Altering a Vintage Dress

Here is a dress I (Beth) found in a vintage/costume area of a local thrift store. Pretty cute, don't you think? I thought so too. I loved the light blue color, the daisy print, and the collar and sleeve cuffs with the lace.

 It didn't have a size on it (I think it was homemade), but it looked like it would be a good  fit, so it came home with me. Trying it on proved otherwise... It wasn't really too small, but it was a little snug in the skirt. That didn't turn out to be a problem though, as the dress had plenty of length. Which then gave me an idea...

   

 I started by using a seam ripper and removing the sash from the front, then sewing the space it left back up. Then again with the seam ripper, I took the zipper out. After that, I cut across the dress where approximately my waist would be. I measured out the length I wanted the skirt to be, and then cut off the extra fabric.

                         (my lovely work area is also our multifunctional hallway)  

I made pleats in the skirt as I pinned the top of the dress back to the bottom, and then sewed them together. Finishing up, I re-attatched the zipper and put the sash back in by opening up the front a little and sewing it back in.

    

And here it is, all done! (please excuse the messy bedroom) A perfect fit with a loose fitting skirt, and I like the length better. It's a great spring dress, but the fabric is a little heavy for the warmer months.

I wore it to church one day and got a complement from one of the older ladies, it was sweet. Then an eight year old boy approached me and said, "That looks like a granny dress".

Oh well, it probably was once.  :)