80s Velvet & Plaid Remake
The full holiday dress post has arrived!!
Here’s the before dress in its deep green velvet and plaid glory…
80s Velvet – Before
Time to get (nut)-crackin’! (I take full responsibility of the holiday puns…)
I started with a trim…
It’s Scissor Time!
I wanted the dress to hit me above that lovely cankle area where it was in the original, so I trimmed off about nine inches from the bottom.
Two pieces!
Instead of hemming the piece, I took some Fray Check to manage the raw edges after I was finished!
Fray Check!!
The top of the dress came next – with my seam ripper, I started to remove those sleeves thread by thread!
Those sleeves are going to go!
I got my sleeves off…
Sleeveless in Seattle!
…and then trimmed the seam at the shoulder in half to work into a strapless number!! I pinned all the raw edges under…
Edge pinning!
…and then sewed down my new seams on the top of the dress. I had this piece finished for Hallmark’s Home & Family show, so it looked like this, styled on the dress forms.
Home & Family dress form action!
For the real deal, I adjusted the brooch and paired the dress with some black tights, boots, and a decorated Christmas tree!!
After!
It was too cold to wear the dress without anything over it, so I threw on my grey Cynthia Rowley beaded cardi (a Boston Goodwill $4 find) on top!!
Holiday ensemble!
I then layered my vintage red coat to have my outfit totally complete.
Layers!!
And being in the holiday spirit, as well as being hopped up on sugar thanks to all those seasonal treats in candy dishes all over the house (I’m talking about you Peppermint Patties & Rochers), I couldn’t resist a little fun with a cane of Hershey Kisses that my brother got from one of his students for Christmas. I mean when there’s a cane, you obviously have to tap dance.
Just a little tap dancing…
I mean, it’s what you do…
When there’s a cane…
OK, it’s what I do 
I hope everyone had a most beautiful day and I’m also hoping that there are vacation days ahead for many of you this week!
PS, for those of you having fun from home this week, the episode of Ricki Lake that I did in November is re-airing today! Check your local listings, but the show it titled “A New Attitude” and is vintage themed. It originally aired during the thick of the hurricane, so I know many of you missed it and emailed me about it. Here’s your second chance!
