New Dress A (Holi-)Day Week: Tuesday

Dec 15, 2010 | 46 Comments

New Dress a (Holi-)Day Week continues!!!  More party ensembles to come.  Today’s was another find for a buck too and to put things in perspective, I paid $1.80 for my coffee today :)

New Dress A (Holi-)Day

New Dress A (Holi-)Day

Tonight’s ensemble began looking a little bit like this…

Holiday Week: Tuesday - Before

Holiday Week: Tuesday - Before

Well I do declare!  All I’m missing is a parasol!!  I opted to go with my friend RIT Dye to help get this dress looking less like something from Gone With the Wind!

Whoop whoop!!

Whoop whoop!!

I used the washing machine to get this dress complete!  Hot water, salt, dye and out came my dress looking pre-tty, pre-tty, pre-tty fab.  Wanted to get rid of those sleeves, so I did!!

Sle-am Ripping!

Sle-am Ripping!

Got one off…

Got one off!

Got one off!

And then the other!!

Both gone!

Both gone!

I took off the ruffle at the bottom of the dress as that’s exactly where I wanted the new bottom to be.  Again with the seam rippers!!

Getting rid of the ruffle layer!

Getting rid of the ruffle layer!

Once the layer was off…

La La Leftovers!!

La La Leftovers!!

…I was almost ready for my shindig!!  I added my chestnut boots (these were a score on Ebay!), some curled hair and a jacket (which was lying on the ground next to me – clearly a styled pic because by this time in the late, late eve, it was pre-tty, pre-tty, pre-tty chilly and I only took it off for photo purposes!!)

Holiday Week: Tuesday - After

Holiday Week: Tuesday - After

Did a little lot of dancing (I believe a Katy Perry remix was playing in the background) and cheersed with my pals!!

Four Calling Birds!

Four Calling Birds!

After multiple shots we finally got one that I wasn’t blinking in or covering my dress with the curtains…

Giggles McGee!

Giggles McGee!

Tis the season!!

In all
  • Annynhajc

    Good Morning!!!!!!!!!
    Perfect!!!!!!!!
    Amei!!!!
    bjaum!!!!
    vc é d++++++

  • Kentj

    this was my wedding dress lol

  • http://mybeadsmyartmylife.blogspot.com/ Klwells13

    this turned out super cute :) !

  • twinkle

    Wow I’ve never been one of the first to comment! I love the new red color of the dress and that sheerness on the ‘chestal’ area really stands out nicely. You look beautiful as always.
    I think this was one of the most vintage dresses I have seen. It looks like it goes way back, like early 1900′s…or maybe it was a costume.

    http://www.visiondelmundo.com

  • Heather

    The girls and I like this!

  • http://not-what-it-seams.blogspot.com/ NotWhatItSeams

    So cute! Great job, I love the flowy-ness of the dress and those ruffles!!

  • Cynlizzy

    I love this one. I’m so happy you’re posting these holiday creations.

  • http://amyfashionblog52.blogspot.com/ Amy

    Very cute. You look like you were having a great time.

    http://amyfashionblog52.blogspot.com/

  • Tracy

    You would have fit in with the sitcom “Three’s Company” with that dress. I can see you standing right next to Suzanne Summers. Although…you may be a bit to young to remember that sitcom. haha

    • Anonymous

      This girl was a TV addict in the 80s. I heart Jack Tripper!!! xx M

  • Laura

    I am so glad you are continuing you are such an inspiration, especially for me as a poor college student. I’ve really caught the sewing bug. (This pleases my mother!) :) Thanks for keep going.

  • Jazz

    “Gone with the Wind” is seriously my Favorite movie…and you look smashing in your new red dress…love it!

  • Kim

    So glad you’re doing the Holiday dresses! This is really cute! You’re an inspiration and seem like such a sweet and down to earth person! Many blessings to you!

  • Beaker2377

    You are totally rocking this outfit! I am so glad to hear (read) that you are continuing this project. Your creativity was so inspiring and your enthuesiasm was both entertaining and contageous!

  • http://newjewelryaday.blogspot.com/ NewJewelryADay

    Wow! What a transformation. Love the new dress.

    http://newjewelryaday.blogspot.com/

  • http://www.fullthreadle.blogspot.com Melodine

    You’re having toooo much fun! More inspiration for sure! Love the red!

    http://www.fullthreadle.blogspot.com

  • Busywoman2

    Oh, fercryinoutloud. I swear I wore that SAME dress in 1982 when my sister got married. It was pink dotted swiss taffeta. SAME style.

  • lauraly

    I like it. Nice color, very feminine.

  • LeeAnn

    I have one like that. Maybe I could do something like that too although I think I prefer sleeves in the icy weather we’re having!

    • Anonymous

      Sorry, sorry! Hate to rub in the weather…it’s chillier today, promise! :)

  • Holly

    OMG!! Wore that dress in 1977 for prom WOW, You did it, it looks much better in red.

  • holly

    amazing how cutting off the sleeves seems to improve almost any dress

  • Carrie

    I love how you enjoy doing this so much you can’t stop :) You’ve got great talent .

  • Lisa

    omg, I had a dress like that in the 80′s. Love what you did with it.

  • Anonymous

    Appropriate for today’s anniversary of Gone With the Wind’s premiere! No, I didn’t know that off the top of my head, it was my “Today in History” factoid for the day.

  • A.Fox

    Oh great job! This is so cute. I love what you do with dye. And, as I’ve mentioned, I also love those boots:). Wonderful work, very festive yet current. Love it!!!

    http://nomoclothesmoney.blogspot.com/

  • Anonymous

    FAB makeover. I HEART Rit Dye, and use it a lot. (yikes, hope that wasn’t a 60′s Gunne Sax design). Keep on keepin’ on!! Wendy

  • Netbrat

    This one turned out great.

  • Christy

    Very cute & great color! does look like a bridesmaid dress I wore in the late 70′s, even same color!

  • Jerri Tanya

    I’m from Georgia and I swear — dahlin’ — I had a dress just like the “before” in high school. I do declare….ha ha ha. Great makeover as always!

  • Goofysrn

    omg that was totally my wedding dress back in the eighties lol sally in alaska

  • Thebryantzoo

    Love it !!!

  • Jupiter70775

    still a little too ‘little house on the prarie for me’.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Reyhaneh-Soltanmoradi/665290689 Reyhaneh Soltanmoradi

    This looks fabulous! I love it!!

  • http://twitter.com/IrishAttic Irish Attic

    I’m thinking that it would save a lot of time to just cut off the sleeves and the bottom layer instead of using a seam ripper but I’m wondering if you’ve discovered that that’s not a good idea and it’s better to spend the extra time with the seam ripper. Comment from Marissa and/or readers on this would be much appreciated.

    • http://www.thinkoutsidethesweater.blogspot.com Wenturner71

      I’ve wondered this myself. I do some upcycling of old sweaters, tees, etc., and I just cut them off and serge the edges.

      • MandeeSparkle

        Just keeps things looking cleaner and nicer. Difference between looking like you bought something at Wal-Mart or buying it at Saks.

  • http://misspinkles.wordpress.com misspinkles

    OMG – this dress looks AMAZING – one of my faves!
    Love the neckline!!!

    http://misspinkles.wordpress.com

  • JJ

    Love your site–any chance you could re-print the first (how it looked at start) photo next to the last photo of the completed piece?? It would be fun to see the before and after–side by side. JJ

  • http://www.coffeetalksandcatwalks.com T!ffany

    This is so my style. Love it with the boots! :)

    http://www.coffeetalksandcatwalks.com

  • MandeeSparkle

    I am so jealous of this dress! I have one just like the before, so I have to try to make it look like this! SO FREAKING CUTE! this seriously might be my favorite one yet!

    http://onewordthreepictures.blogspot.com

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Melissa-Kurtz/508603306 Melissa Kurtz

    I am practically drooling over this one, fantastic job!

  • http://www.facebook.com/stac.kakei Stac Mahuna-Brantner

    Love it!

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=670369474 Jessica L. Kutz

    The before is totally my mom’s wedding dress which is hanging in my closet for some reason.

  • Madalina

    best ever!!! great job :)

  • Janetday

    I hate it!