then wear over a white camisole. 

Thrift Score Makeover

Last week a coworker turned me on to this amazing site: refashionista.net 
It's a lady who can turn even the most mindbogglingly misshapen and awkward thrift store finds into amazing, wearable clothes. I love it! I was inspired to do my own refashioning, so I hit Loaves & Fishes and found some dresses that were just begging for it. 

Like this one. 

I love the green and the multicolored graph paper design and the ruffled neckline, but the floppy bodice, sleeves and length were all pretty terrible. 

It also had ruffles on the ends of the puffy sleeves. The pirate look! My amateur modeling skills have really come out in this photo. This is my "drunken school marm" look. I started by cutting off those godawful pirate sleeves and some length. 

The waist was pretty ill-fitting on me. It was too low to be flattering with that puffy top, so I actually had to take it apart and sew the skirt on a little higher. It was a challenge to keep the elastic waistband intact, so I sewed just above it. I messed up once and created a bubble in the waistline, which I had to rip out with my handy dandy seam ripper and re-sew. 

Next I worked on the arm holes. I cut them even farther in and then sewed the raw edges in once. 

I finished the bottom hem by folding in twice and sewing to make it look nicer. 

And here is the final product! Pretty good job, if I do say so myself! This dress was $5.99, by the way. 

 I went outside with my tripod and took some photos of myself. Eat your hearts out, neighbors! 

For you continuity sticklers out there, I know last time I said that next time we'd find out how that pattern-sewing session with my mom went, but I haven't taken photos of the skirt I made, so that will have to wait. I've also made another pillowcase, for which I may or may not post a tutorial some time soon. No more promises! 

I'll leave you with this amazing pair of shoes I also scored at Loaves & Fishes. I tried them on sort of as a joke with myself  like, "Wow, look at these weird shoes! I'll try them on, just for kicks." They were the only shoes there that fit my big freaky feet, and I had a total Sword in the Stone moment with them. I didn't choose these polka dot kitten heel masterpieces; they chose me. 

These shoes needed me as much as I needed them.