A Homecoming Hit

A couple of years back, my daughter was asked to a Homecoming dance. 

After the squeals of delight calmed down, we started looking for a dress.   

We are religious people who believe in

modesty of dress

and so the run-of-the-mill dresses found on the racks were just not cutting it. 

They either had

a) no sleeves, 

b) no straps,

c) no back

d) often too short to

leave much to the imagination or

e) all of the above. 

None would do.  

We happened to run across a store in our area that was closing down and happen, 

by pure miracle,

to find a dress not only with sleeves,

but was in the color she liked best,

fushia. 

Okay,

really her favorite color is purple

but this was the closest without being a total pink,

in her mind anyway. 

I don't have a pix of the before, none turned out,

but It was floor length with a wide lace band at the waist,

neither which she cared for in the least, and

a pretty black and sparkle design around the bottom like that on the top.   

The price was right, too. 

Something like 85% off. 

Can't beat that with a stick!    

So I did my best dressing room song and dance about how I could make it over into

whatever

she wanted

and she bought it. 

The song and dance routine, that is. 

I bought the dress

with no return/refund

and so I was now committed

and hoped and prayed that I could

deliver

the

dress

of

her

dreams. 

 I first had to separate the top of the dress from the skirt. 

AND

take out the zipper. 

Done. 

I now had 2 pieces. 

After some careful measuring of length

I trimmed off that length (measuring from the bottom hem)

plus seam allowance

the sheer netting, 

underlining,

netting

and still yet another layer of lining from the bottom of the dress. 

I did that all separately, of course. 

I layered them all together from the waistline seam, stitched it all together

and came up with a shorter version of the skirt. 

I took advantage of the hem that was already in place,

the design feature of the skirt

and the fullness of the bottom of the original skirt this way. 

Yes, siree.   

I was on my way. 

I did have to take in some of the seams a bit so that the skirt seams would line up nice and even with the bodice seams. 

Then, one quick waistline seam

and I replaced the back zipper with an

invisible one

and I now had a short version of the full-length formal. 

 I made a black sash that tied in the back and... 

 She looked

AMAZING!! 

Don't you agree? 

Sew Happy,

Suzie