Cosmetic Surgery

It's been a full week since I last posted, and I have been very busy. I could be packing the house to get ready to move (we're doing a gradual move, since it's just a short walk over there), but I haven't. I could even be making the curtains for the new house. I haven't been doing that yet, either (though I did wash and iron the fabric for them). Instead, I've been doing a little cosmetic surgery.

Those who know me know that I could probably do with a little redux on the girls, but somebody's got to produce the baby's milk around here, so they're staying (not to mention the scary possible side effects of such an operation). And, I've just started to get a few wrinkles, so it's not botox, either. Actually, it's not even me who is undergoing surgery. It's my wardrobe. After my last couple of pregnancies, I refused to buy clothes to fit my temporary post-pregnancy figure. Well, I bought clothes - just not pretty ones. Whenever I saw a largish shirt for under $3, I bought it. Didn't matter if it was a man's shirt or a woman's shirt. Now, I've got a hefty stock of them and some large ones that were gifted to me.

The other day over at Pocket Farm, Liz mentioned Wardrobe Refashion. I popped over for a second to take a look. That second turned into a couple of hours of searching online for inspiration and ways to change my frumpy clothes into something at least a little more flattering and feminine (keeping in mind that no amount of sewing is going to give me back the girlish figure of yesteryear). And inspiration I did find. Lots of it, actually. So, I set about deconstructing and revamping no fewer than 6 shirts. Some surgeries only ended up making a more figure forming fit. Others entailed completely transforming the garment into something a little more fun. They aren't all 100% perfect, but none is a complete flop. All in all, I'd say I've learned some fun things, and perhaps buying new clothes has now become a thing of the past for me. Why not pay much, much less for that large mumu at a thrift shop if I like the fabric (okay, well, not likely with a mumu, but you get my point) and concoct something original and all my own? Who says once you hit your thirties it's too late to develop a unique sense of style? Alright, my husband implied it, but whatever. What does he know? He's the same guy who will willingly go out in public in the holey t-shirts and stained pants he works in.

Unfornately, I was so inspired, I got right to it without taking many before pictures. I promise to take some afters. Besides, the one or two befores will be more than enough for you to get the idea of what my before wardrobe looked like. It's all basically a bunch of large button-downs that are way too long and make my torso look like a large roll of fat (as opposed to the large lumps up top and the smaller roll around the spot where actual inward curves can be found now that I've restructured the shirts a bit).

So, when I finish overheating the sewing machine with all this extra work, I'll take a few shots of my "new" clothes. In the meantime, just imagine me with an ear-to-ear smile as a I maniacally chop at my old clothes with a huge pair of metal scissors. That is actually a pretty good description of me while I'm working. I'm so happy about finally feeling less frumpy that I am giddy with the excitement of how the next shirt is going to turn out.

In knitting news, I also have a felted hat-turned-bag that I am working on. I think it's going to be really cute. I'll show it once the lining and zipper are in.