53 Days to Go: My Neighbor’s Mom’s Donation Part II

Aug 28, 2012 | 32 Comments

It’s round two with this piece!!

New Dress A Day - DIY - Vintage Dress - Before Look

Day 54 – Before

The bottom part of the dress was used to create this halter last week…

New Dress A Day - DIY - Vintage Muumuu - Part 1 - 53

After shot from Part 1!!

…and now it’s time to use the leftovers!!

New Dress A Day - DIY - Vintage Muumuu - Leftovers - 53

Leftovers!

Super excited to get crackin!!

I decided to actually keep this intact as a top!  Yay!!  However, I wanted to add a little more flair.  During a recent trip downtown, I picked up some red fringe…

New Dress A Day - DIY - Vintage Muumuu - Fringe - 53

Fringe Benefits!

…because I thought it would be fun to trim the edges with it!  I began by pinning the end of the fringe to a place at the bottom of the top.

New Dress A Day - DIY - Vintage Muumuu - Fringe Attachment - 53

Pin it!

I kept doing this until the entire raw edged-bottom was fringe attached!

New Dress A Day - DIY - Vintage Muumuu - Attached the Fringe - 53

Fringe is attached!!

I threaded my sewing machine with some red thread and sewed my new edge in place!

New Dress A Day - DIY - Vintage Muumuu - Sewing Fringe Time - 53

Fringy Hem!

I trimmed the end of the fringe and stitched the ends down.

New Dress A Day - DIY - Vintage Muumuu - Trim Trim - 53

Little trim of the trim!

Because the sleeves were a little too large and felt a bit cumbersome, I decided to remove them both!

New Dress A Day - DIY - Vintage Muumuu - Sleeve Removing - 53

Sorry Sleeves!

I know, I know, the embroidery on the sleeves!!  Fear not, this will still be used down the road!  However for today, we’re going sleeveless.  I pinned and stitched down a new sleeve seam…

New Dress A Day - DIY - Vintage Muumuu - Sleeve Stitching - 53

Time to tack ‘er down!

…paired the top with a fun necklace from a batch of costume jewelry that my grandma gave me along with some grey jeans and was ready for the day!

New Dress A Day - DIY - Vintage Dress - Finished Fringe - 84

Day 54 – After

I have to say, this top totally felt like it should be worn on a beachy vacation!!  I got complimented by the gentleman wearing the Mossimo t-shirt at the fabric store, so I felt I did well.  Unfortunately there was no beachy vacation to go on, however I did channel a vacation of sorts by heading to a girlfriend’s house.  A trip away from my apartment to somewhere air conditioned is technically a vacation in my book :)

New Dress A Day - DIY - Vintage Dress - After - 84

Daytime vacation shot!

I had a little birthday house party to attend later in the eve, so I took this top from day to night with the addition of a sparkly cardigan!  Oh, and this shot was taken as I was cutting stray threads…yeah, I carry a mini pair of Fiskars scissors in my purse.  So what, who cares :)

New Dress A Day - DIY - Vintage Muumuu - On the Go Trim - 53

Trimming on the go!

For a festive outdoor birthday, this piece totally worked.  Got to enjoy some BBQ, some delish chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream cake from Coldstone Creamery, and some girl talk.

New Dress A Day - DIY - Vintage Muumuu - RRLPML - 53

Love my R & L!

Yeah, both the musical stylings of Girl Talk and actual chatter!

In all · Reader Donations
  • Reyes

    I would have taken it in a bit on the sides to better show of your figure, but with that gorgeous embordery couldn’t turn any other way than great… Any plans for the sleeves? I can see a lovely bag with just one seam and a shoulder strap out of them

    • Paula

      totally agree with the taking it in a bit. Marisa has such style she can pull it off either way. Love the embroidery. My granddaughter had a dress with lots of this type of embroidery from Mexico when she was about 5 and I was so sad when she outgrew it. Brings back lots of happy memories. Thanks Marisa

      • newdressaday

        You’re welcome! I’m sure your granddaughter looked adorable!

  • Keenzi

    So fun/cute! I gotta come up with some better adjectives for this site or stop commenting… : ) I see the point about taking it in, but like this nice and breezy, as is. That embroidery is so gorgeous, like Reyes said, so I’m just glad it is still front and center!

  • JanF

    Not only your imagination and sewing skills but your social life is amazing too!

  • Guest

    Love it! And I normally am not a fan of fringes-but it looks awesome! I laughed when you said you carry a scissors-my daughter is always asking me while out somewhere if I can cut something and I ask if it looks like I have a scissors on me?! But you do-love that!

    • newdressaday

      I always have a bag of tricks with me…I usually get made fun :) Your daughter and I would get along famously!

  • Colleen

    Love it! And I am not normally a fan of fringes-but they look so cool here! And I laughed that you carry a scissors-my daughter is always asking me while we are out if I can cut something and I joke that it’s not like I carry a scissors with me everywhere. But you do-love that!

  • KimboTron5000

    This is wonderful! I love the red fringe. Very unique and original :)

  • http://www.facebook.com/rachel.johnson.3192479 Rachel Johnson

    Oh, my word. You are adorable. If I had even this –> <– much of your creative ability, I'd be set for life. All my sewing projects require patterns to follow. You are inspiring!

    • newdressaday

      Oh, my word Rachel! You’re the sweetest!! xx

  • anna puddles

    love the fringe it so works with that top

  • Laura Whitman

    That is so cute! I love how you made two tops out of one very large dress! Great job. :)

    xoxo,
    Laura

  • Sarah_H.

    OK. Let’s see you make a third top with those sleeve. I dare you. It would be a record. I don’t think you have ever published 3 things from one garment yet.

    • newdressaday

      Ooh, that’s a good one…working on it Sarah!!

      • http://www.facebook.com/JenniferMerrillWilliams Jennifer Williams

        I’m thinking you could make a bag with embroidered panels on both sides!!!

  • http://foryourtastebudsonly.blogspot.com/ Roxanne

    I am sure you can do a miniskirt with those sleeves!

  • Chrissy

    I have the best scissors-in-purse story. Everyone should carry scissors. Here’s why.
    I have a friend, Marcia, in her 60s who I met when I was a young barista and she was my customer. We’ve kept up our friendship for nearly 20 years and a few years back, on her way to visit me in Seattle, she met up with another of her friends, Katie, and they treated themselves to a night in a very nice hotel.

    They were in the elevator on their way to breakfast when it stopped and a nice-looking man got on. Marcia noticed he had a big thread hanging from his shirt and told him so.

    He gave her a bit of a look like, “can you help me?” and she asked, “would you like me to get it off for you?”. He said yes so she got her little scissors and cut off the thread.

    “Thank you. I’m hopeless without my wife here to give me a once-over before I leave in the morning.”

    And he got out of the elevator.

    “You don’t know who that was, do you?”, Marcia’s friend Katie immediately asked her.

    “No. Should I have?”, asked Marcia.

    And so Katie informed her…

    (scroll a bit)
    “You just tidied up Ben Affleck.”

    • newdressaday

      Amazing! Note to self: Snag a handsome lad by carrying a pair of scissors in your bag!

      • Lovestosew

        I keep a mini sewing kit in my bag (I made the one from Mend It Better). I just started my own alterations business, having the mini kit has been great for gaining customers. No matter where I am I can do a quick repair or take a fast measurement.

  • kissem37

    I have a pair of earrings that are a tiny pair of scissors- and they work ;)

    • newdressaday

      Genius! I feel like Etsy probably sells cute ones like that :)

      • kissem37

        They sure do! I’ve had mine since 7th grade, almost 20 years ago!

  • http://www.facebook.com/jane.coombs88 Jane Coombs

    Hi Marisa, have you read Overdressed yet? There is a whole chapter that you can relate to. I got it from the library. The author is Elizabeth Cline. Her a-ha moment came when she went a thrift store in a major city.In three days, they had received 18 tons of clothes!

    • newdressaday

      Wow! I haven’t read that yet Jane, but will have to check it out. Thanks so much for the rec!

  • Lovestosew

    I like the fringe and no sleeves. The top looks a little boxy, though. Maybe, if you had taken it in at the waist or added a cute belt or tied a scarf at the waist it would have helped.

  • http://www.facebook.com/linda.nelson.5876 Linda Nelson

    The sleeves could be an apron for Thanksgiving, pockets on a denim jacket, head scarf, cowboy shirt yoke, purse, cami, cardigan front lining. So much more.

  • http://www.facebook.com/tollyfaye Tolly Bockbrader

    This may be my favorite ever. LOVE IT!

  • Sue

    Two terrific tops from one large dress. Way to go marisa. :) Love it.

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

    No scissors but I do carry a tape measure and nail clippers…

  • Janet

    This one was gasp-worthy.

  • Tasmanian Minimalist

    Brilliant. I have a very similar frock I haven’t been able to wear. Can I copy you..? Please, please, please ???