Customisations

[haute femme]

hmm I'm pretty sure you could control it if you checked on it every few seconds/minutes or so (depending on how hot the water is), then switched to cool water. I may not be correct but it seems logical..

 

[gius]

I washed knits that were terrible on me and now they fit perfectly
I think it's about 40% smaller that a wool item will shrink
I'm sort of doing a test right now actually, not on clothes though

Don't worry if it ends up seemingly too small because if it has shrunk lightly, it may still have the 'knits' in place, and knits stretch...

 

[crepebacksatin]

i guess this is the right place to ask this - does anyone have any ideas on what i can do to make an old fur wearable?

i have my great-grandmother's mink which is really gorgeous but really old-lady. was thinking of bringing it in to be re-done in a more modern style, but honestly i can't see myself ever wearing a full-on fur coat or jacket, so matter how interesting...

does anyone have any ideas? i was thinking the fur could be the lining for a jacket... or it could line a big wrap with an interesting fabric that would be worn on the outside, like a woven wool suiting or something? or maybe i could have a big, crazy hat made? what do i do with this thing?

 

[softgrey]

I washed knits that were terrible on me and now they fit perfectly
I think it's about 40% smaller that a wool item will shrink
I'm sort of doing a test right now actually, not on clothes though

Don't worry if it ends up seemingly too small because if it has shrunk lightly, it may still have the 'knits' in place, and knits stretch...

i would say you just got lucky...
sometimes it works and sometimes it doesnt'...

for example...
it may shrink perfectly in length but not in width...
or the body will be perfect- but now the sleeves are too short...

it;s just really hard to predict and even harder to control...

the 'check often' theory sounds good...but believe me- in real life it just doesn't mean anything..

it's really luck of the draw...whenever you do this..
you take your chances...

**that said...
if you aren't wearing it anyway...why not give it a shot?...


crepeback-
i like the idea of a hat and also the idea of a little collar or shoulder piece..

see the balenciaga fw 07 show for shoulder bits...
a little cropped jacket or capelet is also cute imo...
or how about a bag?...like a messenger bag or something..

 

[semolinapilchard]

I made this scarf yesterday after seeing one like it at urbn.

It was my boyfriends old tee shirt.

funny. i just made one yesterday as well, only i hammed up the fringe a bit. turned out nicely.

 

[Alejandro]

well today i got busy while dyeing my blacks, and i had this light grey tee that i wasn't wearing because it was too heathery for me, but the fabric was super soft, and i felt like id wear it more in black.

but then i thought that i should ombre' the tee...

this was an easy project, basically i wet down the tee and i dipped the top end into a bucket with concentrated black dye, and kept dipping in and out, until i reached the right amount of fading, which was done smoothly by wetting the shirt even more so it bleeds evenly and smoothly. then the neckline part i left sitting on the dye for a few minutes so it took in more color and the contrast was more obvious.

the bottom part will be lighter as it dries so im very excited on how good it came out... maybe i'll start playing around with some grey cigarette pants that i hardly wear for the same reason.

 

[gius]

oh my god that's awesome, alejandro !!!!
are you using Rit Dye ???
i should try using these store-bought dyes
I always had a feeling it might not be a good quality and might wash out

 

[Alejandro]

yes! rit dye straight out of the bottle

the rit out of a bottle is very good cause its concentrated, i buy lots of them to keep my blacks fresh, the trick is, to add some salt to the load of clothes while its dying so it goes on even. Make sure the water is very very hot when dyeing, and then when you put it in the wash, do it on cold water. And forever after wash your darks in cold to retain the color.

trust me i dye all of my blacks once a month and they always keep so nice.

 

[iyemstoopid]

wow alejandro that is a really good one! looks REALLY nice
I'll have to give it a go soon.

 

[crepebacksatin]

^^ that ombre dyeing looks so good!! i love how it fades to the heathered grey.

 

[daniellat]

I don't know if there's a discussion regarding tips on how to... if so, please merge. B)

Okay fashionistas, what's the tip on how to get a loose and roomy KNIT sweater (ex. argyles, pullovers, button-downs) to shrink and fit your body to perfection or at least close to it?

*would appreciate it if you can explain in detail or list on how to do it. thanks.

If its wool it will definitely shrink but not in proportion, it may shrink from the upper lower parts and not from the sides, etc. and the fabric will lose its softness. if its a really steady knit you can sew it and cut it from the sides so it fits more your body, the collar and hem may be more difficult cause most of the times they have a special knit so if you cut it you may ruin your whole sweater. just make sure you are using a nice sewing machine and make strong seams.

 

[oceanharlot]

awesome customization Ale!! it came out great, nice smooth gradation.

 

[Jenna-maria]

sleazie ninja- How did you do that t-shirt? i mean, how did you put that picture on the t-shirt. I so wanna make my own t-shirts, put james dean pic on it, but just don´t know how?!?!
i have the pic on my computer....
any help would be fantastic!!!! thankyou

 

[gius]

jenna-maria it could be an iron-on transfer

 

[Jenna-maria]

Oh i will try that. thankyou *hugs*^

 

[thenamesvint]

These are some tees I've designed for my label. First 2 are hand painted..3rd is screenprinted.

 

[softgrey]

ale- that looks so fantastic...
i totally want to try that next time i do a batch!...


thanks for sharing...

 

[MUXU]

alejandro! i love that ombre effect!! makes me want to dye a dress or shirt like that!

anyways...i customized my boring black plastic head band i got from primark into a a lolita headdress that i always wanted. it's made of red and white felt, quickly made so not very greatly done, but oh well...

 

[softgrey]

woah muxu...
charming headband......


i decided to resurrect a pair of old beloved granny boots...
i polished them up and changed the laces to grosgrain ribbon...
quite pleased with the end result...

 

[SwanDiamondRose]

this is a great book on customizing vintage clothes. i hope this isn't out of place here. if so, sorry, i haven't been on in a while.

The Yestermorrow Clothes Book: How To Remodel SecondHand clothes by Diana Funaro