Dresser Update

You've seen my hand-me-down dresser on the blog before.  I painted it a few years ago so I could have a full matching set of bedroom furniture.  Well now that I have replaced most of the old set, the only piece that doesn't match is the dresser.  The piece is great, it just doesn't match.  So I went about stripping it.  I didn't think that I'd be able to do it while living in an apartment.  Sanding it with a power sander is out of the question.  It just kicks up too much sawdust and it gets all over everything.  In addition to inhaling all that stuff.  Next option is stripping it with a chemical stripper.  Also out of the question because of the enclosed space and dog, or so I thought.  I found a product while looking around online called Citristrip.  It promises to strip off layers of paint without the bad smell, the toxic fumes, etc.  I went to Home Depot and picked up a bottle of it, a pail, and a plastic scraper.  I already had drop cloths and sponges to use. 

The product is really easy to use.  You just wipe a thick coat on and leave it.  As you can see from the photos, the product bubbles as it removes your layers of paint.  My dresser had a few layers of polyurethane, paint, and then the original covering on it (I'm not sure what it was).

The package says to leave it on for 20 minutes to 24 hours.  I covered my piece and by the time I was finished covering, the first area I worked on was ready to be stripped.  I didn't have to use any force, just push the product off the surface. 

There was still a bit of reside left from the original finish that didn't come off, so I put another layer on those spots.  

This second layer got most of the rest off.  I'll sand the little bits that are left and it will be ready for my new stain!  

I can't believe how easy this product was.  And completely safe to use in an apartment, around pets, and it doesn't hurt you if you get it on your skin!  

Day 20- Kitchen

 Use your kitchen as inspiration for your crafting.  Do you need new towels?  Or want to make a cake for dinner?  Or breakfast?  Or you can just pick something in your kitchen to update!

Day 19- For Yourself

For myself today, I revamped another one of my shirts.  This one was also too long like the last one I revamped.  I cut it shorter and added that extra fabric to the sleeves.  And of course added lots of dog hair... because it wouldn't be one of my shirts without having Zoey's hair all over it.

Before

After

And the sleeve detail!

Day 14- Thanksgiving Themed

With Thanksgiving coming up next week, you get to make something for the holiday!  Maybe it will be a new outfit to wear or a fantastic dessert item.  Or maybe it's even just using the colors or a turkey for some kind of craft!

Day 13- Fabric

I've been working on revamping old shirts that no longer fit... or have gum on them.  Someone left gum in a washer in the building so I keep finding gum on my clothes... boo.  This crafting involved a black shirt I had that was really long, almost a mini dress.  So I cut it shorter and with that extra fabric, I added a collar.  I also cinched in the back a little bit to make it a bit smaller.

Before!

After!

Day 7- Use Fall Colors

Outside my window there are beautiful fall colors in the park.  Lots of the leaves have fallen, but the colors are still all around.  For today's challenge, we are going to use fall colors as our inspiration.  It doesn't matter what you craft/make, as long as there are some reds, browns, oranges, yellows, etc. somwhere in there!

And congrats to everyone for making it a week in!

Day 6- Flowers
For the flower challenge I refashioned a shirt. I shortened the sleeves, added cuffs, and made the flower from the excess fabric.

Bridesmaid’s Dress Redo?

I mentioned previously in the blog that I had a long black a-line skirt that I was supposed to wear as a bridesmaid.  The outfit was never worn and it had sat in my closet for years.  I finally decided to make it into something and choose a pleated skirt.  My results were meh at best.  I cut it short, added pleats, added pockets, and put a new zipper in.  It just looks big and poofy on me.  I’m going to brainstorm ways to make it look nicer.  Right now it looks very homemade.  I’m thinking of sewing the pleats down a little bit to see if that would help.  Though I’m not sure if I’d do short lines horizontally or long ones vertically along the folds.  We’ll see.  I’ll let you know how it goes.  Now I just have to come up with an idea on what to use a hot pink tube top for…

Wedding Upcycle!

Since I’ve been in a wedding planning mood lately, I thought I’d write about an old wedding project I did. 

When I was in college, each fall the theatre fraternity I was a part of would throw a themed costume party.  One year the theme was Famous Teams Throughout History.  I went as Envy in a group of friends who did the Seven Deadly Sins.  I wasn’t really sure how to show envy.  My best idea was to copy someone else’s costume and just make it all green instead, but that would have needed a lot more planning in advance than we had time for. 

One of the best parts of growing up was the costume chest that my parents had for us to play with.    Lots of our Halloween costumes came from there over the years.  It was filled with clothing, hats, wigs, props, etc.  One item that was in there was one of my mom’s bridesmaid dresses from her wedding.  They were a light green as you can see.  (I cut out the bridesmaid’s head for privacy reasons)

Since the dress wasn’t going to be used again in the state it was in (the fabric was shredding and falling apart), I decided to upcycle it into my costume for the dance.  I didn’t have a pattern to use, but I had just received a dress form for my birthday.  I went to work designing the new dress on the form. 

I had to remove all of the fabric that was stained or had holes in it.  I took the skirt and shortened it to knee length in the front and a bit longer in the back, while still keeping the accordion pleats.  I used the top to create a v-neck dress and a series of straps along the back.  Even as I was sewing the fabric continued to fall apart.  I had to add a line of lace under the bust to hide the holes that the seams were creating.  But you can’t tell by looking at it.

Don't worry, there is a bottom to this dress.  It just wouldn't fit over the dress form's shoulders since there is not zipper in the dress.

 The dress turned out really well, though it needed lots of alterations.  It was my first time sewing without a pattern.  I haven’t worn this dress since that dance, as there aren’t many places that you can wear something that daring.  But I guess the moral of this story is the amazing things you can do to upcycle an old bridesmaid dress.

Now I just have to do the same thing to the hot pink tube top and floor length black skirt that I was supposed to wear as a bridesmaid…

Here's my mom, grandpa, the bridesmaids, and my grandma hiding in the background!