Refashionista: Adding ribbon straps to a strapless dress

As much as I love strapless dresses, they are a bit hard to wear. First, there's the comfort issue. We all now they tend to slide down if they don't have proper boning in them. Second, a strapless dress might be a little overdressed to wear every day. But, as I have very few parties to attend to, it would be a total waste to let this gorgeous dress just sit in the closet for the rest of the time. So, I came up with the idea of adding ribbon straps.

I must confess that these didn't turn out super comfortable, mainly because the center ribbon was a bit too wide and I need to experiment more on the angles of the ribbons, and maybe they need to cover each other more in the front. But, I love love love the back of this dress now. I mean, it makes me want to walk backwards.

If you like it too, and would like to give this ribbon strap thing a go, here's how I did it:

1. I started pinning the ribbons to the dress on the dress form. If you don't have one, don't worry, this can also be done without a dress form, you'll just need to pin the ribbons in the back, then put the dress on, and adjust the fit and length of the ribbons in the front.
2. Once I was happy with the position of my ribbons, I marked a line on the ribbons along the edge of the dress, so I'd know how to place them when I started sewing.
3. Before sewing the ribbons to the dress, I sewed the front part of the ribbons together so that the outer ribbons were slightly covering the middle ribbon. This helps to keep the ribbons in place when moving your arms.
4. Finally, sew the ribbons to the dress, and you're done!

I'm loving my revamped dress! It's so much more comfortable this way since I don't have to worry about any boob showing accidents (lol). 

DIY Gold striped mirror

Being a student on budget, and living in a rental apartment, you have to be creative with your interior design projects. After moving from a bedroom with a closet with mirror doors into my sewing room with no mirrors, I was in a dire need of a mirror. A girl cannot exist without a mirror. That's just common sense. Luckily my Grandma had a mirror stashed in her attic that she wasn't using, so she gave it to me. But, looking at that red colored frame I knew I had make it over.

The frame was in good condition - I only had to do minor touch ups here and there. I wanted to keep the color palette neutral since I already have an array of different colored wood furniture in that room. Yet, plain white would have been just too boring, so I went with a little golden accent.

If you'd like to try and make your own gold striped mirror, here's how:
Prep work: Since the frame had already been painted it didn't need sanding, but if your frame has not been previously painted, you need to sand it to prep for paint. The second step is applying painters tape all around the inside of the frame to protect the mirror from paint.
1. Once you're finished with the prep work, it's time to paint the frame. I did 3 coats of paint, giving enough drying time in between layers.
2. Now that your frame has been painted, it's time to prep for the stripes. Use a ruler and a pencil to mark your stripes on the frame, then cover the rest of the frame with newspapers and painters tape, leaving only the stripes open.
3. Start painting the stripes. I used golden spray paint. It's so easy to use and quick to dry. I did 2 coats of paint on the stripes.
4. Once all the stripes are done, leave tit to dry for 24h, then remove all the painters tape and covers. It's like opening up a present on Christmas day :).

Have fun painting!

Refashionista: Sweater makeover with dye

Most times, the quickest way to transform a garment, is to just dip it in dye. Once you've tried it a couple of times and mastered the little tricks of dyeing, it's so easy to give a piece of clothing a completely new look with a pack of dye.

I got this sweater from a friend of a friend who wanted to get rid of some of her old clothing. I loved the quirky cut of the sweater, but the color was not at all me. So, I decided right on to try and dye it. Not all dye jobs work out, so think twice before dipping your designer blouse into hot dye. But if it's a garment you know you won't wear because of its color, then I think it's worth experimenting.

I must say that this is the best dye job I have ever made, next to the tie-dye jersey tee and the ombre dress.  I love the burgundy color that  I got (I used a dark red dye) and how even the color is. There are definitely risks when it comes to dyeing garments at home, but in this case I'm so glad I took the risk.