a new kind of fashion show

I have wanted to get into the craft of clothing modification (i.e. making something new out of something old, adornment, etc.) for a really long time now. I love thrift shopping - it is actually the only kind of shopping I do anymore. And I always thought clothing modification would be the perfect companion to thrift shopping, since "perfect" clothing is sometimes difficult to find at a second-hand shop, but clothing with potential is always available.

I've always been a little nervous about cutting something up, and I've been a little skeptical of my ability to sew it back together again. But this weekend I decided to go for it. The first cut felt so liberating and exciting. And the finished project turned out awesome, if I do say so myself.

Some pictures: I forgot to take actual before and after pictures, but I realized that just before I started cutting up the original sweater (it was already pinned and sewed in a couple places). Anyway, the sweater was a men's size large, made of lambswool and in really good shape. I got it from Value Village for $6.99.

I had already cut the sleeves off here, but this give you some idea of how big it was before.
Here's the finished product: an extra-long sweater vest.
I'm so thrilled because it looks exactly how I wanted it to look. It's exciting because I really didn't know that I could figure out how to do something like this.

And all of a sudden, getting dressed seems like an activity with endless possibilities!