This Smart Dress - alteration

Following on from yesterday's post, I alter a Reiss dress to fit my problematic figure.

The back, shoulders and waist were way too big so I unpicked the darts at the back. The idea is to take out more fabric from new darts in the same place. 

Like so

This means unpicking the top half from the waist to separate the fabric from the lining.

Pin. Try on. Pin. Try on. For about an hour. Until I get it right. 

Taken in all the way down the back. Additional darts to narrow the shoulders. I do the same with the lining on the inside. 

It's much easier to hand stitch this than machine sew as I have only a hand space where the top is detached from the waist to get inside the dress and the lining. Not enough room to fit a machine arm. Here it is done with invisible stitches. 

Small tucks narrow the skirt so it can be reattached to the top half of the dress.

This Smart Dress

I got this Reiss peplum dress from a charity shop for £10. It's smart, the right length for wearing to work, has deep pockets, neat button details and is nicely lined but I can't imagine paying c.£195 for it. It looks pretty new - I wonder who could afford to buy it and just give it away. Crazy! It also needs serious adjusting at the back. The back is much too big for me and even with it adjusted it will be too big at the waist. This is where it being well made works against me - there will be much unpicking of seams tomorrow. Taking in the waist without having to remake the belt, button and tab details is pretty much impossible. Since they're so well made already, I'm going to be lazy and just wear a belt with it. 

Me figuring out how much to taper the back in by:

All the Best Things

Polka dots, velvet, silk, poofy skirts, intricate buttons, bright shoes, cute earrings. 

Dress - Oasis

Cardi & jacket - charity shops (buttons changed since last week)

Scarf - self made

Earrings - gift

Shoes - ebay

Blues

Top, skirt, shoes - charity shops

Tights - Primark

Necklace - gift

Dress like Splashed Paint

Tuesday's outfit. Feeling under the weather. Wish I was outside in the sunshine painting walls.

Dress - charity shop

Belt - H&M

Shoes - ebay

Tights - Primark

Citrus

Today's work outfit. One day I will add some red, purple and green to this and dress up as a skittle :P

Bits and Bobs

Here's the last of the things I found in charity shops this week.

This brooch reminds me of the jewellery worn by Tudor aristocrats and the necklace in the film Stardust. It would be great pinned on a beret or with added feathers to make a hair clip/fascinator. 

I like how these bows are knitted/woven rather than printed onto the knit. It gives the fabric a reversible effect and looks less tacky. I have plenty of cardis but I was pleasantly surprised at the fabric quality. 

This little jacket was altered from a blazer by the folks at Blue Rinse. I hadn't heard of them before but was curious who had altered this so neatly so looked them up. I wonder how it turned up in a charity shop far from Leeds and Manchester. I had to move the button across as it was a bit big so may add another button to the left of the existing one to add symmetry, changing them to some nice diamante or brass ones.

I expected to have to alter this skirt, taking it out at the waist and shortening it but it just about fits and is a nice length. Win! 

Earrings

This is a random frivolous post on earrings. Now I expect Gen of Megan Whalen Turner's books to turn up and steal them. In fact, I'll be disappointed if he doesn't. :P

Day as Alice

 I found this lovely cotton dress and matching teacup in charity shops yesterday.

Here's the dress before I shortened it by 12cm.

Shortened!