Busted! And Another Dress...

So. I needed to used my Wardrobe Refashion get out of jail free card. But I... I was framed I tells YAH! You got the wrong guy! There were totally extenuating circumstances. AND I actually did a refashion on what I bought. and... it was super cheap? and probably a second? Which means that I was practically recycling?
NO?
OK. Fine.
Here's what I bought.


For $2, from the Dollar Store. Which from hence forth shall be know as LE BOUTIQUE DOLLAIRE. They're cotton/linen mix men's summer shirts. As it's still -5 here I am assuming that Le Boutique Dollaire has a cruise collection. Just like Chanel.

S'not so pretty huh? This is only one of them. I bought three. Now I don't happen to have a bowling team that needs a uniform, (though how awesome would that be!?) but I did happen to have an IDEA.

An idea prompted once again by Anthro and by something that I used to do ages ago.
The anthro inspiration was this: The Reed Dress, $129 CAD

Which was also available in navy until yesterday.
When I was a teen, (a young, crazy teen! Sigh) I used to make a summer dress at about this time of year. Like a pep talk for myself and my wardrobe that no, it wasn't always going to be winter and YES there would be flip flops again at some point.
I haven't done it for years for various reasons and now seemed like a good time to resurrect the tradition.
Then when I spotted the shirts I had a lightbulb moment.

So that's the back story here's what I made:

I'm hoping you'll be kind enough to let your eyes slide over the unfinished sleeves and lack of ironing and the pale bare legs. I wanted to get a shot of it before the light disappeared. Also the last night's gym hair, that's just cause I'm kinda gross.

I'm also not completely sold on the accessories but it's one of those dresses that needs something. Here's what it looks like without.

I actually made it a bit too big and I'll have to take it in a bit more. And finish the sleeves. I don't think I'll do the rolled sleeve thing like on the Anthro dress, but I might put a little cuff on them.
Now I'd like to order up some weather please. 25 C. The slightest warm breeze. The smell of the sea. Anytime soon would be good.
x

The World's Worst Lumberjack!

That would be me.
I'm afraid of heights. and chainsaws and bugs, and sometimes trees. But those Lumberjack fellows have it made when it comes to the brushed cotton flannel. It's all warm and softie and nice.
And cheap. Well the shirt that I picked up from the dollar store way back in December was.
It might be a bit cheaty but I bought it specifically because I knew I was taking The Wardrobe Refashion Pledge and figured it could be the not-a-tragedy-if-I-pooch-it-up prototype for future shirty refashioning.
Anyway here it is in all it's unaltered glory...



I p'ticly like the inadvertent froggy fashion commentary. Apparently he writes for Women's Wear Daily.


And here' it is refashioned.
(This picture was the best of about a bazillion, so imagine if you will, how THOSE ones must have looked. And yah. little bit awkward and NO. I haven't so much as brushed my hair.)



Ok. and here it is without the distracting forehead shine.


What I did was,
1. Unpick the collar and remove the top part. Then sewed it up again.
2. I cut out the arms and then made the armholes smaller. Not terribly sucessfully actually, but now I know what to do next time.
3. I reattached the sleeves giving them a bit of puff. Next time I would totally have them puffier. I like this sleeve length though andI added these little pleats at the cuff (I need a better picture of them).
4. I added darts front and back. Unpicking them a squillion times each, just for fun.
5. I made 2 box pleated ruffles with the spare bits of sleeve. (I think I got the idea from a tute on Burda style. Maybe the one with all the ruffle techniques that I am now completely unable to find? is right here. Thanks Wendy!)
Do hit me up in the comments if you've a wish for a tutorial. I'll be making at least one more of these fellas (with thrift store shirts naturally!)
Crumbs. I forgot to say that I was HUGELY inspired by clevergirl's First Men's Shirt Refashion and that her tutorial is super clear and easy to figure out.