Beautifying Blemishes

A stain is to a garment as a really bad pimple is to a face.  It's obvious, distracting, and sometimes just gross.

But, unlike pimples, not all stains go away.

Such was the case with one of my favourite summer dresses.

You can't really tell from this photo, but this dress has (had?) a few fairly visible ink stains on the skirt and the bodice.

Stains 1, 2, and 3, respectively.

I tried every different tip I could find on how to remove ink from fabric but the stains had dried and weren't going to budge. 

Then, I came across a tip, in a magazine at school, that suggested fixing holes and rips by covering them with embroidery.  I though that would work perfectly to cover up stains, as well!

So, sketched out some floral motifs; 

And finally decided on two that I liked.

Keep in mind, as I tell you about my project; 

So, I spread part of the skirt over my embroidery hoop, with the stain sitting dead in the centre.  I drew one of the motifs over top, and I began.

First, the stems and leaves, in a dark, olive green.

Then, some princess-pink blossoms.

And a white french knot in the centre.

I also started putting flowers elsewhere on the skirt.

For the bodice I decided I'd use multiple, tiny french knots.  So far, I've done three.

But the entire bodice WILL be covered in little dots. It WILL be!

This is how the dress looks now.

Not a HUGE difference, I know. I only added three tiny dots and a few small  flowers. And one of those flowers is hidden behind a pleat. But this is a work in progress. I plan on doing about an hour of embroidery each night and I should have it all ready in time for when the warm weather returns. 

Tie-Dye T-Shirts Are Now a Dress!

This dress is so super cute! And it's so comfortable to wear! Maybe that's because it's made out of t-shirts.  T-shirts that I tie-dyed myself. I'm very proud of these t-shirts.  I dyed them in a crinkle pattern. That's exactly what it sounds like. I crinkled up the t-shirts and applied the dye in a random pattern. 

But then I realized, when am I going to wear these? The shirts I had were too big for me, and tie-dye t-shirts really aren't my style. 

But maybe a tie-dye dress would be.

Here's how I made it.

Valentino S/S 2013

Ok, I know it isn't even close to being spring yet, but I finally got around to looking at the Valentino Spring/Summer collection for next year, and I am in LOVE!  I loved Valentino to begin with - the feminine shapes and florals and the girly class of it - and this collection has only perpetuated that affection!

First, the opening look for the collection

This is so simple, and so sexy; with the subtle cut-out lines that accent the models waist and long legs.  The collection also included a nude version of this dress, and one in navy that fell all the way to the floor. I don't usually go for spaghetti straps, but I'd wear this in a heartbeat!

It's A Panda Dress!

I just love -love, love, love, love, love, LOVE - recyclying and "upcycling" old clothes.  I think it's the best way to keep my wardrobe up to date while being kind to the earth and my wallet.

I still get hand-me-downs from cousins and friends, and a lot of the time I'll receive clothes that are nice but don't quite fit.  Or, equally as common, I'll get pieces that are almost in style but just need to have features either added or removed.  This is the case with a white blouse I got from my friend, about a year ago.

White Eyelet Sundress

Another project from my 11th grade fashion class: an eyelet lace day dress.