Sunday, August 31, 2014

Sunday Sew-Day: Dragonflies

So you may remember this dress refashioned from a housedress a year and a half ago. I think I only wore it once though. It just looked a little too "homemade", the straps in particular. Know what I mean?

Dragonfly Blouse - BeforeDragonfly Blouse - Before

But those little dragonflies are just so cute!

Dragonfly Blouse - In ProgressDragonfly Blouse - In Progress

I decided I would wear it more as a shirt. So I used a well-fitting shirt as a guide and cut out my front and back.

Dragonfly Blouse - In Progress

With wrong sides together, I sewed the side and shoulder seams, about 1/8-inch from the edges.

Dragonfly Blouse - In Progress

Then I turned the shirt inside-out and sewed the sides and shoulders again about 1/4-inch from the edges, encasing the raw edges.

Dragonfly Blouse - In Progress

I added bust darts coming in from the armhole edges.

Dragonfly Blouse - In Progress

Using strips cut from the dress' straps, I created a binding for my armholes. I pinned the strips to the right side.

Dragonfly Blouse - In Progress

Then folded them under twice toward the inside for a hidden binding.

Dragonfly Blouse - In Progress

I didn't want to have to worry about gaping between the top buttons, so I chose to sew the front closed, but only down to the second button. I could still get it over my head if I kept the remaining buttons functional. Since there was a facing on each front edge, I was able to sew through both layers of the button side, but only the facing on the button-hole side. That way, you can't tell from the outside that they're sewn closed.

Dragonfly Blouse - In Progress

Once that was finished, I repeated the binding process on the neck edge, and I was almost finished.

To complete the ensemble, I pulled out some Aeropostale khaki shorts I thrifted for $5. They always look fine when I put them on in the morning...

Khaki Skirt - BeforeKhaki Skirt - Before

...but by the end of the day, they're all stretched out and saggy-butt. Not flattering.

Khaki Skirt - BeforeKhaki Skirt - Before

I thought I'd try skirtifying these shorts in hopes a skirt won't look as frumpy at day's end. I followed the same process as in the past, starting with picking out the bottom hems.

Khaki Skirt - In Progress

Then I picked out the inner leg seams.

Khaki Skirt - In Progress

With the skirt inside out and folded front-to-back, I sewed new seams straight down the front and back.

Khaki Skirt - In Progress

I top-stitched to mimic the original seams.

Khaki Skirt - In Progress

And finally re-stitched the bottom hem.

Khaki Skirt - In Progress

And now my outfit was ready to go!

Dragonfly Blouse & Khaki Skirt - AfterDragonfly Blouse & Khaki Skirt - After

I paired my new garments with my new *free* Teva leather sandals. Seriously, I only paid $4 shipping. If you aren't familiar with yerdle, you should definitely check it out. If you've heard of Freecycle, it's kinda like that if long-distance swapping were an option. I believe it is currently only in the US and the app (which has more functionality than the site) is currently only available for iOS. But if you fall into those categories, you should definitely check it out.

Dragonfly Blouse & Khaki Skirt - AfterDragonfly Blouse & Khaki Skirt - After


Dragonfly Blouse - Before & After


Khaki Skirt - Before & After

6 comments:

  1. The re-creation of the shorts and dress in to this outfit is like the Phoenix rising up out of the ashes. The embroidery on the fabric is fun and attractve, and so much better at nearly eye level. The cotton fabric of the shorts was really designed to be a skirt - are the design people paying attention! So cute, Carrisa!
    Thanks for sharing Yerdle - the sandals are awesome.

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    1. Thanks, Linda. You're always so supportive!

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  2. Nice job !! I love especialy du top !

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  3. What a beautiful shade of blue! And less is more, once again. Amazing how often that principle proves to be true! Great outfit.

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    1. Thank you, Jenny! I feel like "Less is more" is kind of my motto.

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  4. Fantastic. Thank you so much for sharing.

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