Make It Yourself March: Refashioning

Mending Mountain or Refashioning Range?
Boxes full of garments I refuse to give up on and plan to refashion.

I have them categorized:
Sweaters
Tops
Skirts (big box)
Pants
Yardage

Skirts are a big issue for me -- I collected a lot of them from Cottage Arts, the most wonderful shop in Artesia (aka Little India). It has since closed (wah!). I don't wear them that often now -- the maxi hippie skirts are too long for the day job (I trip on the hem when ascending the stairs) and they don't work that well with my body shape. (My waist is currently convex and I have no bosom to stop them from riding up my torso).
I want to convert them into pinafores and dresses.
Like this:

Let's tour the Skirts box!. Lots of treasure!

[One week later. One week of the California's "stay-at-home" mandate. So many shiny objects, blog challenges, IG challenges, creative projects, the list goes on and on. Not to mention COVID-19 stress cooking].

I'll just show the compilation grid that I created for Instagram:

They all have stories. What I don't have is time to tell them right now.

Out of this assortment, I managed to hem this Shabby Apple skirt:

See how I've worn it before

Shortening a hem is not super aggressive refashioning, I guess it's more an alteration.
I'm hoping it'll make the skirt more appealing to me.

Linking up with:
Shelbee's Spread the Kindness
Catherine's #sharealllinkup

Gluttony in Little India: Shopping

In Part 1 of Gluttony in Little India, I showed you some of what Deborah, her husband David and I ate at Jay Bharat.

Now, let's shop!

We always stop at Cottage Art.
On my last visit, I saw these vintage purses. I had to get one this time before they were all gone: 

Mirrors, cowrie shells, silver tassels, embroidery, pattern mixing... LOVE

We usually venture no further than the one block of Pioneer Blvd between 187th and 186th. Call us lazy.

There are many sari shops, ranging from fancy encrusted wedding ensembles to more quotidian styles. New-to-us is Sahara Vintage Boutique, which has a huge array of tunics, scarves, saris and even some household goods (why didn't I get the cute yellow orange squeezer? WHY?) All items have been donated and a percent of the proceeds benefit the Sahara organization, which helps battered women in the SoCal South Asian community.
There was way too much to choose from...

Tunic too small (curse you fat arms).
Tie dye pattern caught with trusty iSpyPhone

Another too small tunic, grrrrrr.
Don't you love the beaded tassels?

New scarf -- I never have size issues with scarves
$8!

New sari, which I'll probably refashion into a tunic.
It has a transparent black/white windowpane plaid with strips of printed cotton (more solid white ground area at bottom)
only $10!

Here's the scarf from the ensemble that FINALLY fit...
3-piece set: tunic, scarf, and pants for $15!!!

Styling experiment #1 -- too matchy matchy.
Maybe what I'll wear for the OTIS Benefit rehearsal on May 4th...

What I wore to teach in on Saturday -- you can't see the orange skirt/dress that I'm wearing underneath.

One of the things I love about living in Los Angeles are all the ethnic enclaves.
We are able to (almost) travel the would, without leaving the LA basin.

Gluttony in Little India

We INTENDED to go poppy gazing in Lancaster...
But all reports said there were none (not enough rain)
So we assuaged our disappointment with a trip to Artesia, aka Little India.

I wore orange, for the missing poppies

Deborah wore turquoise, you saw her earlier in the week on my Digital Catwalk.

We rendezvoused at Jay Bharat, as we always do (easy parking in back).

our choices

This was our first time trying Chat Puri -- YUM!

Patra is full of aromatic spices and is served with Tamarind + Cilantro sauces

Lada introduced us to Dhokla -- chick pea flour cake sprinkled with coconut, mustard seeds, cilantro, and chile.
More cilantro sauce on the side.

No photos of the rest of our meal -- got too busy eating and talking!

Part 2 will cover our postprandial shopping...
Meanwhile...
I'm linking this up with Patti's Visible Monday, because I can.

Digital Catwalk: Deborah

My BFF Deborah doesn't write a blog. She's not on Facebook. She doesn't tweet.
She has no fear of computers, however. She and I taught at OTIS together in the Fashion Department and she is a Digital Goddess!

Here she is doing a most excellent Vanna at Cottage Art in Artesia:

We went there today and I bought a turquoise tunic -- I don't wonder why!