DIY: More Dresses

Mini Floral Tie Strap Summer Dress.

The inspiration from Topshop for $180.


Mine for $1.99 plus tax.



Asymmetrical Draped Neck Jersey Dress

The inspiration from Piperline for $152.

Mine was made from fabric I got for FREE.


Gathered Neckline with Pleats

The inspiration from Modcloth for $75.



Mine for $3.99 plus tax.



Maternity?

DIY: Mini Floral Dress

When I was a little girl, I hated wearing dresses. I was a tomboy. I thought dresses were for girly girls and flower dresses were for super girly girls. Oh how things change as you grow older. Mini-floral dresses are everywhere this summer. The mini floral prints are the perfect in between boring solids and gaudy flower prints.

Every store I go into has their own version of the dress.

Urban Outfitters and Nordstrom have these dresses for $48.



Mine is $2.99 + tax. It's a pink/purple mini-floral dress with elastic waist and camouflage pockets!

DIY: Party Dress

I've worn more dresses this year than ever before. They're so much fun and feminine.
It's a lot easier than coordinating the top and bottom too. I don't like strapless dresses, because it makes me feel too exposed. However, I'm a big fan of one shoulder dresses, and they are totally in this year. Combined that with bright and bold colors.


I found this pink woven fabric for $2.99/yrd. I bought 1 1/2 and I only used 3/4 yrd.
I can't wait to go out in this.

DIY: Maternity Dress

After my first DIY dress, I was really motivated to make more. My friend's been looking for a cute maternity dress. I did some research and realized that most maternity dresses are either too "mom" looking or they're too expensive. Trying not to go over my head with a complete new design. I used the same elastic waist and sleeveless top as my first dress. Instead of the big flap collar. I did a more tailored pleated effect. The fabric is a heavy weight jersey. The jersey itself has elasticity, so it will adjust itself as my friend's belly grows. I'm pretty happy with the result.


This is a cute dress I found on Etsy for $250!!!. The jersey fabric was $4/yrd and I used only 1 yard. Can't wait for my friend to wear it!

DIY: Summer Dress from Scratch

I was walking pass the fabric store on my way home from work today, so I went in. I love browsing through the different fabrics. I get excited about raw material, the possibilities are endless. Anyways, I found some fabric from the remnants pile. I bought 1 1/4 yard of light weight woven cotton for only $2.69.

For inspiration, I browsed the Urban Outfitters website. Their retro chic style is totally me. However, they hardly have sales. Here is a dress I tried to copy. It's $58.



Here is my version. This is my first dress I made from scratch. I'm pretty happy with the result.
Instead of using a belt, I sewed an elastic band. The $3 I spent would've paid for the tax on the Urban dress, so I saved $58!!!

DIY: Puffy Skirt

I am this close to signing up the Wardrobe Refashion pledge. Given how the economy is now, I'm doing every bit I can to save and to recycle. However, pledging to not buy any new articles of clothing for 4 months is a little much for me. My sewing skills and time will not allow me to generate new items every month (or depends how often I shop and how much I buy). But I'm still making an effort. With the summer approaching, it'll be a motivator. Summer clothing are also easier to make.

Here is a skirt I made following Dacia's tutorial. I bought this fabulous fabric from a craft supply show. I got 4 yards for only $5! I could make 3 skirts with it!

DIY: Cornice

This was a DIY project I did for client who was looking to update her bedroom window. We met with a EZ Blinds rep to look through options and pricing. We liked the idea of a cornice. It really brings warmth and traditional attributes to a room. The quote for two 9' wide windows was over $2k. That was definitely over the budget. I suggested that we make it. We liked the fabric from EZ Blinds sample book. I found the exact fabric on Interior Mall for $44/yrd. Then I found a DIY Cornice Kit from DIY Decorator for $99 each. It comes with complete instructions. The material for the two windows were less than $500, less than 1/4 of the EZ Blinds' price.

Step 1: Assemble the cornice kit as directed.


Step 2: Cut fabric and batting big enough to wrap around the entire cornice.


Step 3: Staple fabric to the backside of the cornice. Tug tightly as you go.




Step 4: Add hardware and hang!