lace

The lace fashion crush is still going strong, my friends. We're loving all kinds of DIY lace confections lately. If you're itching to add some gossamer delights to accent your wardrobe, here's a few ideas to get you started...

From the wonderfully talented Marisa Lynch of NewDressADay, check out this JCrew-inspired tank top that she made from a thrifted glam gown! She was sweet enough write up a tutorial to show you how to design and dye one for yourself. ♡!

AND we've noticed a few lacey numbers bubbling up from the Rit Color Community as well.

Take a peek at Sarah's refashioned delicates. She's creating a whole collection of reconstructed granny unmentionables into super camis and dresses that she's unveiling at the Balboa Park's upcoming Earth Fair in San Diego. Big thumbs up for spreading the eco-chic love, girl!

Not into that much sewing?  Try DECOR8Rgirl's easy, dyed-lace floral accents. These are just perfect to embellish almost anything that needs a little pizazz. Add a rufflely flower to hat, dress or evening clutch? Ooh, I could picture whipping up a bunch in different shades for a neckline adornment to spice up a boring Tshirt. 

Hmmm, maybe I'm getting that idea from Edie's embellished Tee tutorial. She added dyed buttons to the mix for a more textured look. Love that she upcycled a pair of old nylon lace tights to make some of the flowers. 

Well, whatever the inspiration, go find yourself some old lace and get dyeing!  It makes for a great weekend project and an easy way to add a little femme to the spring wardrobe.

Oh, and one extra tip, look for cotton or nylon lace which will dye up just lovely. Polyester, unfortunately, doesn't play well with Rit Dye. 

This lamp is downright swoon-worthy! Crafted from a pile of old grandma-doilies, Shannon South of reMade USA has created this super stunning, lace pendant lamp. What a brilliant mash-up of reused Victorian elements into a hip Mid-Century Mod form! Go check it out on her site and poke around to see her classy upcycled leather jackets-to-bags shop.  She's definitely got the clever re-crafting action going on!

Up for some of your own DIY lamp making?  I found this tutorial from the DOS Family blog that might help you on your way.  And if you've got a hankering for some color for your lamp, remember most of grandma's doilies are made of cotton and will dye up quite easily. Some newer ones might be polyester and not dyeable. So for those it's best to just stick with the white. 

How many times does it happen that you're in the middle of a project and you need just that little something to finish off the piece just right?  You could head out to the craft store and scour the shelves for a matching bit of trim which you might or might not find. Or... why not just dye the trim to match your piece? 

I actually do this quite often and have on hand a stockpile of cotton twill tape, buttons, plastic pearl beads, crochet'd cotton edging, or a slew of other dyeables just for such an occasion. So, I was kinda excited to see I'm not the only one.