105 Days to Go: Gretchen’s NDAD Creation

Today’s creation comes from my upstate NY girl Gretchen!

I really enjoy your blog and have been sewing all my life.  Most recently I’ve been doing quilting and home deco things like draperies, pillows, slipcovers, etc.  Your blog has been inspirational and I have shared the link with family and friends.  This Thanksgiving my daughter, who is in graduate school out of town, picked up an old silk Liz Claiborne dress at the local Goodwill for $1.50 thinking I could do something with it.  I swear I had this same dress sometime back in the 1980s!  (Maybe it was my dress!)  The fabric was lovely with polka dots, the red color was great, and it had some nice detail in the collar, but was clearly very dated, dowdy and too big.

Gretchen's Daughter - Before

On New Years’ Eve, we tackled this project. 

I’m already loving this fabric, so I can’t wait to see how it turns out!!

My daughter helped out and we removed the sleeves first and stitched up the armholes after taking a bit in under the arm first and then cut off the length.  I left it otherwise loose and made a very simple long rectangular sash from the piece I had cut off the bottom. 

Check out these buttons!!!

  We just tied it around the waist and voila, a great New Year’s Eve cocktail dress or any other fun formal event!

Gretchen's Daughter - After

This was a perfect way to end 2011 and begin the new year.  Thanks for the inspiration!”

Um, ooh la la!!  What a fabulous new dress for $1.50.  I’m always addicted to texture when it comes to fabric and I simply adore the polka dots.  Nothing beats having a go-to red dress in the closet either…  Thank you so much for sharing you and your daughter’s day of sewing Gretchen!!