This black lace shrug comes from a frumpy neglige (last pic). I threw it up on the dress form and started cutting the lace trim and then pinned it back into place at a shrug length. Then took the extra cut-away lace that was hanging down and tucked it into the bustle of fabric created in back. I finished by putting a few more gathers in back to draw the bustle into one big train. The sleeves just had to be taken up so I folded and folded and gathered and tucked and voila!
s

First Shrug I DIY'd...it came out lovely if I do say so myself! Sorry to brag!
It originates from an 80's boxy jacket. I cut off a bunch of the length, took up some fabric with darts/seams at the bottom so it would be fitted around body and added a velvet binding. Pretty simple actually.


This one was the next one I did after the houndstooth shrug. This was an old blazer I'd had for a few years that just totally lost it's appeal--especially after I moved to the heat! I flipped the collar up and folded & stitched down the lapels and added gold military buttons. It also had lots of tucks that created an interesting back.



This is one of my latest that is up on Ebay right now. Not sure if it will appeal to the die-hards but I thought it turned out great--not only because it's cute but because I used almost every single inch of fabric. It started as a dumpy vest (see bottom pic) that I cut 11" off of, added little sleeve caps, neck cuff and tab-n-buckle (from the back cincher).



Okay, last one: This is my attempt at a "Waistcoat Shrug" and I was pleased with the results. You really can't go too wrong with Victorian Era clothes--they're just SO fabulous, no?! Cut it to shape, did the collar flip and instead of laying down the lapels, I left them up and did a "french cuff" closure treatment. Also, I had a cinch-clip laying around (think it came off of a yucky old 80's playsuit--super ICK) and covered it with self-fabric to give the waist a little more shape.

Rested and Refreshed

After having some time to catch up on badly needed sleep (mother of 2 young-uns), I have re-visited my calling to improving old or ugly, worn or dated or just plain boring clothes with a focus on Neo-Victorian or Steampunk aesthetic. I have always been an historical clothing fan and now have the chance to put my own spin on that era's clothing. I love that there are lots of folks out there who are keeping the regal and proper attire alive from the Victorian age by dressing up and carrying out Live Action Role Play (LARP) and going to conventions and having parties where the people are polite, the guns are extremely creative DIY and the clothes are amazing! I'll be sharing some projects I've done and some that are still in my head (everything comes out organically on the dress form--I almost never sketch ideas for clothing).

This black pinstripe shrug is from a basic contemporary jacket I picked up at a thrift store. I chose to leave the back unfitted as I liked the way it stood out, giving it a sculptural feel.