I Too Followed DStars lead: new life for Twiggy!

CleoCouture · Jul 16th, 2008, 01:22 AM

So after reading the entire thread Dstar started about her re-dyed Day, I couldnt resist and the same day ordered the same brand dye she used.

My twiggy was in dire need of some restoration. I bought it in pretty bad used condition but like Dstar, it was so darn cheap I couldnt resist. My intentions were to send it to LMB, but I just never got around to it. A few days before I read DStars thread I had decided I was going to sell it because I never once used it and it seemed I was never going to send it to Barbara. It seems her thread came just in time.

My 05 Calcaire twiggy was anything but Calcaire. It was down right yellow. Not slightly yellowed here and there, the whole darn thing was yellow and there was no question about it. The handles were dingy and the whipstitching was absolutley discusting. The back side was super dingy near the bottom and the front side had pen marks, stains and a rather large area of, I guess, deteriorated leather. Yuck!

I decided I wanted to go with a totally different color, but I wanted it to be something close to a color that came out in the same year. My choices were limited to either olive or fushia. While I think the olive would have been a closer match to balanciaga's olive, I chose fushia. She's like new! The dye totally covered all the dinginess and stains and you cant even tell that there was once an area of deteriorated leather! The handles and whipstitching look brand spankin new, as well! All in all this once dreadful Twiggy has been given a new life and I cant wait to use her for the first time! All I need to do is get some new tassles....any ideas on what color I should get?

(my pictures wont fit in the attachments. I dont know how to resize them and I cant seem to cut and paste them. After about an hour or so of trying with no luck, my only other option seems to be photobucket. To see my pics use this link: http://photobucket.com/cleocouture)

swissaus · Jul 16th, 2008, 01:30 AM

WOW unbelievable... She's beautiful now! I'm glad it all worked out so well

powderpuff100 · Jul 16th, 2008, 01:40 AM

Amazing! The leather still looks soft and smooshy. How does it feel? I wonder if these dyes will last longer than Balenciaga's do and not fade and yellow. I'm very curious to see how they stand the test of time. You did a great job, love the color too.

REREsaurus · Jul 16th, 2008, 01:48 AM

She looks great!! I've done a coat on my 05 BG Day, will post pics later.

But isn't it incredible how soft the leather still is? It feels as if nothing has been done to it!

CleoCouture · Jul 16th, 2008, 01:49 AM

Thanks! She's not quite a soft as she was, and she's a little more stiff. But nothing too major, she still has wonderful leather. Better than before in some ways!! I think that with use she's soften up again. I'm pretty curious too, to see how the dye will hold with time. I'll be sure to keep you posted!!!!

BeBear · Jul 16th, 2008, 04:13 AM

Yeah, I think if you regularly moisturize the bag and use it, the stiffness will go away. Fantastic job you did there!! =D

LydiaT · Jul 16th, 2008, 05:06 AM

Looks soooo much better! Wow, very inspiring!

HandbagAddict4Ever · Jul 16th, 2008, 01:16 PM

Fabulous! Your very own customised BBag!! Great job!

batgirl77 · Jul 17th, 2008, 03:32 PM

Wow - that looks fantastic! As for tassels, the color looks pretty close to an '08 pale magenta city I just got, maybe that would be agood color match?

Awesome job - you're so brave!

kristie · Jul 17th, 2008, 03:35 PM

Holy friggin crap

That looks absolutely amazing! Keep us posted on how she holds up/breaks in with her new coat of color.

dstar84 · Jul 17th, 2008, 03:42 PM

Yay! I am so glad that my whole DIY "luck" project turned out well for someone else. She looks great in that color! So good, that I wouldn't have known it wasn't originally magenta. The leather on my bag looks the same as the first day I dyed it. I would recommend keeping up with the moisterizing just in case. SO FAB! I would absolutely buy another beat up Balenciaga and do this again. It was actually really fun to restore and SUPER EASY!

oogiewoogie · Jul 17th, 2008, 03:45 PM

HOLLY MACKERAL.... it's a totally different brand new bag... and the leather lOoks awesome. WOW.. many kudo's to you~!!!

REREsaurus · Jul 17th, 2008, 03:48 PM

Yay! I've documented my experience in my thread too... I could only hope that mine turns out just as nice as yours did.

My third coat tonight. [ ;

dstar84 · Jul 17th, 2008, 03:54 PM

The next bag I restore is DEFINITELY going to be in that color.

REREsaurus · Jul 17th, 2008, 03:56 PM

^^ Thirsty for more?!

Heehee.

Jul 16th, 2008, 01:22 AM	#1
CleoCouture no will power Joined: May 2007 Location: Stockton (boo!) but plan on moving back to Santa Barbara at some point~! Posts: 1,973	So after reading the entire thread Dstar started about her re-dyed Day, I couldnt resist and the same day ordered the same brand dye she used. My twiggy was in dire need of some restoration. I bought it in pretty bad used condition but like Dstar, it was so darn cheap I couldnt resist. My intentions were to send it to LMB, but I just never got around to it. A few days before I read DStars thread I had decided I was going to sell it because I never once used it and it seemed I was never going to send it to Barbara. It seems her thread came just in time. My 05 Calcaire twiggy was anything but Calcaire. It was down right yellow. Not slightly yellowed here and there, the whole darn thing was yellow and there was no question about it. The handles were dingy and the whipstitching was absolutley discusting. The back side was super dingy near the bottom and the front side had pen marks, stains and a rather large area of, I guess, deteriorated leather. Yuck! I decided I wanted to go with a totally different color, but I wanted it to be something close to a color that came out in the same year. My choices were limited to either olive or fushia. While I think the olive would have been a closer match to balanciaga's olive, I chose fushia. She's like new! The dye totally covered all the dinginess and stains and you cant even tell that there was once an area of deteriorated leather! The handles and whipstitching look brand spankin new, as well! All in all this once dreadful Twiggy has been given a new life and I cant wait to use her for the first time! All I need to do is get some new tassles....any ideas on what color I should get? (my pictures wont fit in the attachments. I dont know how to resize them and I cant seem to cut and paste them. After about an hour or so of trying with no luck, my only other option seems to be photobucket. To see my pics use this link: http://photobucket.com/cleocouture) __________________ Wish List: Cherry Spy!!! My Collection (newest additions on pg 2, 3 and 5!) http://forum.purseblog.com/your-bag-showcase/cleocoutures-collection-214086.html

Jul 16th, 2008, 01:40 AM	#3
powderpuff100 Life is a beach Joined: Aug 2006 Location: Florida Keys Posts: 4,686	Amazing! The leather still looks soft and smooshy. How does it feel? I wonder if these dyes will last longer than Balenciaga's do and not fade and yellow. I'm very curious to see how they stand the test of time. You did a great job, love the color too. __________________

Jul 16th, 2008, 01:49 AM	#5
CleoCouture no will power Joined: May 2007 Location: Stockton (boo!) but plan on moving back to Santa Barbara at some point~! Posts: 1,973	Thanks! She's not quite a soft as she was, and she's a little more stiff. But nothing too major, she still has wonderful leather. Better than before in some ways!! I think that with use she's soften up again. I'm pretty curious too, to see how the dye will hold with time. I'll be sure to keep you posted!!!! __________________ Wish List: Cherry Spy!!! My Collection (newest additions on pg 2, 3 and 5!) http://forum.purseblog.com/your-bag-showcase/cleocoutures-collection-214086.html

Jul 16th, 2008, 05:06 AM	#7
LydiaT Member Joined: Jan 2007 Location: Australia Posts: 114	Looks soooo much better! Wow, very inspiring! __________________ Lydia BBags Black First 06, Congac Work 06, Black Part Time GSH 07 Chloe Paddy Rouge 06

Jul 16th, 2008, 01:16 PM	#8
HandbagAddict4Ever Member Joined: Apr 2006 Location: London Posts: 1,988	Fabulous! Your very own customised BBag!! Great job! __________________ "Carrie: If I don't stop shopping, I'll end up a bag lady; a Fendi bag lady, but a bag lady..... "

Jul 16th, 2008, 01:30 AM	#2
swissaus Member Joined: May 2008 Location: Switzerland Posts: 306	WOW unbelievable... She's beautiful now! I'm glad it all worked out so well

Jul 16th, 2008, 01:48 AM	#4
REREsaurus One after another. Joined: Mar 2007 Location: Tracking treasue down, inevitably. Posts: 2,171	She looks great!! I've done a coat on my 05 BG Day, will post pics later. But isn't it incredible how soft the leather still is? It feels as if nothing has been done to it!

Jul 16th, 2008, 04:13 AM	#6
BeBear Member Joined: Aug 2007 Posts: 175	Yeah, I think if you regularly moisturize the bag and use it, the stiffness will go away. Fantastic job you did there!! =D

Jul 17th, 2008, 03:32 PM	#9
batgirl77 Member Joined: Jun 2007 Location: MA or bust! Posts: 176	Wow - that looks fantastic! As for tassels, the color looks pretty close to an '08 pale magenta city I just got, maybe that would be agood color match? Awesome job - you're so brave!

Jul 17th, 2008, 03:35 PM	#10
kristie "H" is for horses? Joined: Oct 2006 Posts: 2,346	Holy friggin crap That looks absolutely amazing! Keep us posted on how she holds up/breaks in with her new coat of color. __________________ Uh oh...I think I may be more in danger of buying a Hermes saddle than a Birkin.......

Jul 17th, 2008, 03:42 PM	#11
dstar84 Bbags+Chanel=<3 Joined: Sep 2006 Location: NY Posts: 292	Yay! I am so glad that my whole DIY "luck" project turned out well for someone else. She looks great in that color! So good, that I wouldn't have known it wasn't originally magenta. The leather on my bag looks the same as the first day I dyed it. I would recommend keeping up with the moisterizing just in case. SO FAB! I would absolutely buy another beat up Balenciaga and do this again. It was actually really fun to restore and SUPER EASY! __________________

Jul 17th, 2008, 03:45 PM	#12
oogiewoogie iS in ESCROW~! :O) Joined: Mar 2007 Location: Beachy SoCAL...<3 Posts: 3,065	HOLLY MACKERAL.... it's a totally different brand new bag... and the leather lOoks awesome. WOW.. many kudo's to you~!!! __________________ " It is as easy to create a castle as a button. It's just a matter of whether you're focused on a castle or a button." - Abraham-Hicks."

Jul 17th, 2008, 03:48 PM	#13
REREsaurus One after another. Joined: Mar 2007 Location: Tracking treasue down, inevitably. Posts: 2,171	Yay! I've documented my experience in my thread too... I could only hope that mine turns out just as nice as yours did. My third coat tonight. [ ;

Jul 17th, 2008, 03:54 PM	#14
dstar84 Bbags+Chanel=<3 Joined: Sep 2006 Location: NY Posts: 292	The next bag I restore is DEFINITELY going to be in that color. __________________

Jul 17th, 2008, 03:56 PM	#15
REREsaurus One after another. Joined: Mar 2007 Location: Tracking treasue down, inevitably. Posts: 2,171	^^ Thirsty for more?! Heehee.