refashion

Recently on the Rit Dye Facebook page, I noticed an incredibly industrious refashionista posting her dye-inspired, fashion creations. Starting with thrifted garments, Maria starts the haute transformation with a series of snipping n' overdying and then goes all out with some super lace applique'ing, painting and even what looks like a bit of Bedazzling.  Gotta love those embellishments!! 

Well, I appreciate her generously sharing her creations with fellow followers on FB so I thought I'd give her the spotlight here as well to inspire all the other crafty remake artists out there. So without further ado...

HERE'S THE MARIA COLLECTION!!

One of my personal faves is this linen top that was tie-dyed Petal Pink, Violet & Black with added lace.

A real make-over of a secondhand khaki skirt using two shades of Brown with Black. Then it was stenciled and handpainted with Lumiere Metallic Rust/Bright Gold paint, finished off with new gold buttons.

This simple number was created with a sunny Sunshine Orange tie-dye and a few sweet added beads.

Oh, and there's more...

Happy Earth Day, fellow eco-crafters!

Today, I've pulled together a roster of fun, fun recycled craft projects to inspire you to reuse, repurpose and recraft what is destined for the dustbin and instead create something stunning. Ready?  OK, let's go!

Recycled Craft #1: Dyed Cork Coasters

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. 

The esteemed judges have spoken and we'd like to congratulate the winning entries!

We received such a diverse and eclectic collection of submissions to the contest with upcycled fish scales turned jewelry, pajamas turned gameboy case and grandma's old tissue box ombréd anew and that's just to name a few.  Such brilliant ideas, must have made for a tough, yet exciting job for our judges. We applaud all the clever, enviro-friendly contestants and thank them for sharing the in the DIY spirit. Actually, I'll be writing more about some of my fave entries, so stay tuned for a follow-up post. But now...

Here's a closer look at the winners' eco-inspiring submissions:

BOHEMIAN CHIC THROW PILLOWS by Glamspoon

Updating boring pillowcovers, our Miss Glam recycled some old yellow floral fabric to create a ruffly spiral on each pillow. Using an earthy brown overdye, she conjured up a lovely, nostalgic, textured appeal to this home decor staple.

COCOON by Amanda

By mulching up old newspaper and magazines into paper pulp, Amanda sprays the Rit-dyed, mushy mixture onto a form. When it's dry it's a simple, yet perfect CD case giving techie data storage, a cool tactile, handmade look.

GRANNY BE GONE by Youresewcool

This refashionista found a tired nylon nightie in need of a new life. After an initial color splash in purple dye and with a little nip, tuck n' a stitch, she had herself quite the hip new look.

And there you have it. Thanks again to all generous eco-crafters that entered our contest. We hope the submissions will inspire other crafters to recycle, reuse and repurpose whenever they can. By saving something from the dustbin, I say we're all winners !