Monday, November 21, 2011

Op shop re-fashion


So I found this long dress at the "op shop" recently (opportunity shop, or second hand shop for those readers not from Australia).  Some people I know are immediately going to wonder if I have gone mad shopping for $15 dresses from a second hand store, but I really liked the fabric, OK?

I did have another motive though because after sewing a long skirt for myself last week with four strands of elastic through the waist and nearly going cross-eyed with all the machine sewing involved in creating all the elastic channels, I immediately saw an opportunity to add another long skirt to my summer wardrobe without needing to do a repeat of all that sewing.  (What's happening to me?  Since when did I want to cheat at sewing??)  Well, as I said, I liked the fabric.

Why don't you follow along this week as I try to re-fashion this dress into a skirt.  Shouldn't be too hard.


Immediately I picked off this hideous trim at the bust line (looked like some industrial metal factory left overs had made their way to the garment factory in China).  There's actually no way I am going to use the bodice part of this dress, its a size 10 and in no way remotely fits a breastfeeding mumma! I am going to dunk the whole thing in a bucket of soaker for a few hours, just to freshen it up, don't want to soak the metal bits though so in the bin they go.


My plan is to unpick the bodice from the skirt at the line of the shirring elastic (see pic above), make some kind of a waist band there, and then adjust the hem length as neccessary.  I hope it works!

2 comments:

small forest said...

That looks and sounds like a good plan. Happy unpicking!

:)

p.s I dont know how to shir on my machine as i think its too old.

Bungalowgirl said...

Haha, you are on the opping bandwagon, now you will never want to get off. I rarely find clothes for myself but do buy the occasional dress to chop up because like you i have fallen for the groovy fabric that you just don't see in your typical stores. I have bought a few brand names clothes for the kids for $2 as well. I did actually get a fantastic red floral vintagey dress at the garage sale on the weekend for $5 and having been wearing it today. Looking forward to you repurposing tutorial. BTW the possum proofing worked except we did not do the herbs and they attacked, first night.Aaaargh! melx

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