I’m sorry, but did you say velvet?
Yes. I. Did!
I’ve always been a closet velvet fan and I’m so thrilled that velvet is getting the love it deserves lately. I can’t wait for colder temperatures so I can drape myself in velvet especially the perfect blue velvet dress I’m going to refashion for our Christmas party.
Apparently, all the cool designers like Oscar de la Renta are putting velvet down the runways this fall, including our cool Refashion Runway designers.
Let’s see what they’ve been up to this week and don’t forget to vote for your favorite at the bottom of this post.
*****************************************************************
Michel from Buttons and Birdcages
“As time has passed, I’ve noticed my style has changed as well. When I first
started refashioning, I was really into the super retro 50’s look.
Nowadays, I lean more toward the 60’s/70’s/boho look. And since moving to
California I’ve been *especially* in love with the festival style that
seems to surround the Southern part of the state.
Velvet is such a fun fabric with a really unique look. At first I was
nervous I wouldn’t find anything that inspired me, but as soon as I came
across this thrift-store robe I had an immediate flash of what to do with
it. I removed the sleeves, took it in on the sides and in the back,
shortened the whole thing, and then used the sleeve cuffs to adorn the leg
covers I created using fabric from the bottom of the robe.
I love this piece now because I can wear it different ways depending upon
where I’m going/how I’m feeling. Definitely excited to wear this one out
this weekend 🙂
Looking forward to seeing what everyone else came up with, thanks again for
organizing this again!
Michel”
******************************************************************
Carissa from Carissa Knits.
“I felt like this 90s crushed velvet dress was too much of a good thing. I
loved the color and the strappy back detailing, but it was too tight and
too long for my taste. So I decided to cut it in half and make two separate
garments from it. I removed the shoulder pads and sleeves and chopped the
skirt off right at the waist. Then I attached a sheer polka dot yoke from a
refashion years ago. I also swapped out the polka dot collar for a velvet
Peter Pan style collar, made from the sleeves of my original dress.
For the velvet torso, I finished off the armhole edges. Then I used more
fabric from the sleeves to create a bottom band for my new cropped top. It
pairs perfectly with a high-waisted floral skirt that got a quick chop job
to shorten it a bit. I’m so looking forward to wearing both of these when
it’s *not* over 100 degrees out there!”
*****************************************************************
Jen from Diary of a MadMama:
“I was so excited when I found out that Beth was hosting another season of
Refashion Runway, and ecstatic when she asked me to participate.
I started out with this huge velvet dress and this floral print top (also
velvet).
They definitely weren’t very flattering on me as is.
I used a portion of the black dress to make into a skirt and using a
leftover piece of elastic from a previous refashion, connected it to the
shirt at the waistline.
I wanted to make a Peter Pan collar for the shirt, so I traced from the
middle of the neckline to the side shoulder seam and then drew a Peter Pan
shaped collar, freehand.
Using my newly drawn pattern, I cut out some black velvet from the top
scrap of my dress, as well as some interfacing and black and white,
polka-dot cotton material for the backing.
After sewing the pieces together and then attaching them to the shirt, I
tacked the collar down here and there to keep it in place.
I really like how the black collar adds a bit of panache.
Once the collar was finished, I shortened the sleeves to 3/4-length.
I love how comfy this dress is and I know I’ll get a lot of wear out of it
once the temperatures drop. (It was over 90-degrees when I had these
pictures taken! Phew!)
If you want to see more of this refashion, head on over to my blog, Diary
of a MadMama
~Jen”
**********************************************************************
Gema from Sequins and Slippers
“SO! HELLO!
I still can’t believe I’m part of the ‘All Stars’ line-up! Such incredible
women in this year’s edition – and I just *can’t wait* to see what everyone
comes up with!
For the first challenge, ‘velvet’, I struggled to find any garments in the
shops to work with – and ended up using something I made myself for a
wedding, back in November…
Although it was ‘fit for purpose’ back then, I wasn’t sure I’d wear it
again, so this was the perfect excuse to cut into it!
I removed the huge cowl neck, and bodice, played around with all sorts of
looks (I really wasn’t sure WHAT I was doing!), and in the end feel like I
came up with something summer-y. And 1940’s -ish… or is that just me?
I made spaghetti straps, added floral decoupage to the neckline, and
tailored the bodice to be more close fitting. In keeping the high-lo hem,
there’s a lot of movement to the dress now… it’s ready to dance in
now…. anyone? No? OK… I’ll just dance with Rod then! 🙂
I loved this challenge, even if I found it a little tricky; the thought of
all these fab women doing exactly the same thing, at the same time, spurred
me on!
Big velvet hugs,
Gema x”
******************************************************************
Susan from Second Chances by Susan
“I was so excited and honored when Beth contacted me to participate in this season of
Refashion Runway! As she mentioned in an earlier post, we are in the middle of a
new home project. Actually, we are in the beginning stages….excavating a hillside
for the past several weeks. So, sewing is a welcome change from my current job of
scooping and dumping dirt with our tractor. And when I say dirt, I mean MOUNTAINS
of dirt. My husband excavates the dirt and rocks faster than I can move them. But,
you’re not here to listen to me rant about piles of dirt!
I was even more excited when Beth announced that the first challenge was velvet. I
have had a black strapless velvet dress in my refashion closet for awhile now. I
always thought it would make a good holiday party dress. The problem was, though,
that the holidays were always so busy I never got around to it. Thanks to this
challenge, I am now prepared for this years parties!
I started with a black velvet dress that had a wonderful embossed design around the
hemline, a sequined blouse, and a velveteen collar leftover from a previous
refashion.
I married the two pieces together after taking in the blouse to make it more fitted.
I added the collar to the neckline and then finished it off with a beaded brooch.
I cut off the lower 6” of lining and replaced it with cream colored satin to make
the cut out detail really stand out.
I even used the lower half of the blouse to make a matching sequined clutch.
I accessorized with a a beaded flower ring, pearls, and velveteen heels.
By the way, this is a far cry from what I wear when working on the tractor!
A more detailed tutorial will soon be posted on my blog, Second Chances By Susan.
Good luck to all the ladies, and happy sewing!”
***************************************************************
Mary from Thrifty Chic
“Hi Everyone!
I am thrilled to be participating in this season of Refashion Runway!
Velvet? I have to say that I have NEVER used it or worn it before. When I was asked to participate in this contest, I had to think about what kind of velvet I would wear. I never refashion anything that I don’t actually wear as it would just take up space in my life. It had to be functional. I found this great velvet dress at Goodwill, but it was a 1X and way too matronly!. BUT, I could picture it as a cocktail top for a holiday party worn with jeans. I don’t have the lifestyle to wear formal dresses, so this is what it had to be! Reshaping the bodice to show more shoulder and fit properly was not that hard, but reshaping the skirt took hours!!! I can’t wait for the holidays to wear it!!! I had to take a separate picture so you could see how the garment catches the light! Below you can see the before and after.”
*******************************************************************
Marisa from The Refash Stash
“Hey readers! I have always thought of velvet as a very fancy fabric, only to be worn
for holidays and special occasions. For this challenge I went with a sort of
Victorian theme, which was actually by accident but that’s the way it came out!
I started with 1 pants suit and 2 dresses all in velvet!
I replaced the top of the
pants suit with the top of a maroon velvet dress. I opened the pants seams of the
pants suit and inserted a panel of the patterned velvet dress.
Next Accessories:
I used a black velvet skirt to make into a small drawstring handbag. I used a
starburst stitch to decorate my new handbag.
I made a velvet cape to pair with my Victorian style dress. I cut off the sleeves of
the jacket and sewed up the arm holes. I then added the patterned velvet material to
the collar. Lastly, I added a frog closure to the front to fasten my cape.
Sort of Downton Abbey-esque, is it not?! I am actually very happy with the way it
turned out. My happy accident!
Happy Refashioning!!!
Marisa”
***************************************************************************
OK, now it’s your turn,
Vote for your favorite designer by clicking next to their name and then scrolling to the bottom of the poll and clicking on the vote button.
The Renegade Seamstress 
Wow! really tough choice. All the ladies did great.
Thank you for voting, Floy!
I love this! So inspiring.
Thanks for joining us, Deborah!!!
The clicking on the name & voting didn’t work. I vote for Second Chances but Susan!
Sent from my iPad2 – Kim
Hi Kam,
Thanks for trying to vote. Sometimes it looks like the voting doesn’t work when it actually did go through. If you try to vote again and it doesn’t let you, then that means your first vote counted. I hope this helps.
Beth
Some excellent refashioning very difficult to choose a favourite.
I totally agree, Helen!! 🙂
Trying to vote. Difficult to choose only one but Thrifty Chic, is my first choice Very interesting seeing the refashion ideas Janice
Sent from my iPad
>
Thanks so much for voting, Janice!
Wow, a REALLY tough choice. All brilliant refashions, no little skill on show here. Congratulations to all the refashioneers 👍👍👍
I agree, they all did an amazing job. Always fun to see what they design. 🙂
Love how summery Gema has made the dress now.
🙂
Very creative! It was difficult to choose just one
I agree. So much talent!!
Great, modern transformation!
Thanks so much for joining us, Kristine!!
This was a very tough choice.
Carissa Knits is one of my favorite “blog follows”. I’ve applied many of her refashion techniques to my own. I love the sheer polka dot yoke addition. Very pretty.
Michel’s refashion of a velvet robe was very creative. I love the dress appearance after the sleeves were removed. Attractive neckline.
Second Chances by Susan stole the show for me though. The simple addition to the underskirt to enhance the cut through set the dress off completely. I love the neckline. She gets my vote.
Next on my “learning” list is how to refashion necklines and sleeves. That seems to be ‘the thing’ that makes a refashion jump out.
Great, great job ladies!
Thank you so much for all of your lovely comments, Trudy!!
I love the refashions – great creativity by everyone, but the fact is I don’t see any velvet. I see velveteen, velour, plush, but no velvet. Also, the photo of the red fabric used to introduce the subject is SATIN. Come on, please. Respect the medium. Learning about sewing, and teaching about it, means knowing the differences between fabrics.
Hi Evalyn,
Thank you for taking the time comment. Refashion Runway is meant to be wide open and a friendly sewing competition. We’re pretty easy going here. These ladies aren’t going to get much for all of their time and effort in participating, except maybe some new friends and a gift card. Real velvet is hard to find so the other options are all doable. I guess the opening photo could look like satin, but it actually is velvet. I hope you had a chance to vote for your favorite. Have a wonderful weekend!
Beth
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Great job Mary!
🙂
I love when you do Refashion Runway!!! So inspiring and fun! I may try to sew along a little this time! Thanks for organizing this!!!!!
Oh, I do hope you sew along, Karen. If you do, be sure to send me a picture of your before and after so I can post it the next week. 🙂
Beautiful job from all the competitors. I do wish they all had the refashions posted on their blog when you go live with the email. I usually don’t vote just from the photos, I like to go and look at the progress as they created their refashions.
Good idea, Ingrid.
Not sure if my vote for Susan (Second CHances) went through.
Thanks for voting! You can check to see if your vote went through by trying to vote again. If it won’t let you, then that means your first vote went through. Hope this helps. 🙂
So hard to choose just one! I always love how all participants come up with such different garments, and I really like how so many of these ladies made matching accessories! 🙂 Lisa
Thanks so much for your wonderful comment! I always look forward to seeing how each of these creative ladies interpret the challenge. So many great ideas. They all inspire me.
Miche’s creation is fantastic! So modern
🙂
Good luck Mary!!
🙂
Love Susan’s outfit. I’d wear it out anywhere. Marisa’s my second fave with her romantic take and accessories. Lots of great ideas from everyone.
Thanks for taking the time to give these creative women some love! I’m sure you brightened their day. 🙂
I vote for Carissa Knits.
On Sat, Aug 6, 2016 at 5:53 AM, The Renegade Seamstress wrote:
> The Renegade Seamstress posted: “I’m sorry, but did you say velvet? Yes. > I. Did! I’ve always been a closet velvet fan and I’m so thrilled that > velvet is getting the love it deserves lately. I can’t wait for colder > temperatures so I can drape myself in velvet especially the perfect bl” >
🙂
All are great but Clarissa gets my vote for her two-fer!
🙂
Sweet!
🙂
Beautiful fashions!!!
Thanks for taking the time to comment and vote, Cecilia!
Love how so many of the source garments are burgundy! Great work all.
I was surprised by that too, Naomi. Thanks for joining in on the fun!!! 🙂
Love them all!! I’m rooting for Carissa this round.
Thanks so much for voting and commenting, Abigail. I know these talented women appreciate you taking the time to comment on their work. 🙂
Velvet is not easy to sew and everyone did a great job. It was really hard to choose but, in the end, it came down to Jen and Marisa for me. I voted for Jen because her dress is cute and it is something that I would wear. Great job ladies!
Thanks so much for voting Debra!
I can see this season of refashioning is going to be tough. I’ve changed my mind several times, but I’ going to go with my first choice.
I agree, all of these women are “rock stars” in my book. 🙂
Just FYI for all you seamstresses out there. I found four huge panels of gorgeous 100% cotton velvet (or velveteen) at a local thrift store not too long ago. I picked it up not knowing exactly what I’d make with them, but for about $10 I got over 10 yds. of fabric! I always check the linens and drapery sections of thrift stores for bargains.
Great score, Rozy!! I’d love to see what you end up making with your velvet. 🙂
Yay! It’s my favorite time of year! I enjoyed reading about all of the refashions – all the ladies are so very talented and they inspire me – each one! My daughter and I enjoy voting every week – it was terribly hard because I love velvet and wanted to vote for all of the ladies – great job was done by all!
Hi Kelli,
This is my favorite time of the year, too. I just wish we could do this more often. But it’s fun to do while we’re waiting for the next season of Project Runway to get here. 🙂
Have a wonderful Sunday!
Beth
So talented! It’s adorable and so are you!! You go girl!
🙂 Thanks for your sweet comment, Sally!
Beautiful dress!
🙂
I guess the voting is over or I just can’t figure it out. I wanted to vote for Marisa.
Hi Brenda, you can still vote
Some really great ideas. Way to go ladies.
I’M amaze at thé imagination of these ladies …
But even though all the realisations are great, Susan’s dress is just so beautiful and classy.
Ok, the winner clearly is Susan. She knocked it out of the park.
Beautiful work Marisa!
Love them all, but i adore Marissa’s Renaissance themed look
I loved seeing all the creations! I had to vote for Susan. Beautiful!
I love the cutaway in the skirt. So cute!
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Lovely work, everyone!
Congrats to all for using this fabric and designing in the hot weather!
Too hard to choose – all fabulous!
This was a tough one! I loved the dress by Susan but I would wear the heck out of Mary’s refashion. Can I pick two?
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It took me a while to finally vote on just one. Very talented ladies make this a tough competition.
Oh my…Susan’s design is beyond creative, skillful and beautiful! Hats off to you Susan!!
Keep doing you! You’re Golden!
Wow was it hard to vote for just one!! Everyone is so creative. All you ladies did great jobs! I was leaning towards Susan’s dress, then I saw Mary’s top and thought, “Oh wait”, then came Marisa’s three-into-one and I was, “Oh my gosh”. Each of the ladies did such inspiring work and you are all winners. Unfortunately I can only pick one and I finally went with Susan. This was so much fun. Thanks Beth.
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Couldn’t vote the other way, but I’m going with Susan on this one. Love them all, though!
some really creative juices flowing here! Great job!
I want to vote for Carrisa. I can see myself wearing those dresses.
Fun transformation!
Looks like a blast to wear.
Oh to be young again. I love Michelle’s style.
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Gema is the bestop and should win
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