An Ode to the Teeshirt with these Unique Upcycled Tote Bags!

An Ode to the Teeshirt with these Unique Upcycled Tote Bags!

It doesn't get more classic than the teeshirt, especially those favorites that you wear until they are literally falling apart! My husband has lots of these. Unique teeshirts, many are from concerts or travels over the years and carry so many stories with them. He handed some over to me in disrepair, and I was inspired to create some wearable art using the unique designs of each tee shirt. A friend gave me some old curtains a while back, and I thought the sturdiness of the fabric would be perfect for the base of a simple tote bag.    

I used some fabric glue and then hand stitched around the teeshirts with colorful thread to give them a clean finished edge. I'm so happy with the results!

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Brooklyn 2 Faced Upcycled TeeShirt Tote 

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The Florida Rocker 2 Faced Upcycled TeeShirt Tote

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Get more detailed info and shop these and other totes in my ErinElsie Etsy Shop by clicking here!

Have a great week!

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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Weekend Wrap Up- A Few Good Things + a Box of Inspiration

Weekend Wrap Up! A few good things...

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I've got mail!

On one of my last trips home to Louisiana, I visited with one of my parents' neighbors who decided to get rid of most of her sewing supplies and wanted to offer them to me. She, an artist herself, had worked at a fabric store and had quite the organized collection of fabrics and notions. Going through her things, if felt like I was going through her memories. She had stories connected with the fabrics and piles of beautiful lace, some of which dated back to her childhood. I had to leave the goodies at my parents house as I had minimal luggage space, so my mom recently shipped me some of the items. 

I feel a little pressure when people pass their things on to me, but touched that they think of me and trust that their old things will live on in special new pieces! It's the heart of what I love to do, create new items with vintage materials - unique clothing with stories that can be passed on for years to come.

Yards and yards of beautiful wool plaids have already got me thinking of fall. 

Lace, Lace, and more Lace! 

She also had quite the stash of thread, something I can always use!

The best thing about getting a box from your mom? She always includes a sweet note and a sweet treat! My man has a thing for jelly beans in particular :)

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New Thrifted Threads

This past week I was able to squeeze in a treasure hunt at one of my favorite thrifting spots. I was lucky to hit the store on a special sale day, so the prices were even cheaper than normal! I found so many great things and you'll hear more about them in the future!  

Most of the finds I am using for the fabrics, but this wrap skirt may be an exception. I originally grabbed it for it's yards and yards of printed and pieced silk for $4 (such a steal!)! It's made with 2 layers and completely reversible. Considering the quality of this silk fabric and the yardage, this original piece would have been a couple hundred dollars! It's quickly becoming one of my favorite summer pieces and I've already received compliments! 

The Greater Good

Lastly, I recently watched a powerful documentary that poignantly explains the fast fashion industry. I have included the preview below and it is now available on Netflix and Amazon. 

 When most people grab a piece of clothing at a store, they often don't think about the fact that it was made the world over, by human hands. Some of the largest companies such as Walmart and H&M are getting away with questionable business practices while earning billions of your dollars in their pockets. There's absolutely no excuse why workers anywhere should be battling for safe conditions and living wages while working for companies worth billions. I've worked in various parts of this industry and this is the kind of powerful information that you can't un-know. It's why I want to my own little company to be one I can feel good about. There are more and more companies doing the right thing and I hope to share and highlight them in the future.  

Cambodian factory workers protesting for safer working conditions and a living wage.

“There are hands, physical human hands that touch the things that we wear, and those hands are lives, and they matter... when we buy something, it is a moral act, and there are a chain reaction of consequences, so let’s begin to be more mindful and choose things that support life, not take it away.” - Andrew Morgan.

Rent or own the film today! Visit http://truecostmovie.com for more details.
Available on DVD, Blu-Ray, iTunes, Amazon, or VHX.

Please take the time to watch and be informed about the purchases you make. when you spend your hard earned money, do it for the greater good!


Alright friends, wishing you a lovely week ahead!

xo,

     Erin 

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Reduce, Reuse, UPCYCLE! My Latest Project: 2 Old Men's Shirts = 1 New Shirt Dress

2 Old Men's Shirts = 1 New Shirtdress 

Greetings!

I can't believe it's almost August already! It's definitely hot here in NYC and I have been living in comfy and cool dresses. I normally gravitate towards flow-y bold prints and color with my materials, but when my husband handed over some old shirts he was discarding, I was inspired to do an upcycling project for myself with a little more polish.  

The Project:

I don't currently own tailored shirtdress, so I decided to create one! 

I had a blue shirt and a white one, so I decided to go with a color blocked design. Keeping blue on the bottom, I was thinking it might be a little more flattering and would wear over time better than the white would. I sewed the pieces together with French seams, which give the overall dress some structure for a clean and crisp look!

The Result:

I'm really happy with the result! It's such a sleek and versatile piece; a blank canvas to change up with so many different accessories. Here I've photographed it with one of my best vintage clutch finds and a staple in my wardrobe for this summer- It's leather, made in Italy, and only cost me $15 :)  

TIP: If you want to invest in some high quality accessories, but don't have a lot to spend, try some vintage shopping! For me, I love the thrill of the treasure hunt, the quality in which things were made in the past, and having a unique item that's not hanging in every department store in the country. If you're intimidated by a thrift store or a vintage shop, check out eBay online - I've found some great pieces on there.

You don't have to be an expert seamstress for a project like this, so it's a great beginner sewing project idea. Also, something like this would be a great way to preserve memories by using old shirts from a loved one! I hope I've added a little DIY inspiration to your week! 

Cheers,

     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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Totes Ya'll!

Totes Ya'll!

Congrats, you've made it until Friday! I hope you all had a great week!  

If you happened to read my last post, you'll recall that creatively I got a little burned out on clothing construction. To keep my mind and skills fresh, I switched gears to try something new. My friend Sarah (shout out to Sarah) recently sent me a box of super luscious leather scraps from her interior design world and that became my source of inspiration. I also had a couple of fabrics, mostly given to me (shout out to Jessica too!) or rescued by me, that I had set aside thinking they'd work well in some type of accessory.  

Here in NYC, I feel like good tote bags are such an intricate part of most daily activities. Most of us don't have cars to throw all our stuff in throughout the day, so your tote bag becomes a catch all. I've wanted to experiment with some simple tote patterns, and then the project seemed to all come together. I'm excited about the the results so far. I love that they are super simple and practical in structure, but also become the canvases for these beautiful print and woven fabrics. 

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Blue Floral Jessica Tote

I received this beautiful floral vintage fabric in one of many thoughtful packages from my old friend Jessica. I will be bummed when I run out of it entirely. I'm hanging on to every last scrap! This tote also includes leather details, making it extra sturdy. 

SHOP!

Silk & Leather Sarah Tote

I call this one the Sarah Tote! In addition to the leather pieces Sarah sent me, she also included an old skirt. The fabric was a woven silk, with this modern leafy print. To toughen up the silk, I lined it in this thick, cotton/silk brocade fabric in the perfect shade of champagne. The added leather details make it as practical as it is beautiful!

SHOP

Brown Border Print Reversible Tote

Bold reds and pinks make the perfect compliment to the brown ground in this beautiful print! Can you believe someone was just about to throw this fabric out? Luckily I was around a quickly swooped it up! In my past life in the mass production fashion world, so much fabric goes to waste. It really echoes the disposable attitude in the clothing industry these days. The border print was perfect for the shape of the tote. I also love that this print is a little bit neutral, and a little bit bold. For some added structure, the tote is lined in this champagne colored cotton/silk brocade fabric and is also completely reversible! It's all topped off with these comfy leather straps.

SHOP & See the Reverse Side!

Pink Flamingo Reversible Print Tote

Okay, so there are no pink flamingos in this print, but doesn't it just make you think of them? This vintage fabric makes me happy- it's a bit of a statement while still being chic. The lining is an equally beautiful and vivid print and this tote is completely reversible. 

SHOP and See the Reverse Side!

Bold Blues Reversible Print Tote

Yes, this beautiful floral print again...This tote is a little bit larger than the others, with extra long straps. If you're not one to wear a bold print like this, just add a little splash with your carryall.  

The print of the vintage fabric on the reverse side is just as beautiful as the other. I also love the look of the contrasting straps.

Get more detailed info and shop all of these totes in my ErinElsie Etsy Shop by clicking here!

I'm going to push my "Weekend Wrap Up" segment to Monday this time for a very special post. Stay tuned friends and have a "tote-ally" awesome weekend!

xo,

     Erin 

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Weekend Wrap Up! A few good things...

Weekend Wrap Up! A few good things...

Happy Friday friends! 

My apartment/home studio has been a one-women factory this week! I got a little burned out on clothing construction so I switched gears to try something new. My friend Sarah recently sent me a box of super luscious leather scraps from her interior design world and that became my source of inspiration. 

I'm incorporating a couple of other beautiful vintage fabrics with the leather. 

Stay tuned for the results! 

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A little Fourth of July inspiration...

My Parents!
Today they celebrate their 44th Wedding Anniversary - pretty amazing. They are inspiring to me in so many ways and I feel grateful to have them in my life. Shout out to you Mom and Dad! Love You! 

Made in the U.S.A. 

In the past, I would only see "Made in the USA" tags in my vintage clothes. Now I'm so thrilled to see more tags like this in new purchases! I hope this manufacturing trend, even in small batches, continues to happen here in the US and I want to be part of it.  

 Don't forget to tune in to support the USA Women's Soccer team in the World Cup finals Sunday! Girl Power :)

Have a great Fourth of July weekend friends! Thanks for following along! 

(My fave red, white, and blue upcycling project from last year... I might be breaking it out again this weekend weather permitting!)

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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