62 Days to Go: Megan’s NDAD Creation

Aug 19, 2012 | 34 Comments

Today, Megan takes the stage!!  She’s getting ready to start her senior year at school and I’m hoping this year is full of fab, new remakes on her end!

I’ve been following your blog since freshman year of college, and finally at the end of junior year I grew a pair and decided to give it a shot!  I was a little afraid to go for anything too crazy, cause I don’t have your amazing eye for seeing potential and especially since the thrift stores in my town don’t seem to sell anything for only $1!  I ended up picking this 2-sizes-too-big dress for $8.

New Dress A Day - DIY - Vintage Dress - Megan's Before

Megan – Before

It’s a nice fabric and was in halfway decent condition, except it was totally shapeless and the straps were ick.  So ick, in fact, whoever owned it before had cut them off and resewed them elsewhere…twice!!

A, I love the word ick and I really can’t wait to reincorporate that into my rotating words to describe “not so much”

B, I’m super excited to see what Meg’s solush was!

My solution – scrap them entirely!   After I removed them, I gathered the bust, and then took it in.  Instead of taking in the side seams, I took in the seam down the back, so that the adjustment was equal on both sides.  I cut off the excess fabric from the inside and used it to make halter ties.  I threw on a belt to break up the print and ta-da!  Marisa-ified!!

New Dress A Day - DIY - Vintage Dress - Megan's After

Megan – After

…except for the dorky what-am-I-supposed-to-do-with-my-hands after pic, ha ha!!  Thanks for being so inspirational – no way I would have come up with this on my own and I’m thrilled to have a new, cute, CHEAP dress!!

I’m a total dork all the time taking my pics, so girl…we’re in it together!  I LOVE this dress.  What a wham, bam, thank you ma’am piece you’ve got going.  Can’t wait to see what else you’ve got in store!!

In all · Reader Creations
  • Sue

    How cute. Good job. :)

  • kissem37

    From boring to HOT! Great job!

  • Constant Reader

    Love it! The only tweak I’d suggest is a bit shorter on the skirt for balance. Maybe above the knees, but not mini. Fab-ooo makeover.

  • Lauraly

    I really love that dress. It would look great a little shorter as well. Excellent re-do! Marisa, continuing to love love love this blog!

  • sash

    cute dress but I can’t help but mention the bras on the door knobs! nice props! >;-)

    • Shrav

      Ha! U have an eye for detail! :) ..didn’t notice at all….

      • LinB

        Doesn’t everyone hang her bras on the doorknob? I know I do.

        • Judy B

          I was about to ask the same thing–yes, I do too!

        • sash

          I hang my bras over chairs!

    • Car

      That was the first thing I noticed!

    • Megan

      Hahah I know!! I hang them there to dry after I wash them. I didn’t realize they were in the pics until after I had already submitted it. Oh well!

  • http://www.facebook.com/margold13 Margo Sykora Goldberg

    Love what you did here Megan. Isn’t it great to get daily inpiration from Marissa

  • zazzu

    This is an adorable re-do and the color is fab on you. Love the length, too…longer skirts (if they fit properly) make women look taller and thinner, although almost no one believes it. Great job!

  • Susan

    Great job! Was there a zipper in this dress? It seems too fitted not to have one somewhere. What a pretty dress for $8.

    • Megan

      Nope! It was just pretty stretchy :)

  • Anne R

    How cute is that? Megan, you did a great job. Hard to believe it is your first foray into the work of clothing makeovers. Hope you will share future makeovers with us as well.
    Marisa, did you have any idea what an influence you were going to be on others when this journey began?

  • Dee

    Wow, what a great job! You’re adjustments were perfect to make this dress really work!

  • carol

    Great find and great re-do. Love the fabric, love the cinched bust and halter straps, love the belt. Love the whole project!! Oh, and the bras on the door are cute too!

  • katiec

    This looks fantastic!

  • Christie

    oh, my goodness, you really gave this dress panache and style. love it!

  • Sarah_H.

    What a cute new dress! I was thinking maybe a little shorter, but that length really works for you. That dress really works for you too!

  • Gerlinde

    Well done for an obvious newcomer in the field – congrats and keep going!
    Oh yea, had a giggle too about ‘The props’ – at least it’s been a nice one! :-D
    It better shouldn’t have happened with mine!!! ;-) Lucky blessed one you are!

  • maggie

    Love the pinch and cinch. Classic early Marisa. Did you use a safety pin or actually stitch? The rest of just wish our “roommates” had such good taste in lingerie.

    • Megan

      Hahah! Thanks :) I actually stitched it. Held it down, shoved it under the presser foot of my machine, and took a few stitches. I wasn’t sure it would hold but it’s been a few months and it seems to be working fine :)

  • Judy B

    What a great thrift store find, and you made it MUCH cuter! Love the new straps, the belt, and the bust!

  • diane2809

    Very pretty – you did a great job! Now it’s updated and classy.

  • Megan

    Oh my goodness thank you so much Marisa!!! And everyone who is commenting! Ahh I feel a little famous :) )) Y’all are the bomb dot com!

  • BK

    Megan is the most creative person I know! She does incredible things with a sewing machine as you can clearly see!

  • LT

    Very pretty, love the length on this

  • http://twitter.com/jodywallace Jody Wallace

    Very clever place to get the halter straps! I wouldn’t have thought of that.

  • Gerlinde

    Hmm, seems a good idea to utilise doorknobs like ‘recommended’ by others here as well! :-D
    I usually only ‘abuse’ the one on the house exit door for hanging things I really really really shouldn’t forget – yet: sometimes I’ve forget to hang my head there as well; ‘bra’ turned into some sort of automatic – but head …. ! ;-)

    Btw.: thanks for the fun (and not even charging us). ;-)

  • curlyjess

    Really good job there!

  • Katharina

    Gorgeous! Anything would have gone well in a figure like that (I may have a tiny bit of envy here), but the detail on the bust is really something else! Keep up the good work :D

  • Stephanie

    Megan you look smokin’ hot in your creation! You are clearly more skilled that you realize. This shape looks amazing on your body and is a very stylish, classic shape. I vote for red lipstic, voluminous curls and black stillettos, if you really wanna make ‘em beg ; P

    I am totally inspired, thanx Megan!