From 1980's to 2013 LBD Transformation

Evening all, I hope that this week is being good to you.
 
Just a quick mid-week catch-up.  Its been a busy week, Easter holidays and a day trip to Manchester.  But there is always room for a quick customisation.  This one took 2 hours and gets the rating of EASY. 


 

Another Oxfam find.  £5.99 for a Japanese silk dress.  With potential.

 

 Beautiful shoulder drape detail with black glass buttons.

 

 

Getting to work with the stitch ripper and off come the arms!  I will save these for another project.

 

 

Different camera filter.  Arms completed, handstitched. 

 

 

Waisted and Belted

 

 

I think I'm turning Japanese :)

 

 

Close up of the front

 

 

Closeup of the back

 

 

Its my birthday next week so I think that this dress deserves a special night out!

 

I am off to catch-up on The Great British Sewing Bee!  Have you been watching it?

 

 

Till next time,

Christine x

 

G

 

 

 

 

 

 

Little Black Dress transformation

Monday morning has passed through from afternoon to evening and I treat myself to T&T...an abbreviation of tea and toast, a daily essential either for morning, evening or both.

An essential wardrobe ingredient has to be the Little Black Dress affectionately christened the LBD.  I shall refer to it as the latter in this post so I can keep the space for photographs!

The iconic Audrey Hepburn in 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' wearing her LBD designed by Hubert Givenchy. 

I have to admit to having more than 1 LBD, which gives me a great idea for sharing them all with you in another post.  I have 3 from the 1950's which were given to me, but I must stop there and save these stories for another day. 

This evening I would like to share the story of the ugly duckling dress from flat to fab...

I came across this dress at at vintage fair in the Red Barn Gallery in Belfast.  It was £10, 2 sizes too big and a left over from the late 1980's.  My mind immediately began to tick with the possibility of a complete 're-vamp' as the phrase would have been back then.  Today it is re-fashioning, customising, up-cycling.  I like to call it 'Crafted Couture'. Time and patience.

 

The taffeta puffed skirt lacked 'oooph!'

 

 

Off with its head!

The halter style neck band gets the chop.  The new bodice shaping gets marked with pins.

 

Handstitching in the new lining. 

The original dress was not lined at the back as it was stretchy. I made it non stretchy by adding a fused interfacing.  Boning was added to the front panels.

 

 

All dressed up with somewhere to go!

 

Modern but still a true classic.

 

 

Till next time...xxx