Bed Sheet Beauty - My Latest Upcycling Project!

 Clothes with Stories: Bring on the Sunshine!

I'm in the middle of making a lot of more fall feeling pieces, but the stressful vibes of of the past weeks drew me to this latest project. I halted the other projects, and pulled out this bold yellow fabric that I had previously put away for the season. 

My dear friend Emilia was packing to move to California, and she gave me one of her old bed sheets. She had these fancy, beautiful organic cotton sheets with a rip in them. I think in most circumstances, this sounds super weird for someone to give you their old bed sheet; but not in my world! I love that she was discarding good fabric, and thought of me! Also, I miss her and now I have this little commemorative project. 

The fabric was great, and instantly I had design ideas popping into my head. I wanted the designs to be a little ode to the idea of being wrapped in a bed sheet and I'm excited about how they came out! 

Emilia Sunshine Super Skirt

I love a maxi skirt, and I love the idea of wearing them all year long. you don't have to put them away for the winter - just throw a sweater on top! The waist of this skirt is full of soft and stretchy elastic, making it one super generous size. The slit adds a little bit of sexiness and keeps the bold color and layers of fabric from being to overwhelming.

Click on the images or here to learn more and shop this skirt!

Emilia Sunshine Wrap Dress

It's about to be that time again, where people escape the winter months to enjoy a warm and sunny resort. I hate fussy packing. I love a dress that you can just roll into your luggage, shake it out, and throw it on! This is a perfect resort dress. The generous elastic and wrap style translate into such easy glamour. Throw it on and go from the beach to dinner!

Click on the images or here to learn more and shop this dress!

Also, this reversible top was the first piece I made during the summer and it's already sold! 

Color makes me happy, and I hope it this brought you a little joy too! Keep living in the light everyone!    

xo,

     Erin 

Also, save 25% Off on all ErinElsie items with the offer code KindnessAlways25. 

Click here to shop ErinElsie!

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Dangle, Dangle! Hand-stiched earrings...

I hope you all are having a good week! Sometimes over the weekends I need to take a break from my larger sewing projects. When you do it all, the design + construction, it can sometimes drain my creativity. My fingers rarely remain idle though, and this past weekend I stumble onto some tinier projects. 

Earrings! Denim, leather, velvet, silk...beautiful remnants that took on a beautiful transformation! I love a bold earring, but they can often really stretch and strain your earlobes. I love the idea of these fabric earrings; a super bold look, without killing your ears! Plus, I never let really awesome fabric go to waste. 

Shop these and other one of a kind items in the ErinElsie shop!

Have an awesome rest of your week, friends! Stay tuned fore more updates and blog posts. Thanks for taking the time to catch up with me,

xo,

     Erin 

Follow along the journey of ErinElsie and *Textile*Repurposed*Style.* Subscribe by email in the sidebar of my blog or sign up for Bloglovin!

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My Fearless and Feminine Five Dollar Find

My Fearless and Feminine Five Dollar Find

 Much like a go to LBD (Little Black Dress), for the summer I have my go to colorful dresses.  I'm attracted to ones that can take me from day to night, or occasion to occasion. On a recent trip home to hot Louisiana, I threw some dresses in a carry-on backpack and I was good to go! 

 My favorites, and the ones I get the most compliments on, are all thrift store finds. Most of them weren't more than 5 dollars! In many cases, I'll do some slight alterations in size or just to better accommodate my body shape. The dresses then feel even more unique.  

If you know me, you've probably seen me in this dress. It's one of my favorite $5 finds. I wear it from Spring, all the way into Fall. For super hot weather, I love that it keeps me cool and comfortable. For cooler weather it makes a lovely layer under a sweater or jacket. 

I tend to gravitate towards deeper, more saturated color, and this pink print is spot on. I also love that this dress has a little cap sleeve that adds to it's versatility. 

I can throw it over a swimsuit, then take it into nighttime with dressier heels or sandals.

 Sometimes I add on booties and my bomber jacker to change it up and add a little bit of edge. (I got this jacket when I was 16 and I still love it!) 

I altered the hem a little bit and it made the slouchiness of this dress more flattering for my body. 

For me, confidence is key. I'm not always the most comfortable in shorts. If I ever start feeling a little anxious when getting ready, I throw on one of my favorite vintage dresses. I instantly feel more confidant and unique, and that's the power of wearing clothes that you love. 

If you feel like you're in a dress rut (or a clothing rut for that matter) and on a budget- hit some thrift stores and explore the possibilities! 

 Thanks for following along friends!

xo,

     Erin 

Follow along the journey of ErinElsie and *Textile*Repurposed*Style.* Subscribe by email in the sidebar of my blog or sign up for Bloglovin!

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Hot Summer Nights! A Simple Upcycling Project with High Impact Results.

Hot Summer Nights! A Simple Upcycling Project with High Impact Results. 

Greetings!

It is officially summer now, and it certainly is feeling like it here in NYC. With temperatures rising and summer events filling up my calendar, I took some time to do a quick upcycling project for myself. I got a little burned out on my rotation of dresses and decided to do something different this time. 

Way back in September, I shared a couple of potential vintage upcycling projects with you. And as life happens, I didn't get to work on all of them right away. I thought if ever a time to tackle this bold yellow number, summer is it!

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Before:

Below is the entry from my original blog post, the before photo, and the results! 

The Unflattering Yellow Jumpsuit

I know yellow is not for everyone; but while I have a summer tan, I thought if I'm ever going to sport it, now's the time. This 70's era vintage jumpsuit was sent to me by a dear friend for the very reason that I might find the potential in what it could be. I am intrigued by it's possibilities and the creative part of me is taking on the challenge of transforming it. 

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The Project:

I normally am a fan of a good jump suit, especially for easy summer dressing. With this one, the gathering at the waist was just not working plus the bold yellow color from head to toe was a little overwhelming. 

After some deliberation, what I thought would be a more complicated project had a surprisingly simple solution. I just decided to cut it apart and refinish it into 2 separate pieces. I had some other soft yellow remnants that I incorporated and I thought it would further help to break up the bolder yellow color.   

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After:

The result is a bold 2 piece outfit that can easily replace a dress for a fun summer event! Showing just a little peek of skin breaks up the bold yellow and makes this look more flattering. The crop tops of the 60s have come back in a major way and can be super chic if worn right (just keep the rest of the look less revealing).

The top is comfy and can be worn with a regular bra, which is great if your dancing the night away! 

Also the pants are super floaty and fun, it's almost like wearing a simple pull on skirt. 

Another great result of this project is that I now have 2 great pieces to work with! The pants were adjusted to be worn with a lower heel or flats. This way I can also use them for different looks like the casual one below. I pair my favorite chambray shirt with everything! It's a good neutral piece to counter the bold yellow. 

I also like the idea of pairing them with a simple black top! Easy breezy...

It's nice sometimes to take a little time to transform something for myself! Thanks for reading and enjoy the rest of your week friends!

xo,

     Erin 

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It's all in the (Denim) Details!

Hey Ya'll! 

I had to throw in the ya'll as I recently returned from a trip home to Louisiana. One of my best friends got married, and it was great to have a little girl time + a little family time. I'm busy with a freelance job this week; and since I don't have the time to create in my home studio, I'm just taking a little time to share about some recent work that came out of the studio.

There's definitely a noticeable pattern in my recent designs - lots of denim details! I love how the neutral denim compliments the bold patterns of these vintage fabrics, while also adding a little structure and edge. 

Americana Cold Shoulder Top

Americana at its best. A little bit structure and a little bit boho. This chic and breezy top is made of reclaimed, vintage fabric, as well as light blue recycled denim parts. 

Although it make look complex, the fit is actually easy. The trapeze silhouette drapes gently away from the body. The back has elastic, revealing just enough back and shoulders to keep it feminine and flattering.

Shop this top!

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Hawaiian Trapeze Top

Flow-y pieces can be flattering, it's all about shape and proportion. The trapeze silhouette of this tank drapes gently away from the body, and I love, love the print of this vintage Hawaiian fabric. It was salvaged from a shirt I picked up in Hawaii a couple of years ago.    

 My favorite part of this top is the back, it shows just the right amount of skin. The adjustable tie closures at the shoulders add just the right amount of sweetness. 

Shop this top!

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Gray Graphic Print Convertible One-size Maxi Dress

A bold print, denim details, and versatility take this maxi dress to the next level! The black denim details pull it all together. 

Ties along each side allow you to wear this dress a few different ways. You can simply tie the sides together to secure it and have them dangle, you can tuck them in and hide them, or you can cinch the front in for a different look. The back tie slides through the denim detail like a draw string, so you can adjust that however you like as well.

Shop this dress

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It doesn't get more classic than denim. A textile that was originally created to make tough, long lasting work clothes, a quality denim will truly stand the test of time. When I walk into a thrift store, I'm always blown away by the racks and racks of discarded denim in perfectly good condition. A lot of my personal favorite pairs of jeans are from thrift stores or are hand-me-downs from friends. 

Thanks for visiting! Have a lovely weekend, in your favorite denim ;)

xo,

     Erin 

Follow along the journey of ErinElsie and *Textile*Repurposed*Style.* Subscribe by email in the sidebar of my blog or sign up for Bloglovin!

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