Summer Top

I’ve had a pretty top in my wardrobe for many years, going loved but unworn and I needed to decide whether I needed to get rid of it or alter it to better suit me.  It was very lose, and an asymmetrical hemline (high in the front and back, lower at the sides), and had lace edging. The front and back hemline was too high to wear it as a dress (you could just see my underwear) but it was too long to wear a top. The only way I could wear it was with jeggings and even then it was just a bit weird.

Turning a Dress into a Spring Top

I bought this shift dress from a charity shop for £5 knowing it wouldn’t fit me.  Normally the dresses I get from charity shops are huge so I know I can adjust them but this is a size 10, meaning I can get into it but it’s really tight around my lower half and a bit too big around my top half.

Basically, shift dresses were designed to look horrific on me. So I cut the bottom off to make a cute spring top.

Skirt Adjustment

Just a quick adjustment, I bought this skirt a few years ago and like the length and fullness of it, but that’s also the reason I never wear it.  It annoys me to have so much extra fabric floating around, so I cut off the bottom and rehemmed the skirt.  Nothing to radical but hopefully it’ll mean I actually wear the skirt…if we actual ever have any nice weather that is…

Raincoat Hood Adjustment

 I bought a new/cheap raincoat and the hood is huge!  So I sewed some elastic into the seams to bring the hood in.  Just a quick fix but it did the job. 

Charity Shop Dress Adjustment

Before and After

This is a dress I bought for £9.95 at a charity shop, it was a size 22 (I’m about a 10) and I knew it wouldn’t fit but I liked the pattern so I bought knowing I would have to make changes to it.  I started but cutting off the pleated skirt at the bottom, and taking it in significantly to fit my waist.  I think took the top half of the dress in to match the skirt, but split the amount on each side so it would keep the shape of the top, I also took in the arms which were too big.  Then I reattached the skirt but several inches higher up than where it had been, so it actually sat around my waist.   I folded the neckline to make a v-neck, and then moved the shoulders up as they didn’t sit on my shoulders.  I’m quite pleased the result although it’s shorter than I expected it would be.