Sunday Sew-Day: Orange You Glad

I was headed to a friend's birthday dinner tonight and couldn't decide what to wear. This friend is positively obsessed with the color orange (yes, even more than I am), so I decided to make over this orange and pink flowered dress from the most recent clothes swap. I originally thought this would only need a couple tweaks, but then I noticed a grease stain right between the boobs. It's difficult to photograph, but trust me, it's there.

First, the tweaks - I cut off some length, just above that be-dazzled ribbon (but not before salvaging those little gems, because you never know!). Then I simply re-hemmed the edge.

I also snipped the back seams where the waist ties were attached, removed the ribbons, and stitched the seams back up.

Next, I tackled the too-tight neck hole. I cut a new scoop neck in both the front and the back.

I used the cut-out bits of the yoke to add a decorative bib-ish thing to cover the stain.

I cut strips from the cut-off lower portion of the dress and joined them into bias tape.

Then I used that to finished the neck line - pinned to the right side, sewn, pressed upward, folded around, and sewn again.

With the original lower hem, I created a couple long straps and used them to stabilize the back in a decorative way.

In lieu of the dated waist ties I removed, I plan to cinch in my new dress with a belt. So I used leftover bits of the straps I made to create a belt loop on each side side. First, I sewed it at the bottom and trimmed the excess. Then I flipped it upward, sewed the top down, and trimmed it up as well.

Last but not least, I reattached the laundering tag in the side seam.

Honestly, you barely even notice the bib thing in the front due to the floral print, but I'd rather that than a grease stain dead center.

My orange-obsessed friend complimented my new dress as soon as I walked in, and another friend said the back frames my tattoos perfectly... not that I planned it that way or anything...