So I'm not sure if I'm committing a crime of sorts by cutting up these vintage dresses. Part of me feels like I'm taking apart a piece of history that should be preserved. Anyone care to weigh in? The back story is that the owner of the dress shop buys these dresses in bulk lots. Apparently she doesn't even really look at all of them, just buys by weight. Then she sorts through them to pick out the ones she can sell as is, some she throws out if they are in really bad condition, and the ones in between she gives to me. So far I haven't worried too much about completely restyling them using this sundress pattern but I'm sure some would say I should try to preserve the style.
At any rate, I pulled another one from the pile and stated ripping seams.
When I first saw this one I thought it was beyond hideous. The print was dizzying, the fabric was thin and had a strange orange tinge to it, and it was narrow so there wasn't a heck of a lot of fabric to work with.
There was plenty of fabric in the collar though! Once I took it apart I found that it was made of two layers of fabric - the underlining was a sheer orange fabric (cotton blend maybe?) hence the strange orange glow to the dress. I removed it and replaced it with a white cotton to brighten up the pattern (which actually started to grow on me.)
It seemed to need something to "ground" it so I added a gray band at the bottom and a little ruffle along the top.
The band also added length (I was running out of fabric) and it weighs the skirt down nicely.
I brought it outside to try to get it in a better light. The people at the post office next door wonder about me, I'm sure.
WOW- this dress is beautiful - you are so talented! (& if it makes you feel any better we have a dry cleaners across the street and I'm pretty sure they wonder about me too;)
ReplyDelete