It's tunic time...part two!

The second tunic in this series was just about as easy as the first one.  I started with a crop top that had a nice lace edging, and a long, pleated skirt.

It's tunic time...part one!

Ever since the All-Star season of Refashion Runway when we were given the challenge of tunics, I have been in love!  Tunics are comfortable, flattering, and all around fun!  My next several posts will feature tunics.  Some are refashioned from dresses, some from skirts and tops, some from sweaters and t-shirts, and some from menswear.  

The first tunic of this series is about as simple as you can get.  I found an oversized denim dress made from a very soft, and lightweight denim.

Black and White

I love black and white stripes, prints, geometric shapes, etc!  I always seem to be drawn to them when I visit the thrift shops.  Check out these fun retro black and white numbers from the 60's.  I love them!

Well, the other day at the thrift shop, I noticed a 2XL dress that was really speaking to me.  It was saying, "Come on, for only $2.50 you can pick me up and make a retro-inspired mod dress!"  I couldn't ignore the voice, so I purchased it!

A Cowboy Christmas

This year for our church Christmas party, we decided (actually, I strongly lobbied) to do a Cowboy Christmas party.  It had me scouring the thrift shops for cowboy boots, 

hats, blankets, wooden crates, pots and pans, and anything else that seemed to fit the theme.

I hope y'all have fun viewing the pictures from the event!

To start, I downloaded various clipart from the web and put together an invitation using photoshop.

The lettering for the welcome sign was cut using my Cricut.  It was displayed on a rustic easel I used previously at my daughter's country wedding.  A few extra props rounded out the scene.

"Cut & Paste" Jeans

The other day I felt like experimenting with some jeans.  I got the urge to "cut & paste," so to speak, one pair onto another.

I began by picking out the hem on both pairs of jeans.  My jeans weren't the same length, so I ended up cutting off the bottom of the longer jeans to match the other pair. Once I was finished sewing my inserts, I reattached the part of the hem I had cut off to make the over all jeans the right length.  You can see it better in the close-up that follows later in the post.

Refashion Runway: The Riverside Blue Challenge

Well, here we are on the last week of Refashion Runway!  It's been a lot of fun this season.  The ladies who have participated are all so talented and friendly!  Beth, The Renegade Seamstress, has been the perfect hostess, as always!

This last challenge consisted of refashioning something in Pantone's color of the fall season, Riverside Blue.  I always find the color challenges a bit harder since you are limited as to what you can find in the thrift shops.  But, sometimes those limits help to push the creativity.

My challenge began with a black leather coat that I had in my stash.  I picked it up for $2.00, stored it away and forgot about it.  When I came across it again, I thought it might work well for this challenge.  All I needed was some denim in the right color.

Refashion Runway: The Tunic Challenge

Once again, thank you to everyone following along, sewing along, and voting in this fun competition.  It's been a challenge, but a lot of fun this season!

This week, on Refashion Runway the theme is tunic.  I actually made two tunics this week.  The first one started with a XL men's dress shirt.  After passing it by because of the price, I was fortunate to go back a week later and pick it up for half price.  I love a good deal! 

Refashion Runway: The Button Challenge

First off, thanks to everyone following along, sewing along, and voting!  And, a big thanks to Beth for hosting this friendly sewing competition!

This week on Refashion Runway, the theme is buttons.  Of all the buttons to choose from, I went with basic white buttons.  But its what was needed to achieve the look I was going for.

Refashion Runway: The Metallic Challenge

Last week's velvet challenge was a lot of fun and a big thanks to everyone who voted!

This week's challenge for Refashion Runway is Metallic.  I really didn't want to make something that was too formal, which seemed to be the natural thing to do with metallic fabric.  I opted, instead, for a more casual look with metallic accents.  I started with a fleece-lined jacket, shower curtain hooks, a sequined t-shirt, and a studded blouse.

Refashion Runway: The Velvet Challenge

The first week of Refashion Runway gave all of us the chance to work with velvet, or velvet-like fabrics.  It was great to see what each contestant came up with!  Make sure you head over to The Renegade Seamstress to enjoy all of the creativity and to vote for your favorite!

I started with a strapless velvet dress, a sequined top, and a collar left over from a previous refashion.