

To all Fashion and Costume D I Y- ers and Aspiring Designers
What I Found and what I Did With it
See some Re-fashion Projects I’ve completed. You will find photos and videos showing how an outfit can be assembled from scratch, using raw materials and patterns; or from outdated fashions from your closet, thrift finds, and re-purposed household items. The focus will be on Refashioning, Re-purposing, Refurbiishing and Thrifting.
Most of my design projects will be illustrated in layered sequence; showing how the design was created, as each fashion element was added to, or subtracted from the model.
There will also be videos of outfits re-created from thriftshop “finds” and re-purposed household items
Whether you found it at one of your thrift-shop haunts; or a friend passed it onto you because she wasn’t wearing any more and “its just your colour”. It’s a little out-of-date; but that beautiful green does match your eyes perfectly! This Blog is about making that item work for you.
Little Hippie-style Tent Dress
From Vintage Graduation Gown to Hippie-style Tent Dress
Project # 0000
Details:
This 80s Graduation Gown was discovered at a yard sale last spring! It was a semi-rainy Saturday morning with an impending storm looming by. It was my last stop on

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Hi, I’m Maralaina. I am a fashion and costume designer.
Inspiring Illustration and new tools for those who like to design and/or make their own outfits, are what I’ve been working on The main focus will be on Refashioning, Re-purposing and Thrifting.
The layered sequence; shows how the design was created, as each fashion element was added to, or subtracted from the model.
There will also be videos of outfits re-created from thriftshop “finds” and re-purposed household items.
My projects often do not include sewing detail; since I am usually too focused on snipping and stitching toward my NEW Outfit to be snapping pictures, or recording narratives. For this reason, I will often post a link to an online site (crediting the author) to a DIY Tutorial that inspired me or where I’ve seen a similar project explained in more detail.There are so many excellent detailed sewing tutorials online these days. If you own an image or tutorial that you’d prefer I not link to, please email me at [email protected]
I’m usually not wearing my “photographer hat” or my “blogging hat” while in the sewing room…for they are temporarily tossed into the corner of a distant mind-space. Remembering to get “before and after” pictures somewhere along the way, keeps me busy enough..
I hope you find these pages entertaining, inspiring, and helpful
Just a little more about me.
I prefer hot chocolate to coffee; cocktails to wine; and late nights to early mornings. I am a mother to a grown son, and grandmother to a young boy. I enjoy photography and music. My favourite things are my car, camera and guitar. My most often-used things are my computer and sewing machine. My favorite places are beaches, campgrounds and dance floors.