red, white, blue, & Sherlocked

Sometimes you just have to put on a nice outfit and take yourself out to the movies! I loved the outfit so much that I wore it to work the next day. Which wasn't nearly as fun as watching a Sherlock double feature, but what are you gonna do.

This entire outfit is either handmade or hand me downs. I bought the blue floral fabric nearly 10 years ago when I had just moved to Seattle to go to school. It use to be a table cloth and only cost me $2. Despite many a purge, it has stayed in my fabric drawer until I found the perfect project. I used a simple pleated skirt pattern, but altered it to be tea length.

I haven't been to the New Bev much since "the troubles", but I just couldn't not go to a Sherlock Holmes double feature! It had been years since I saw Mr Rathbone's Hounds of Baskerville, and I had never seen The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes. Christopher Lee as Mycroft gave me life!

Sweater: Forever 21- hand me down from Greta

Skirt: handmade by moi

Shoes: melissa- hand me down from Iza

Sunglasses: Dita knockoff's- hand me down from Iza

Sherlock pin- Christmas gift from Greta

outfit photos by Lex 

meow meow meow

Cat dress: Retrolicious (hand me down from Greta)
shoes: H&M clearance

Photos by Miss Lexi

I have a blog post that is percolating in my brain about finances, hand me downs, and being a broke chubby girl trying to dress cute. Not today- but soon.

Pink Lady

I promise I own more than one t-shirt. 

Shirt: Target clearance

Skirt: handmade by moi

Rhinestone necklace: Icing clearance

Shoes: H&M clearance 

Photo by Holly Go Darkly 

    One of my favorite pastimes is sewing. Both my great Aunt and Grandmother were professional seamstresses. When I was eight I spent a week with my Aunt so she could teach me the ins and outs of sewing. I was a casual seamstress through my early twenties. I could make something from scratch, but mostly I just altered things that I had purchased at thrift stores. It wasn't until I moved down to Los Angeles 3 years ago I have really gotten serious about the craft. Perhaps its because I live a short metro ride away from the downtown garment district (a costume makers dream).

    Anyways. I got a Miss Hussy pencil skirt (black, pictured below) in a clothing swap about a year and a half ago. It fit like a glove and I wore in multiple times a week. When the back seam ripped, I fixed it and kept on going. It got to the point that I had to fix it before every wearing. Finally there was nothing left to stitch. I was worried I was going to be riding the train and suddenly feel a draft. 

    Unable to just give my favorite skirt up, I added it to the sewing pile. Mostly I create garments from store bought patterns. I knew, theoretically, that you could take apart something to make a pattern, but I had always been to afraid to try it. Turns out I was just being a scaredy-cat. 

Original skirt on left: Miss Hussy

Skirt on right: Made by Moi

    I've had this pink denim fabric for years! (I actually got it when my great Aunt passed away. By the looks of it, its from the late 70's early 80's). It has moved up and down the west coast more than once with me. I knew that someday I would find the right project for it. I said one final farewell to my beloved black pencil skirt before I took my trusty seam ripper, and ripped every last seam. I then laid the pieces face up on the right side of the fabric. I cut 'em out, and used the original seam lines as a guide where to sew the new ones. And voila! All in all it took about 4-5 hours to complete. I can't wait to make it again. 

Main skirt pieces. Not pictured, skirt waist band

grey

croptop: target clearance
lace skirt: vintage

photo by Lexi Lutter