Modernized

 Have you ever walked into a thrift store and looked at something and think “Why would anyone purchase this?” LOL! I know I have…several times!!! Well, over on Pretty Girls Sew, we wanted to challenge you to think outside of the box and refashion a thrifted find.
Here is what I picked up; A kelly green, drop-waisted dress with rusty, gold buttons. Doesn’t it just look so fabulous?! LOL! Not really.  Taking something old and turning it into something beautiful definitely tests your creativity, your sewing skills, and problem solving skills. Imagination is key! So I had sooooo many things in mind for this but it all fell through because of the small amount of fabric that I was working with.  This is where creativity and problem solving comes in. I literally had to take apart almost the entire dress.  I kept a portion of the front button section as is, but everything else had to go.

Here’s some notes on how I went about creating my finished piece.
1. I removed the sleeves, and bottom pleated skirt.
2. Using my bra as a guide, I created the top portion of the romper.
3. To create a nice and neat finish for the top, I cut out facings and neatly understitched it.
4. It took forever, but I ironed the pleats out of the skirt and turned it into shorts.
5. I really wanted pockets, but don’t have enough fabric so I made faux pockets. (LOL! Nope they aren’t real)
6. The waist was a tad large, but I didn’t want to take away any fabric because my hips are wide, so I added 2 darts in the back instead.
7. When hemming the shorts, I wanted the hem to be thick like most shorts are so that’s what I did.
8. I removed the old, gold buttons and added some nice rustic silver ones.
9. For the back, I created a drop back and added facing for a neat finish.
10. For the straps, I took the sleeves, and cut 1.5 inch strips. I stitched two together to make them long enough and stitched down the sides of each strap.  I made a total of four straps. I criss-crossed it across the back side of the romper attached it the front and side.

 

 Head piece: DIY (tutorial coming soon)// Lipstick: Rimmel Kate Moss #17// Romper: DIY// Kimono: TJ Maxx// Heels: Charlotte Russe