Showing posts with label utility jacket. Show all posts
Showing posts with label utility jacket. Show all posts

Always Do It Yourself

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Sometimes it's easier and more convenient to buy pieces already made. Sometimes it's better when you add your own details and embellishments.Today I'm sharing with you guys a few DIYs that I've done this past weekend. The first is my turquoise blue blazer. I bought it when Goodwill had a 50% off sale. The blazer fit well but it had a small hole in the back. I really liked the color so I bought it knowing that I will come up with something to cover it up. What I came up with was lace. I used a lace curtain and cut it across the back of the blazer. I used fray stop to stop the ends from fraying and unraveling. I hand stitched the lace around the edges.




Next is another jacket I found at Goodwill. This jacket has many more holes but it gives it a worn in and edgy look. I added iron-on patches to the back of the jacket. I used gold stars and created a trail from top to bottom. I applied a music note patch on one of the sleeves. I also added stars to one of the front pockets as my armed forces insignia. I'm not sure what rank 3 stars are but I'm calling myself a captain. On the opposite pocket I made a patch with my last name. If you're not aware, I have a hyphenated last name and I used the second one. I got some alphabet stencils and used gold metallic paint. This was fun and easy.




Third is a army jacket that I was asked to help fix up last week. Keia was going on a trip to Miami and really wanted to bring the jacket. There were lots of rips all across the back and one huge hole at the bottom. At first, I wasn't sure if it could be repaired but I did some research and got some ideas. Mel also gave me a couple of suggestions. I glued black fabric on the inside of the jacket to cover up the holes. I then applied gold metallic paint around the edges of the holes to make it stand out. I also cut a few extra holes in round and crazy shapes to even it out a bit. I added a gold star patch to the outer edges of both front pockets and created 3 rows of gold studs across both shoulder areas. I thought I had more time than I did and because of that, took my time with the project. On Thursday after work around 6:30 pm, she texted me asking for the jacket and I wasn't done! She said it wasn't a big deal but I told her that I'd finish it for the evening. I really wanted to make sure she was able to take it with her on her trip. I wanted to add more to back of the jacket but  it was fine as it was. I think it turned out great. I gave it to her around 9:30 pm that night. Keia said she liked what I had done and that she received many compliments. Cool!

Before
After
For the last DIYs, I sewed my own patterned pockets onto solid color v-neck tees. I measured the original pocket on the shirt and cut the fabric pieces out based on the measurements. I machine stitched around the edges of the fabric. Lastly, I applied fabric glue to the pocket and pressed onto the shirt. This was done to 3 different shirts. I was going to add a pocket to my cream sweatshirt but changed my mind at the last minute and instead applied it to one of the pockets on a pair of cut-offs.






And that's it! What do you think about my DIYs?


Outfit Details:
Blazer - Thrifted Similar 
Sweatshirt - Old Navy Similar
True Religion Jeans - Nordstrom Rack Similar
Boots - Dillards Similar
Arrow Chain - Forever 21 Similar


Goodwill Thrifting

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This past Saturday, Goodwill Stores had a 50% off sale on all apparel and shoes. I haven't been thrifting in a while so I spent my day digging for treasures. I mean, literally the entire day and night. I started at 9 right after my dentist appointment, which by the way, I will have one final appointment for in July. I went to about 4 different Goodwills. I was the last customer in one of them. I also stopped at Buffalo Exchange as they were having a dollar sale on select items to benefit the Humane Society. There were some cool digs but you couldn't try on anything and I didn't like that so I didn't purchase anything from there. I also took a break halfway through the day and chilled with Mel at the Berkeley Flea Market. We ate shrimp and chicken roti from the Caribbean food vendor. It was my first time having one and it's so good. It's thick and very filling. Okay, back to the haul. I scored 16 items for a total of $59. Is that a steal or what? :-) Here are my finds.

Light pink blazer. $6.99


Old school denim blazer. This jacket is big on me but I couldn't pass it up. 
I will be altering it myself and I can't wait until it's done. $4.49


Casual Corner teal blazer. $3.99


The back of the blazer has a small hole but I really like the color so
 I am going to cover it up with lace from a curtain that I found for 99 cents. 
Finished jacket coming soon. 


Forest/tree bark patterned utility jacket. It has small holes here and there but the ruggedness 
of it is appealing. $5.49


Ann Taylor Loft red orange dress slacks. I love the gold button embellishments.
$4.99

J Crew floral ankle pants. My first item by this brand. $4.49


Gap cobalt blue broken in khakis $4.49


These are capris that I will cut shorter to about a 5 to 7 inch inseam. $3.99


Bongo high-waisted jeans. Remember Bongo!?! (or am I really showing my age?)
$5.49




I found this vest for Mel. It would look good with a pair of dark blue denim 
and some white chucks or cognac dress shoes. $2.49


Forever 21 navy and cream sleeveless cardigan. 
I usually need a large in their tops but this fits really good. $2.99


Red green and white striped sleeveless button down. 
I can wear this with some cut offs and boots. $2.49


Really colorful floral button down. I like the colors a lot. $3.49


Plain white crew neck tee. It looks pretty good for a white shirt from a thrift shop. 
The white shirts I notice usually have stains or are off white. When I showed it to Mel she
 thought I got it from somewhere else. $1.49




The last item that I bought was a red medium sized heart shaped bowl. 
I put all of my bracelets in it. .99 cents


Do you like to thrift shop? Are there any pieces here that you like?