Hi Sis,

Early this week, I sadly posted this sheer dress for sale. While, it wasn’t my first creation, as I had made a few dresses before the kids where born. It was the project, that turned me into a seamstress. Prior, to this dress my sewing was a means to end. Now, I sew for fun! This dress sparked the sewing of of over a dozen dresses within about a years time, as well as other projects. For once, my knitting needles are laying in their basket, wondering when I am going to pick them up again… probably this winter. lol.

The dress had a few issues, and as a delicate fabric I didn’t want to reconstruct it. Here was the dress originally. It was a beautiful cream, with trimmed sleeves.

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• The dress had a washing accident, where the hem tape bleed color onto the bodice and upper skirt. I fixed this by dyeing the whole dress. But, it never looked as beautiful in my eyes again, as it did when it was cream.
• While washing and dyeing the dress, the sleeve trim was ruined, and had to be removed.
• The dress was too short, I’m talking 5-7 inches off the ground. I had used all the fabric to make dress.
• I returned to my post baby weight, and the bodice didn’t fit any more. And as a seamstress, and ill fitting bodice is a hard thing to look at, especially if you made it!

I’m goofing in this picture, but I think it shows a a few of the issues, that were driving me crazying.

I posted it for sale in the morning, and was anxious all day.  It was a 10 p.m while laying in bed, unable to sleep… that I figured out solutions to all of my problems. I really didn’t have to do that much seam ripping, and I sure didn’t have to take apart the bodice to fix it. I found away to drop the skirt almost three inches. 

Thankfully, I woke up the next morning, and the dress hadn’t sold. I removed it’s listings, took it to the sewing room, and fixed it.

On the first day, I removed the skirt from the bodice, and took in the sides seams. This was a bit slow, as I had to remove the pipping on the bottom, and restitch the hook and eye tape back on. I also, found some matching silk ribbon, and used it to create an outline on the sleeves.

On the second day, I seam ripped the entire flounce of the skirt, and reset it 2.75 inches lower.

And today, I stitched the skirt back onto the bodice. Eve (my four year old photographer) took these photos.

If you look closely, you will see that the back of the skirt is still too short… but it is better than before. It’s on a hillside, but the back is still over 4 inches off the ground. I can drop the entire back panel another 1/2 inch, and I think I will! But, as a whole the dress is much improved,. I’m relieved that it didn’t sell, and I can’t wait to wear it!

Love,

Jamie

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