Jerilyn - New Kid on the Chanel Block

Hi, this is my introductory post... I'm definitely getting a late start, but too many stars aligned after discovering this blog, so I felt compelled to join.

I do a lot of refashioning which I share on my personal blog and a refashioning blog. I saw "Coco Before Chanel" a few months ago and was inspired to dress better, but then I came across this post by Mary Anna who said "For me it's more about sewing in the Chanel spirit. Taking a piece of menswear, and turning it into women's wear in a simple, fitted style." and I knew this was the challenge for me, the refashioning addict!

But as in most creative pursuits, there's a difference between having the inspiration to take on a project and finding the skills and materials! Before signing up I went to a local thrift shop to see if anything caught my eye. Nothing interesting on the Ladies rack, so I headed over to Menswear and there it was, calling my name...

The fabric is a black and cream houndstooth in tight woven wool.

When refashioning, the size of the original garment is crucial to the overall success of the project. It didn't have a size tag, but I'll take the Rochester Big Tall Clothing tag as a positive sign!

I had rummaged my pattern stash and found a few items suitable for undertaking the muslin, but before leaving the thrift shop I looked at their patterns... and what are the odds? They had an unused Vogue V7975 in my size (cost: 25-cents)! How could I not sign up after all that?