fitzfabulous

Disgusting. I’m so sick of all this cashing in on what should be simplification.

The Phila Inquirer had a bit about the local design school’s trashion show — clothes from shower curtains and magazine pages — the same weekend the silly NYT ran some ridiculous magazine blurb about eco fashion. Now I’m getting better about considering the total cost of food and clothing nowadays, but that doesn’t mean unbleached “green” cotton should cost thousands of dollars. How insulting!

Anybody besides me sick to death of the commercialization and mass marketing of projects like this one we’re all in?

On that note, tomorrow, I renew a pledge:

“I still pledge that I shall refashion, renovate, recycle preloved items for myself for 6 more months. I pledge that I shall create and craft items of clothing for myself with my own hands in fabric, yarn or other medium.”

I first pledged the Wardrobe Refashion mantra Aug. 1, 2007, hoping to get through the Christmas season without buying new crap. Now it’s just a way of life that’s so second nature. I spend a lot of time thinking about crafting, and really, I should be using more of that time to exercise. But I love looking like noone else around, I love that I spend time making my clothes fit my body not the other way around and I love thumbing my nose at mass produced crap. I also love seeing the creative potential in everything around me.

Life is good.

Card by Rar Rar Press, Chicago.

My mister has a fantastic auburn stash growing under his nose. And I have a fabric stash growing under a terrarium (it sits atop a bookcase, stuffed with folded fabric).

Totally just added to it. 70 degree weather (!) inspires all kinds of growing. And whenever the Joann has a 50% off the clearance fabrics sale, I totally stock up on basics and stuff for baby gifts. Some sewers advocate a five yard minimum when buying fabric for unknown purposes, but I’m more of a two-yard sewer. I don’t wear big dresses or full skirts, so two yards - esp. 60-inch fabric- is usually enough for pants, A-line skirts and most tops for me.

Too bad they didn’t have any plain denim. I’ve been itching to make a warm weather denim wrap dress using the BurdaStyle Desira pattern I’d lengthen like this one I already made for my favorite little girl.

Jojo did have:

Weird white cotton with red print of pheasants and old-timey looking couples. Will line something. Or turn into a blouse.

Gray lightweight twill for a Desira wrap dress.

Wine colored polished cotton. Some kind of summer dress.

Brown cotton with subtle black stripes and little dots for a spring top - the Ellinor Sew Along with Nikkishell.

Eggplant crepe backed satin. I really have a purple dress problem.

And this black stretch terry for one of these outfits, thrifted in a ratty Chicago spot:

Also bought this McCall’s pattern because of the hats.

I’ve been wanting to use two angora sweaters I managed to shrink to copy my favorite Kangol furgora jeff cap but have had zero luck finding a pattern. This little cap (E) is sweet and close enough for now. Will try it out using a chunk of heavy denim from this Freecycled bag of scraps.

Anyone know where to find great hat patterns?

I’ve gotten the hang of etsy after getting sick of ebay. True, I once sold a thifted pink jumpsuit w stirrups on ebay for $153 after a fierce bidding war, but then I got stuck with big listing bills and zero sales too many times. I’m too cheap (or too small-potatoes?) for America’s favorite auction site.

So I’m on the etsy bandwagon. Better late than never. I’ve had some luck selling fun stuff I found thrifting that didn’t fit me right or is pink or doesn’t fit my narrow reporter uniform standards of everyday dress. And I love the hunt for fantastic design, weird details and anything made in countries that don’t exist anymore.

A happy pair of metallic shoes (too small!) is going out in the mail.

So is a bluebird dress (blue not in uniform).

And some Wrangler jeans (too wrong for short legs).

Proceeds will send me to P-h-i-l-a this summer to see the rest of the Fitzs. And that love of Fitzs overcomes my shame at the thought of self-promotion, so take a look at the old fitzfabulous.etsy.com and see what’s been hiding among Chicago’s overlooked thrifting gems. Some are already listed; some are coming soon.

That’s fabulous.

Thrift outings last weekend (fitz)fabulous, indeed. Black cords w stovepipe legs. Tuxedo-style wool slacks. Faux wrap sweaters. Cardigans in cotton and silk/cashmere. Bandolino peep-toe pumps (w wooden heels). Love the Salvy! Love dressing myself without shopping retail!

Key items up on the eBay, including this little beauty of a Minnie Mouse sweater.

Next on the list, um, to list:

This pink knit summer romper.

This pink bobble sweater.

This red dress.

These gray Wrangler jeans.

This Sears sweater.

But ever since eBay changed its fee schedule, I’m unimpressed with them. Wondering if anyone has other recommendations for selling excess vintage clothing? Etsy perhaps? Other thoughts?

Refashioners, forgive me.

Shopped this weekend in Philadelphia with my best shopping buddy, my sister. On her cue, we went to Gaffney’s Fabrics in Germantown Friday to get her a few yards of cotton prints. The little girl’s ready to learn to sew, and I thought the Anda dress on BurdaStyle would be a simple, rewarding way to get started. I brought her a printout of the Minna dress, too. We’re both going to give that one a try by cutting it down into a tunic top.

To my surprise, she picked giant, modern floral prints. Giant white daisies on kelly green cotton; blue and yellow on a chocolate blend; white loops on a rich, red polished cotton that has a solid red border on one end. I bought myself some red and brown lightweight for Minna tops, a silver threaded black knit for some kind of basic dress and as much of this black, gray and purple jersey as they had:

Right - the forgiveness. We also went to Daffy’s Saturday after a lady date to the opera together. I bought two pairs of jeans, brand new and right off the retail rack. They’re beautifully dark, they fit like a glove and they were on sale. Plus, Daffy’s is different from TJ Maxx or Marshalls in that its overstock is mostly European, so the jeans were made in Turkey and Italy. I felt good about not buying more cheap Chinese crap, and then I felt good that I had to really talk myself into buying these staples. And then I congratulated myself on putting back a pair of dark denim pants for the sole reason that they looked like something (unlike jeans) I could actually make.

I also considered a linen blouse with a lovely ruffle detail, (which shouldn’t be too hard to copy) but it didn’t fit. All the best, since I blew my Get out of Jail on the jeans.

The Wardrobe Refashion really has become a way of life for me. Buying new just isn’t exciting. Buying quality clothes and fabrics I can tailor to my own body are both very exciting. Watching my sister step into this world is so great, too.

My goddaughter who has legs up to her neck and avant-garde bangs (she cut herself, naturally) turned 7 this year. My girl loves a casual dress, and I love sewing for little ladies, so there’s the finished present.

I took this vintage Simplicity pattern thrifted in a packet of old patterns and lengthened the wrap top shown in yellow. The inside facing had to become longer, too, to hide all the denim fray, and I fused interfacing to a teal bandana to do that (pix here). Denim’s from Gaffney’s in Philadelphia, my very favorite fabric store.

Finally saw the little girl this past weekend, handed over packages, watched her twirl (despite the flu) in the dress *and* white on white embroidered cowboy boots purchased for a steal from Alcala’s Western Wear in Chicago.

Sweet!

box-o-bangles!

Aunt & uncle returned from a month in India. Love that they held my Christmas box until their travels. Returned with these mirrored colored bangles and so much more booty in tow. I love that they love my love of giant jewelry. Aunt said she enjoyed the hunt for so much fun. What a doll.

Think I’ll take the glass bead necklace and restring it to remove the little gold spacer beads that feel like plastic.