Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Anniversary Date Refashion

It's May!  Summer is just around the corner.  I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  This month is also my anniversary. It will be six years for us, and we get to have a night out to ourselves.  Because this is such a rare occasion, I decided to refashion a special outfit.  

These two lovelies  ended up being perfect for the job.



How do you like these before photos?  I have to admit that one of them looks a bit like a mug shot, but the other one isn't too shabby - considering that my three-year-old took it.  I think he did a pretty good job.  
Anyway...  I snagged this dress at a local thrift shop for $1.25.  I was really drawn to the slinky fabric. 

The skirt was free - given to me by my mom.  I vaguely remember her wearing it to church with a white blouse and sweater.  While I appreciate the sturdy polyester/spandex fabric and the fact that it was made in the USA, I wasn't too keen on the color and rose design.  It made my pale skin look fairly pasty. 


See what I mean? 

To be honest, I wasn't quite sure I saw a future with this skirt.  It wasn't until I made a bold move, that I began to fall in love with it. 

Using a Rub-a-Dub Laundry Sharpie, I drew on a polka dot pattern.  It's a bit funky, but I think it's unique.


I now had a vision for this rosy jem.  I used one of my stretchy pencil skirts as a pattern.




Notice the difference between the polka dots and original fabric.  And, yes, it did sort of take me forever to draw them all on.  Don't worry, I did the back as well - I just didn't have it finished when I took this photo.


Once the skirt pieces were cut, I reinstalled the original zipper and sewed up the sides.


I also reattached the original band.  First I sewed the top of the band to the top of the skirt - right sides together- along the top crease.


I then flipped the band over and sewed it down on the front side.  *See below.


I made my stitch right under the fold of the band.  This hid the stitch on the front and caught the band in the back. 

To finish it up, I sewed a blind hem along the bottom.  I can't say that I did a fabulous job, as it was my first time, but I found this tutorial to be very helpful. 

Whew!  Now for the second refashion - a slinky blouse to go with the skirt. 

I cut the dress off at the point where I wanted my blouse to fall.


I had plans to reuse the bias tape around the neckline, but it didn't work out.


I cut the top down the middle and folded the edges together.  I then cut a v-neckline.


Using two pieces from the bottom section of the dress, I made the pieces for the ruffle.


I set my machine to a longer stitch (4) and gathered the fabric by pulling the top thread.  I only did a back stitch at the beginning and not at the end.  Here is a really good tutorial by The Renegade Seamstress for creating a ruffled collar.


Next, I sewed the pieces onto the neckline.


But... it didn't quite turn out like I had envisioned. I had what reminded me as a gap tooth in the middle. 


Easy fix.  I cut another piece off the bottom of the dress and fixed it over the gap.
Ahhh...  Much better.


And now here is where I messed up again. I cannot even tell you how I got this neckline bias to work.  Here's my recommendation.  Make sure the strips for the bias tape are the right size and use a bias tape maker.  Ugh.  It was frustrating.  But in the end it worked out.  Now I have a beautiful outfit to wear on my date.








My three-year-old took this one as well.  He's a natural. : )



16 comments:

  1. I love it! You look beautiful as always and I love the shoes!

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    1. Thank you, Sweet Sister. Just got the shoes. I think they work nicely.

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  2. LOVE the polka dot idea--well, the whole outfit, of course. It is amazing what a little surface treatment can do to change the personality of a fabric. This will definitely go into my bag of refashioning tricks. Love the pencil skirt profile, as well. Lovely work.
    ~Pam

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    1. I'm glad you stopped by, Pam. I am so glad that I discovered fabric markers. I plan to use them much more now that I know they can transform fabric. Thank you for your lovely comment.

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  3. The polka dots make it look so modern! Love the idea! Cant wait to try it myself. Fantastic refashion : )

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    1. Mahalo, J! I highly recommend using fabric markers - especially the laundry sharpie. It was super easy to use. I'd love to see some photos of your next refashion.

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  4. The polka dots are so amazing! They change the color tone of the skirt, while giving it a funky edge. But my favorite part of this outfit is your double belts!!!

    www.dressupnotdown.blogspot.com

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    1. I love the belt, too! It's actually one that wraps around. Can you believe that I got it for free at a clothing swap? Thank you for your generous comment : ).

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  5. Really cute, just like you, love the idea of the polka dots,

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    1. You're sweet, Terri. Thank you for stopping by and for your kind comment.

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  6. Unique idea to draw your own polka dots . I would never have thought of doing something like that when I was sewing.

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    1. Thanks, Dianne. I was just about to give up on this skirt when I realized that although I couldn't dye it (polyester), I could draw on it with fabric markers. I plan to use this technique much more now.

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  7. Super duper cute! I'm feeling more inspired to take a risk now!

    igetmycraftyfrommymama.blogspot.com

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    1. I'm so glad! Taking risks is the only way that I learn new techniques for sewing. I've learned so much from just going for it - even if I make mistakes. That's the beauty of refashioning. If something goes wrong, you didn't invest alot of money in the fabric.

      Thanks for stopping by!

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  8. I really appreciate that you tell us what didn't work as well as what did. I'm having a frustrating time with a top I'm working on, and it's only because of hearing stories like yours of the problems, not just the successes, that I've found the patience to keep working on it - I just put it aside when I get too frustrated and pretty soon I'm ready to try again. And every single thing that goes wrong or doesn't work teaches me something for future sewing.

    I love what you did here! The polka dots are genius; the whole outfit is lovely. I'm so amazed, too, that those pictures came from a 3-year-old's hand!

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    1. P. S. I hope you had a Happy Anniversary :)

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Thank you for sharing your thoughts!