tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24912332569425399142026-07-06T20:12:28.258-07:00Giving secondhand treasures a second chance at life!Susan @ Second Chances by Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08103499001328027142noreply@blogger.comBlogger194125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491233256942539914.post-37926104256370784142019-11-26T16:59:00.002-08:002023-07-26T13:11:42.702-07:00

This year's costumes for the annual trunk or treat really began about a year and half ago when my husband and I saw movie props from Guardians of the Galaxy at a pop culture museum in Seattle.  We thought, "Wouldn't it be fun to dress as Star Lord and Gomora?"  The thought hung around awhile, but then left when everyday life kept me occupied with more important things. Then one

Susan @ Second Chances by Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08103499001328027142noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491233256942539914.post-42283676578154937312019-07-22T00:06:00.002-07:002019-07-22T10:45:55.071-07:00

This is my cute little granddaughter on Easter Sunday wearing her favorite dress.  I'm sure it's her favorite because first, it's polka dots, and second, it's comfortable.   As I watched her running around in her dress, I was reminded of when I was a little girl wearing the same kind of dress....a tent dress!  I remember back in the 60's that my mom even made us

Susan @ Second Chances by Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08103499001328027142noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491233256942539914.post-54351164270986842642019-05-06T20:51:00.000-07:002019-05-06T20:51:09.756-07:00

I've had this 100% rayon dress in my stash for a long time!  I really liked the color and feel of the fabric.  I also liked the pleats and button detail on the bodice.  It was a lot of dress, though, and I had other plans for it.  Originally, it was just going to be cut off into a tunic. Simple enough...cut and hem along the bottom. Cut and hem the

Susan @ Second Chances by Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08103499001328027142noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491233256942539914.post-50464147923064866772019-02-09T18:27:00.000-08:002019-02-09T18:27:01.959-08:00

Thirteen is a lucky number in our family as we welcome this sweet little granddaughter into our family.  I had the fun of doing her newborn photo shoot the other day.   Say hello to sweet Emmalyn Renee!

Susan @ Second Chances by Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08103499001328027142noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491233256942539914.post-45846820366255283892019-01-01T23:53:00.000-08:002019-01-01T23:53:06.985-08:00

I have an adorable young friend who inherited a bunch of XL shirts from her father.  She asked for my help in refashioning some of them before winter break was over and she heads back to school to finish the last few busy months of her dental hygiene program. We only finished two that day, so the rest will have to wait for after graduation! The first one was a combination of two

Susan @ Second Chances by Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08103499001328027142noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491233256942539914.post-3004560727960025982018-12-23T21:55:00.001-08:002018-12-23T21:55:33.577-08:00

In searching my photos for the "before" picture of this refashion, I realized that this one started over two years ago!!  I had picked it all apart, set it aside, and then went on to live my life for over two years.  Well, with Christmas upon us I decided it was time to wrap this one up...no pun intended! I really liked the red plaid rayon fabric, however, I didn't like the gunny

Susan @ Second Chances by Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08103499001328027142noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491233256942539914.post-17976052505864477052018-12-03T11:48:00.000-08:002018-12-03T11:48:03.652-08:00

I have a thing for black and white, and a thing for buffalo plaid flannel.  So, when I can find a new dress with the tags on for $3.49 at a thrift store that incorporates both of these "things," you know I have to get it!  The only issue was, though, it was too short for my liking.  A simple fix was in order. I made a trip to the fabric store and picked up 2/3 of a yard of

Susan @ Second Chances by Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08103499001328027142noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491233256942539914.post-69232917244813546892018-11-25T18:19:00.000-08:002018-11-25T18:19:21.740-08:00

Recently, my daughter and her family came to visit for the holidays.  She brought with her a dress that needed a bit of alterations.  Specifically, it needed some fabric added to the backside of some lace to make it modest.  I happened to have a navy blue t-shirt top that had been in my stash for a while.  I had always meant to do something with it, but never got around

Susan @ Second Chances by Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08103499001328027142noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491233256942539914.post-81542478471962254252018-10-31T12:07:00.000-07:002018-10-31T12:07:55.080-07:00

Every year our church puts on a Harvest Festival with a chili feed, costume parade, and indoor trick-or-treating for the kids.  Most of the rooms have an activity, or game for the kids to do.  This year, we went with a pirate theme.  I had such a blast coming up with ideas for the room.  Of course, much to my husband's dismay, it means more props stored in the barn! Just

Susan @ Second Chances by Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08103499001328027142noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491233256942539914.post-68231814601228341882018-10-29T17:08:00.000-07:002018-10-29T17:08:27.942-07:00

It's that time of year again!  When I was a kid, this was the time of year when we opened up the large steamer trunk to an explosion of costumes!  I have always had a thing for costumes.  Now that I'm older, though, I don't have a steamer trunk...I have a whole room!  With the kids leaving the nest one by one, I commandeered one of the bedrooms recently and turned it into my

Susan @ Second Chances by Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08103499001328027142noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491233256942539914.post-68431740752144076572018-09-23T15:34:00.004-07:002018-09-23T15:35:49.200-07:00

I had a great time coming up with beads for Girl's Camp this year.  The Alice in Wonderland theme was a lot of fun to work with.    Some of the beads were ordered off the internet, some were made using Fimo clay, and some were hand painted.  Here are a few of the beads... Camp Kick-Off Bead Camp Attendance Bead On Time Bead Sunrise Hike Bead

Susan @ Second Chances by Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08103499001328027142noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491233256942539914.post-58017308515470561612018-09-13T08:25:00.000-07:002019-12-30T12:43:27.879-08:00

During free time, the girls can pay me a visit and collect the beads they have earned so far.  I like to make the bead table a fun place to visit.  With this year's Alice in Wonderland theme, and since we as adults were the Mad Hatters, I chose a tea party themed table. I layered the table with a variety of tablecloths and doilies. Various teacups were collected to

Susan @ Second Chances by Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08103499001328027142noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491233256942539914.post-55651281251559854482018-09-11T20:10:00.001-07:002018-09-13T08:27:07.346-07:00

This year was my 23rd year at Girl's Camp.  I now serve as the "Bead Specialist" and love it!  Our theme this year was an Alice in Wonderland theme, based on a quote by the late Pres. Thomas S. Monson, "Choose the harder right, instead of the easier wrong."  The theme had a great message to it considering all of the choices that the girls are confronted with each day.  It

Susan @ Second Chances by Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08103499001328027142noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491233256942539914.post-55017791818395270972018-07-10T10:29:00.000-07:002018-07-10T10:29:59.808-07:00

This refashion wasn't a big one, but it made a big difference to me!  I really liked the colors and details of this tunic, but the sleeves just weren't going to work.  They were a bit too open and exposed more than what I was comfortable with. I simply cut a band from some scrap knit fabric, gathered the sleeve edge and stitched the band in place.  Pretty simple! &

Susan @ Second Chances by Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08103499001328027142noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491233256942539914.post-38117493819397218852018-06-12T09:06:00.000-07:002018-06-12T21:30:04.873-07:00

I really like a good red, white, and blue combination, so when I saw this shirred, strapless dress, I knew I had to pick it up!  Plus, it's polka dots...bonus!!  However, strapless was not going to work for me.  My first thought was to make it into a skirt.  It would be a simple transformation, but also a waste of some of those lovely polka dots.  After some thought, I

Susan @ Second Chances by Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08103499001328027142noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491233256942539914.post-83556654976247203562018-06-09T10:55:00.002-07:002018-06-09T10:55:53.928-07:00

This fuchsia tunic was a pretty simple one.  It started with a lightweight gauzy dress I picked up  for $1.  I loved the fabric, the color, and the potential! The first step was to cut a new length and add a hem. The neckline was a little too wide.  I fixed it by adding a small ruffle.  To hem the ruffle, I turned the raw edge under and stitched the

Susan @ Second Chances by Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08103499001328027142noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491233256942539914.post-44756458651407347542018-06-05T14:05:00.000-07:002018-06-05T14:05:06.040-07:00

The same thrift store visit that netted me the striped jumper I used to make my last tunic, also netted me this striped cotton jumper.  Wow, two blue and white striped jumpers in the same visit, with two completely different looks in the end! I loved the crisp blue and white stripes and the 100% cotton.   The shape was somewhat less desirable, though. With a few adjustments

Susan @ Second Chances by Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08103499001328027142noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491233256942539914.post-79055577776604203232018-05-16T16:06:00.000-07:002018-05-16T16:06:42.894-07:00

I found this striped jumper the other day at a thrift store and really liked the cotton stretch fabric, the button front, and the stripes.  I didn't like, however, much of anything else.   I thought with a little bit of rearranging, it would make a fun and comfortable tunic.  I cut away the skirt and used the fabric to lengthen the bodice and add sleeves. I

Susan @ Second Chances by Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08103499001328027142noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491233256942539914.post-52980225946537110282018-05-08T11:51:00.000-07:002018-09-25T21:43:56.439-07:00

Recently, our son and his lovely bride were married for time and all eternity in the beautiful Portland LDS temple.  It was a beautiful ceremony and a beautiful day! Our son, opted to forego the traditional boutonniere and instead made his own using copper pennies. The flower girl, younger sister of the bride, was a little too excited about her duties.  A repair was

Susan @ Second Chances by Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08103499001328027142noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491233256942539914.post-56191741504831155222018-03-31T19:27:00.001-07:002018-04-06T17:33:27.230-07:00

I picked up this cotton muumuu for a couple of bucks and absolutely loved the fabric and the fact that there was so much of it!!  I refashion enough dresses, so this was destined to be something completely different...a jumpsuit! I used a simple commercial pattern that I found at a thrift store to make the jumpsuit.  It called for a zipper down the back, but it was loose

Susan @ Second Chances by Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08103499001328027142noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491233256942539914.post-36778678043307658082018-03-26T11:27:00.000-07:002018-03-27T09:12:30.742-07:00

Here's another dress from my stash of 1970's era dresses that my mom wore back in the day.  For the most part, I liked the dress.  I just wanted to tweak it a little and make it a little more retro. I cut it at the waist and reattached the skirt to get rid of the dropped waist. The sleeves were a bit too long and full.  I detached the upper gathered part of the

Susan @ Second Chances by Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08103499001328027142noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491233256942539914.post-19860622115277942622017-11-26T18:43:00.001-08:002017-11-27T20:15:27.271-08:00

I picked up this dress a while ago and there it sat....waiting.  I have several projects that are patiently tucked away just waiting for motivation, time, and inspiration to transform them into something new.  I loved the floral pattern and color of this dress.  It originally had elastic shirring at the bodice, but it was completely stretched out and formless.  It was also

Susan @ Second Chances by Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08103499001328027142noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491233256942539914.post-32764463917053448872017-11-20T21:07:00.000-08:002018-02-01T15:19:27.896-08:00

Each Halloween I like to do coordinating costumes with my husband.  We also decorate our van for trunk-or-treating to match the theme.  This year, I was inspired to do vintage circus after thrifting a heavily embroidered and sequined skirt.  As it turned out, the weather didn't permit trunk-or-treating, so the activities were moved indoors.  I have to admit it was easier

Susan @ Second Chances by Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08103499001328027142noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491233256942539914.post-82862022991424809762017-11-07T00:49:00.000-08:002017-11-26T17:59:23.786-08:00

My daughter recently gave birth to our eleventh grandchild.  The score now stands at 6 girls and 5 boys.  But, our son and his wife are expecting in February and the score will once again be even!  Grandchildren are so much fun! My daughter really wanted to do some Disney princess scenes for the newborn photoshoot.   I admit, we may have gotten a little carried away!&

Susan @ Second Chances by Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08103499001328027142noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2491233256942539914.post-64320273843409586432017-09-22T08:59:00.000-07:002017-09-22T09:02:33.772-07:00

This summer our family took a trip to Southern California to visit our daughter and her sweet family. Six of my grandchildren live there and I miss them so!  When I was packing for the trip, I came across the scooter skirt I made in seventh grade Home Ec. class.  Yes, I lived through the scooter skirt craze!  I guess now you would call them skorts.  Do people still use that

Susan @ Second Chances by Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08103499001328027142noreply@blogger.com9