Some people have found the most creative ways to spend their time at home during the novel coronavirus.
When Caitlin Trantham of Jacksonville, North Carolina, found herself with extra time on her hands, the military wife and mom of three decided to try something new. She’s always loved vintage clothing but had never gotten around to transforming pieces of her own. As it turns out, she excels at giving new life to old things!
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“I began sewing about seven years ago, and I started with quilting,” Caitlin said. “I just started really experimenting with clothing this year! When quarantine hit, I had a ton of time to practice and make a bunch of projects.”
She decided to create her epic looks for less by shopping exclusively at thrift shops. She has a limit of $10 per item, but most of her finds are between $3 and $6!
“Not only does it obviously save money, but being able to reuse and up-cycle things is great for our environment,” the crafty mom added. “Beyond that, I love the thrill of the hunt! I have found some really amazing pieces along the way.”
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Her impressive creations have won her fans online. They love watching her take an outdated or unflattering dress and transform it into a cute, modern look – like the summer dress above!
When it comes to making project selections, she considers several factors like “embroidery, a fun vintage print, embellishments, or anything else that could make a garment special.” She continued, “Then I analyze the material – am I going to be able to manipulate this? Is it going to fight me? The last thing I look at is closures: buttons and zippers, all that stuff. I need to make sure they can be moved or altered to fit my ideas.”
The end results are absolutely stunning! You can find some of our favorites below.
1. “This 80s beast had so many layers, fabric that frayed, and shoulder pads… PLUS bonus stiff ruffled fabric in the shoulders.”
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2. “Here’s my 80s bridesmaid dress turned perfect pink 50s party dress.”
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3. “This dress was new with tags (I wonder why? LOL) from Goodwill, and I was able to turn it into this super cute sundress!”
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4. “This makeover was way harder than I expected. I had to do a lot of creative cutting and piecing to get everything in place.”
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5. “Honestly, I can’t even believe THAT shirt turned into THIS dress. I cut out the bodice using another dress as a pattern, and just winged everything else. I changed out the buttons and found the most perfect belt at Goodwill!”
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6. “I got a big 60s baddie vibe from the blue floral lace. I knew I could make a cool date night dress!”
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7. “This was my second attempt at anything tulle. The first one failed miserably.”
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8. “From mom at the park to date night.”
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Best of all, she explains exactly what patterns she uses so the rest of us can follow her lead! This is such a creative way to spend free time. While she makes it look easy, we’re definitely impressed by her skill, vision, and talent!
Share this story to inspire other sewers to take their crafting to the next level.
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