some simple sewing.

yet again, i find myself happy to be writing more frequently after an unintended absence. this blog for me is a little like working out... it somehow gets bumped down on my list of priorities until i forget that it's refreshing and i really enjoy it, and end up making another little vow-to-self to try to do it more often. i'm always glad when i do.

i'm really bad about taking "before" shots for comparing to the "after" when i'm done with a project, especially when it comes to sewing experiments and making little alterations to clothes i already have. so i made a point of taking a few pictures now that i have a little pile going of things i want to alter, and here is one i've actually gotten done so far (probably because it's the most simple).

before: my plain-jane cotton a-line gingham skirt that i've nearly worn to death, and a slightly wonky and ill-fitting but cute printed tee.

after: an appliqued skirt with pintuck-ish ruffles at the bottom (that surprisingly made it flare out a little more!).

cute, but knowing me, i'll probably never wear it again now. i'm so finicky with clothes. a lot of clothes i have are fairly old and run-down, so i get bored with them and want to do something to spruce them up. so i do, and end up not liking the item anymore because it looks like something a kindergartner would wear (or vaguely like a poodle skirt, in this case). truth be told, i really just need stacy and clinton to come rescue me. i'm pretty certain they'd laugh, throw everything in the trash, force me to start all over, and i would love it. when it comes to fashion, i've never had the cash for what one would call "investment" pieces (if it costs more than $25 bucks and didn't come with a sale sticker on the tag, i don't own it), and i've fallen into the perpetual i'll-wait-and-get-"real"-clothes-when-i-lose-30-pounds trap (which unfortunately only works if you do, in fact, lose 30 pounds).

fashion. so tricky.

i also have highly optimistic plans for changing this otherwise cute brown dress because the chest of it is about 4 sizes larger than the dress itself:

i'm hoping to change the neckline into a gathered halter of some sort, as inspired by this banana republic ad:

we'll see how (if) that one works out! it's late, and i think it must be time for some sleep. note to self, i need to buy some brown thread before i can work on re-making the brown dress... and maybe i'll try adding a ruffle at the bottom like that too...