Skeletons in my closet

I've recently done a clean out of my wardrobe, got down a box of winter tops that were packed away due me being pregnant this time last year, and post second pregnancy there's still a bit of a changed body shape, and some stuff I've just had for too long and it needs to go so I can feel a bit refreshed. Most of it will go to the op-shop, but it can be dangerous to be an unused garment in my wardrobe - you might find yourself picked apart and cut up and turned into something else.

As was the case with this Indian cotton top/dress.  I bought it five or six years ago with my first pregnancy, it had a lot of gathers under the bust line so it floated down over a pregnant belly with ease. It's length was such that for me it was an indeterminate style - too short for me to be a dress, too long for a top - so back then I hand hemmed it very lightly to a top length, probably took up a good 10cm.  It had a nice bit of sequin and metallic stitching detail around the bust and neckline.

Post pregnancy all that gathering and extra fabric was too much and it made me look like I was still pregnant - not a good thing - so it has languished in my wardrobe ever since.  I do like the fabric though and I eyeballed it and estimated that there was enough fabric there to re-fashion another top out of it.

I pulled out my trusty New Look 6705 pattern again and got to work.  I snipped off the bodice (sadly bye-bye sequins) and unpicked the darts and cut the front and back yoke pieces from the back bodice fabric, picked out the hem and used the main piece of the fabric to cut a new front and back, and got the yoke linings out of it too by cutting them on the vertical (hey, they're on the inside so I figured what did it matter).  I even salvaged the bias binding around the armholes and used the original hem - what shortcuts!

Et voila!

I know you can see the hem folds here but after a few wears, washes and irons these have all but disappeared.  Loving wearing this top with dark denim jeans and if I can find a nice cardi to go with it I'll be wearing it through the autumn too, it's a perfect autumn colour I think.