Making a Retro Velvet Dress

Watch me make a new velvet dress! 

I decided to make my own version of a dress I saw online this past week. The original dress was short and had an embroidered cross at the neck. 

One of the main reasons I started sewing in the first place was to make unique clothes or make something that would normally be too expensive to buy. Sometimes you see a dress in a magazine or online and think I could make that but I want it a little different and better quality.  

I made this dress with a good quality stretch black velvet and white ruffle trim. I made the skirt a little longer than the original so it hits just above the knee. I wanted to add a charm at the neck but I needed to be able to remove it for washing. So I added the charm with a D ring and a lobster clasp. 

I love the final look and will wear this dress often! 

The Haunted Lamp

 My haunted lamp finally has a pretty shade! 

I purchased this lamp from a friend years ago. The first time I plugged it in it shocked the  shit out of me and nearly caused a fire! It would also blink the lights periodically. I decided to go ahead  and cut off the wiring because I will need to retire this lamp eventually. 

The story on the history of the lamp was that it supposedly came from a Freemasons lodge. I have no way of knowing if that’s true but it certainly is a unique lamp. It has a little devil ( or Djinn) that sits on the top off the lamp and it’s made of solid brass. I think it would have come with a glass shade originally but I bought it with an ugly fabric shade which I immediately took off. 

I decided this neglected lamp needed a revamp and searched for a perfect lamp shade to recover. It took a while but I finally found a good candidate at the thrift store. The shade was originally white so I used that for the base. I covered the shade in black velvet and hand stitched it in place. I added gimp, beads, and fringe to finish it off. I’m really pleased with the results. 

The lamp still needs to be properly wired but it’s pretty cute now!