I have this lovely if dated Laura Ashley dress that I used to wear in the days when I was on the shop floor at Liberty (as in London). Great to accessorise (sometimes with scarves borrowed from the Scarf Hall!), warm for those really chilly days in the drafty ol' Tudor Building and the full skirt that made occasional crawling into the big windows to snag a sample needlepoint cushion so a customer could have a closer look (I always got that job!) not an immodest move. I wore it until the day a customer asked when I was due....
Pleats'll do that. The woman was mortified. My co-workers ribbed (ha-ha) me for weeks.
All I've done for years now is hang it in the closet when it comes out of the boxes of fall/winter clothes then pack it back up in the spring: I could be persuaded to be rather radical. Thoughts on/links for a practical refashion? It is a heavy cotton rib knit (USA size 12 if that matters) and darn warm. I'd say that skirt would give me twice the fabric as the current waist measurement if I were to remove it.
Dorothea is tired of all the redecorating in the craft room and would like me to spend some time at my sewing machine this coming weekend. I agree.
8 comments:
You could make a cute peplum top to wear with leggings. Leave the pleats in place and cut a high-low hemline. Make the sleeves 3/4 length. Use scraps to add some visual interest to the neckline (ruffles? small pleats? flowers?).
You could remove the skirt completely. Add a thin, drop peter pan collar (collar length-begins at shoulder and hangs just below first button), and wear as a bolero sweater jacket with a lengthy top underneath and boots.
Turn front around for back. Make the new fronts neckline match the back. Sleeveless or sleeves your preference. Take skirt decrease volume by at least half, shorten and make it a double layered skirt. Find some cute funky shaped buttons for the back and you have a new remade winter jumper! Look great with colorful patterned tights.
hello, may be something like that : great coat
http://www.aupetitdiable.com/manteau-gothique-femme-jaquard-et-satin-noir/product_info.php/products_id/734
Chop of sleeves to forearm and add contrasting colour sleeves from a thrifted sweater. I would make them tight and with some length down to your fingers.
Change the buttons or take off completely and stitch up front.
Get rid of the skirt and add an ALine skirt shortened to just above the knees if you dare in a different colour/fabric or cut an ALine skirt from the fabric you have removed.
This is an easy makeover and will be a great casual dress for the cooler weather. Best wishes from Karen @ Facebook Group Melton Bowerbirds a group of avid upcyclers and refashionistas.
Assuming you can iron the pleats out, I'd go for a simple a-line skirt to replace the pleated one. Hem it somewhere near the knee. Maybe throw in a lace midriff (backed with your skirt fabric) and if you were feeling like a bit of extra work, put in a matching lace peter pan collar.
Yikes. That'll teach me to ask for suggestions! TY, TY,TY very much!
So far I've removed the skirt, which has given me two and a half times the amount I'd need for a simple A-line. At the moment I am leaning toward a long tunic to wear with leggings, perhaps a hi-lo sort of thing: I will give serious thought to the collar and button suggestions.
You can bet your bippy I will post the final decision!
IWOM
Can't wait to see what you come up with. It's lovely as it is but if it is not getting used then it's time to change it :-)
Eddie, EOD
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