Here's this month's installment of My Mother's Attic with my girl Ashley! I'm just LOVING the piece she scored from her mom's closet and cannot get over how it turned out. Check it out...
It's only JUST beginning to feel like spring here in Vermont, but that hasn't stopped me from dreaming about warmer, sunnier days, and the glorious spring outfits that accompany the change in season. Heck, I'll rock flip flops and a sundress if it hits 50 degrees. (OH PLEASE LET IT HIT 50 DEGREES!) I'm positively obsessed with the fabric and pattern of this vintage dress of my mom's.
It was a gift from my Grammy to my mother back in the 70s when my mom had just graduated from college and was a young schoolteacher. It's a Pierre Deux piece (a fabric and furnishings company known for its quintessential Southern French textiles that sadly closed its doors in 2011). The dress has that characteristic pattern of country French living. Totally swoon-worthy.
Unfortunately, I couldn't button that crazy neckline or the cuffs of the sleeves, and it was speckled with some holes and stains to boot. It hadn't been worn in years and it was definitely time to change that.
To spread the wealth, I decided to make TWO garments out of the one dress. I ripped the seam of the lower half of the dress and used that bottom fabric to make a simple skirt for my almost-4 year old to wear all spring and summer.
I followed a tutorial by Dana Made It which is perfect for a newbie sewer like myself. I then cut the cuffs off the end of the sleeves...
...and used those to create pockets on the skirt. I like that they showcase the beautiful fabric buttons from the original dress.
With the top part of the dress, I cut the neckline and hemmed a v-neck which was more comfortable and fit my size and style. I also cropped the sleeves and re-hemmed to make a short-sleeved top and added two buttons to the top so that I wouldn't risk flashing the public when I ventured out in the ensemble.
Once I was done, I had a spring top to compliment my oldest daughter's new skirt.
Matching, but not too over-the-top.
We had fun running around our farm property snapping pictures of our new looks.
Granted, there's still snow on the ground and it was a rather brisk afternoon - so we'll have the wait a bit to really rock these looks together. They'll be perfect when the spring weather really sets in.
See you next month, preferably with no lingering snow!
To keep up with Ash online, find her over at Blog a la Cart and here onTwitter, Instagram, & FB!
