Anthropologize

Anthropologize: verb. 1. to modify or augment an item so that it appears to be have been purchased at a usually overpriced store with a fetish for the unique 2. to make something mass produced look handmade through the artful addition of details

This post starts with a story.  Many moons ago, I was offered a job a few days after graduation from college.  They wanted me to start within 2 days.  I talked them up to 5 or so, which allowed me enough time to find an apartment, move a suitcase full of stuff and an air mattress into that apartment (having sent the majority of my belongings home with my parents mere days before while I informally subletted a room in some friends' rented house), and desperately shop for a work wardrobe on a very limited budget. 

One of the things I purchased was this boring green cardigan from Target.  I'm going to guess that I paid about $10 for it; it had to have been pretty cheap because I bought an identical white one at the same time.  I wore it all the time when I first started working since I owned approximately 5 work appropriate tops.  Over the years, I built a more extensive work wardrobe and the boring green sweater fell out of favor.  Why wear this when I could wear a purple or teal or yellow or grey-with-embroidered-birds cardigan?  It was retired to the laundry drawer--the bottom drawer I desperately rummage through at 7:15 on a weekday morning when all my other work clothes are dirty. 

I decided it was time to make something more of this sweater.  I looked through my scrap fabric and cut out some shapes.  I arranged them and tried to sew them on with the machine.  Tried is the operative word, as I used the seam ripper and detached them from the sweater.  I cut out replacement shapes, rearranged, and sewed them on by hand.  I found some beads in a bag of craft supplies and sewed them on as well.

Ta da!  Anthropologized.

I'll admit that I don't love it yet.  I'm afraid the black beads on the yellow look too much like cheetah, especially from a distance, which isn't really my style. I might have liked it better when it was just the leaf shapes.  Any thoughts or suggestions?  No beads?  Different beads?

Even though it's still a work in progress, I feel very industrious in taking something that I rarely used and making it more fun and special.  It's the first real "wardrobe remake" that I've tried, and it has emboldened me.  Next up: "J.Crewifying" a tank top?

Inspiration Fulfilled

It's been a stressful week for me.  However, I am excited to share my newest completed dress.  In fact, it turned out to be fortuitous that I waited to post it. 

If you'll recall, I was inspired by the Anthropologie Grand Island dress and confident I could recreate it.  I was possibly a bit too confident and ran into some difficulties.  Since I was working without a pattern, I had to base it off measurements and clothing I already owned.  This led to the first draft being a giant tube of fabric.  I always think that I don't want it too tight, and so I should add a little ease to it.  I also make sure to remember that I'll have seams.  Then I end up with giant things that would fit two of me.

After significant trimming and way too much staring at the pictures posted on Anthropologie's website to figure out exactly how all the pieces fit together, I ended up with the following.

I don't think it looks much like the original, but I like the end result.  The collar is admittedly difficult, but I think that pinning it into submission with a vintage daisy stick pin is a good solution. 

Also, you might notice that I'm not wearing the dress, yet it is supported by a vaguely human form.  This week my husband and I celebrated the 3 year anniversary of our engagement.  We're dorky like that, because why just celebrate our wedding anniversary when we can have two anniversaries?  We usually do small gifts for such semi-pseudo celebrations--for comparison, I bought him a pretty bowl for ice cream and cereal to replace one he liked that was broken--but Ben was an overachiever, now as ever.  He'd seen dressforms on sale and bought one a month or two ago.  He planned to keep it until a real holiday, like Christmas, but he wanted me to have it now since I've been sewing more.  He also wanted me to have the opportunity to return it in case I didn't like it.  Fat chance; it's fantastic!  I can take pictures, refine the fit, and step back to see how it looks.  Now it just needs a name.  Ben suggested Chesty La Rue.  I thought about naming it Dennis (or possibly Denise) since it is a dummy.  We are taking additional suggestions.

Inspiration

More sewing here.  I guess I'm on a roll.

I have three weddings coming up in the next few months, and that requires some clothing coordination.  I have to drag out the dresses from my closet and figure out which ones I've worn around each friend group--high school, college, husband's friends, etc.  While I know my friends love me no matter what I wear, I'd prefer not to wear identical outfits to weddings where the same people are in attendance.  I don't want it to turn into the Seinfeld episode where Jerry dates the girl who is wearing the same dress every time he sees her. 

This process inevitably leads me to search for dresses online.  Buying an entirely new dress is an excellent way to ensure you're not wearing the same dress.  In browsing different websites, I ran across this dress at Anthropologie. 

I really like this dress.  The neckline is interesting without being strange, and it's so simple and classic overall.   It's a little casual for an evening wedding, but I think I could make this dress in a similar color but a different, thicker, less wrinkly fabric.  In fact, I went to Jo-Ann's to use my 50% off coupon to buy just such a fabric today.  I think I'm going to lose the buttons down the front and just put in a zipper along the side or back--again, an attempt to make it a little dressier.  But not too dressy, because I'd still like to be able to wear it to work....

I'm already picturing wearing it with my yellow patent leather shoes. I might be a little ahead of myself. 

I'm not sure when I'll start working on it.  I've got a busy week ahead, and I promised my sister a yellow skirt so I've got that on my to do list as well.  We'll see how my projects shake out.  I may be in a bit over my head on this one.