A Dollar a Day Challenge: My Quest to Redo My Wardrobe for Almost Nothing

It's summer break for this school teacher, and that means I've challenged myself to all sorts of tasks to complete during the two short months when I have freedom from working 50, 60, and 70 hour weeks at school.  It means I can actually complete, just maybe, a few of the things that I dream of having spare time for during the school year.

This challenge is a very practical one.  My wardrobe has shrunk, mostly because I have worn out many pieces and have also been on a quest to rid my closet of items I don't really like or rarely wear anymore during this past year.  I have also challenged myself to consume less and create more this year, so that means I haven't been buying very many replacement items.  I do, however, have three whole storage tubs and a cardboard box full of clothing items begging to be restyled and fabric begging to be fashioned into clothing.

Maybe I should have said overflowing?

I also have multiple boards on Pinterest full of ideas for said items.

So my challenge is simple.  I have allotted myself one dollar a day to completely redo my wardrobe by using these items.  My goals are simple: to create rather than to consume and to have a new wardrobe before school begins.  Although I will not have time to create every day this summer, I will still allot the one dollar per day.  And for each day that I do create, I will post pictures detailing the reformation of the item or fabric, especially the before and after pictures!  Each blog will detail the stats, the money, used to create the item, and the amount of money I still have allotted to spend on this challenge.

While many of the items I have plans for are for my professional wardrobe, I will be starting off with some items for my summer wardrobe, simply because there is a big family beach trip just around the corner for which I need a few more items.

Day 1 fund: $1

Pinterest: Polar Express Ornament

It's been a long time since I've posted on this blog.  Life has been full of changes and other priorities the last few years, but it has finally become routine enough once again for me to begin crafting a little on the side.

Every Christmas I always have the best intentions of creating handmade gifts for my friends and relatives; the last few Christmases I haven't accomplished any of my projects.  This year, I was excited to finally get a few done!

I found and repinned this idea on Pinterest months ago.  My dad loves Polar Express, so I knew it would be a fun gift for him.

I spent nothing on this gift.  I found a bell in my craft stuff.  It had rust in a few places, so I used a silver paint pen I had to completely repaint it.  I did one side at a time, so it could dry and not get my fingerprints in it!  (I chose to use the paint pen instead of spray painting it because I was afraid spray paint would invade the inside of the bell and cause it to no longer ring.)

After it had dried completely, I printed the tag on cardstock and tied it on with some red satin scrap ribbon I had in my ribbon drawer.  I wrapped it in Santa paper and gave it my dad as a kickstart to our family celebration on Christmas Eve.

He loved it!

Etsy Shop!

I have a shop!  On Etsy!  Check it out here.

My Granny

Several years ago, my great-grandmother, whom I knew as "Granny," passed away.  Granny was a seamstress - she made many quilts, drapes, and items of clothing throughout her 97 years.  So, there was a stash of fabric to go through after her passing.  I found a piece that reminded me of Granny so much that I had to make a quilt out of it.  It was a striped seersucker and I remembered, as a girl, visiting her home in East Texas and sitting on the rocking lawn chairs, with cushions made from this material, on her front porch.

I only had a small piece of fabric - give or take, about a yard.  So I went to JoAnns to find coordinating solids.  Then came the challenge of trying to make a lap quilt with the small amount of fabric.  I finally settled on alternating nine patch blocks and the fence rail pattern.

True to form, I got the top pieced, and then sent it off to the quilter in record time.  My problem always comes when I have to put the binding on.  I do not like binding, but I am too cheap to pay to have it done.  Thus, the procrastination.

Finally, about two years later, I sat down to put on the binding.

And the lap quilt joined the others on my quilt rack.  I think of Granny each time I see it...and it even still seems to smell like her house always did...

Lavender and White

When I was 14, my family built a new house.  And my sister and I got to pick, out of the four upstairs bedrooms, which one we wanted.  We also got to choose how we wanted to decorate the room.  I wanted lavender and white.  But my sister wanted blue and green and pink - in pastels.  So we compromised.  We did all pastels - lavender, blue, green and pink.  Our room came out beautiful - and rather "patchwork-ish," which I love.

In my twenties I moved into my own apartment and I finally had my own bedroom!  I could get my lavender and white room.  So, two years ago, I began the quilt for the bed.

The main fabric - the calico - is one I found in a quilt shop years ago.  My grandmother was with me and she heard my exclamations over the fabric, so she went back later and bought four yards for me.  I had saved it for something special and I decided this was the "something special."

I used the reverse Irish Chain pattern and, after finishing the top, I took it to my friend here in town who has a quilting machine.  She quilted it over a year ago and then it just sat in my pile of unfinished projects...

And sat...

and sat...

Until a few weeks ago.  I finally got the binding on.  And I handsewed it as a watched a movie.  Finally, the quilt is done...six weeks before I move out of my apartment.  O well!  Now I have it for my next bedroom.

Summer...

In the middle of winter, my thoughts turn to summer.  Yes, I know.  I may be unusual.  I like summer.  Even hot Texas summers.  I will say that last summer was a tad hotter than I would have liked, but summer still beats winter.  Hands down.

So, this winter, I have been making beach dresses.  One for my good friend.  One for me.  One for my sister-in-law.  One for another dear friend.  And so on and so forth. 

"Beach dress" is a loose term.  It just means any dress that is summer-y.  The reason I started calling them "beach dresses" is because some of us are planning a beach trip together for this summer.  So, of course, we are going to wear our dresses.

I actually started on my one friend's dress last June.  It is a linen look white eyelet - a piece that had been sitting in the fabric stash for years.  I combined two Simplicity patterns to create the look that my friend wanted.

I had the best intentions.  I was going to complete the dress for her to wear last summer.  Somehow, these things never happen in my overcommitted life.  Finally, in November, just in time for my friend's birthday, I finished the dress.

Now, she lives in Michigan.  Michigan is cold.  Especially this time of the year.  (Just call me Captain Obvious.)  But my dear friend very creatively "layered" and changed the sash/shawl into a scarf.  Then she had her sister take pictures and sent me the pictures.  Isn't she just beautiful?

Burp Rags

Now for the second part of the project :-).  After making the flannel baby blankets, I combined the smaller pieces of flannel to make 10 baby burp rags.  See?  Aren't they cute?

They are now listed in my boutique...$3 each or $5 for two.  Go pick some!