swap party

Remake: Dress Swap with Recycled Fashion

Today's post is a fun one!  I partnered up with my Australian pal Erica at Recycled-Fashion for a little outfit swapping!  We decided to send each other a fabulous thrifted find (hers is below), work our magic on them, and then post the after shots.  We've been working on this for a little bit and it's finally time to reveal what we came up with! This is what Erica sent me...

New Dress A Day - Vintage Floral Dress - DIY - thrift store

Check her out modeling the floral, billowy-ness!

New Dress A Day - Vintage Floral Dress - DIY - thrift store

I received it in the mail and got working!!  Any thoughts of where I'm going to take it?  I think you're going to like the final product!

First thangs first.  Yep, thangs.  Cut.  Them.  Sleeves.

New Dress A Day - Vintage Floral Dress - DIY - thrift store

Look how pretty it's starting to look!

New Dress A Day - Vintage Floral Dress - DIY - thrift store

I really wanted to bring notice to the amazing button panel at the center.  The wheels started turning and I began to snip the edge of the fabric right next to the buttoned panel on each side, starting at the neck going down about a third of the way (falling at m'boobs!).

New Dress A Day - Vintage Floral Dress - DIY - thrift store

After the center area was trimmed, I started to snip the same fabric right at the neck seam.  I opened up this entire area, cutting from the center seam to the back zipper.

New Dress A Day - Vintage Floral Dress - DIY - thrift store

Once everything was trimmed, I made a triangle shape with the fabric (pinning it under) on each side of the buttoned panel.  I repeated this step with the material on the back of the dress, using the top of the zipper as the tip of my triangle.

New Dress A Day - Vintage Floral Dress - DIY - thrift store

I ended up having some extra room at the neck after all my tweaking, so I detached the button panel from the neck strip with a seam ripper...

New Dress A Day - Vintage Floral Dress - DIY - thrift store

...cut the area that was excess...

New Dress A Day - Vintage Floral Dress - DIY - thrift store

...and pinned it back together, to prep for sewing.  This is going to make it more fitted up top.

Next, I sewed the front and back of the dress...

New Dress A Day - Vintage Floral Dress - DIY - thrift store

...the neck strip, and then I took the top portion of the dress in on each side to make it as fitted as I could.

New Dress A Day - Vintage Floral Dress - DIY - thrift store

After all that work, this is what my dress turned into...

New Dress A Day - Vintage Floral Dress - DIY - thrift store

How's that for a remake??

New Dress A Day - Vintage Floral Dress - DIY - thrift store

I love that this button panel was what spoke to me :)

New Dress A Day - Vintage Floral Dress - DIY - thrift store

I just used that as my jump point and started thinking about the best way to highlight my favorite part!

New Dress A Day - Vintage Floral Dress - DIY - thrift store

It's such a light and springy piece - so perfect for the new season ahead!

New Dress A Day - Vintage Floral Dress - DIY - thrift store

I'm headed to Bali very soon (!!!) and guess what's coming with me...

New Dress A Day - Vintage Floral Dress - DIY - thrift store

...this dress!!

I paired it with my vintage Candies and vintage straw clutch, to help ring in the spring!!

New Dress A Day - Vintage Floral Dress - DIY - thrift store

You will see this restyled again when I bring it beachside with me, but until then...

New Dress A Day - Vintage Floral Dress - DIY - thrift store

MUAH!!

So that's what I did with Erica's piece.  Now it's onto the piece that I sent her!

Here's what the lovely before shots looked like...

New Dress A Day - Vintage Floral Dress - DIY - thrift store - Ruffles

She is getting a WINNER!!!

New Dress A Day - Vintage Floral Dress - DIY - thrift store - Ruffles

I know you want to see how she transformed this!  Head on over HERE for the afters!