Tomorrow is World Wide Knit in Public Day! I hope you all have fun knitting outside related plans lined up. If you living in Chicago I hope you are planning on knitting (and drinking!) with us at Street Side tomorrow at 4pm.

Have you seen the blog New Dress a Day? Marisa takes weirdo clothes she thrifts and turns them into super fun, modern dresses with a little cutting and sewing.

Big Button Front Dress

She inspired me to fix up this old clunker. I picked this silky, HUGE, button up, belted number on half price Saturday a while ago thinking I could just cut the top off and make it a cute skirt. But it’s been sitting in my sewing pile for months and months.

New Dress A Day motivated me to make this a little bit more special. I cut the gigantic sleeves off, then cut it across at the bottom of the armpit holes. I peeled off the bottom portions of the front pockets. (WHY would you put front pockets on a woman’s dress?)

Then I rolled the top down to make an elastic casing, slid some elastic in there, and voila!

Oohh CUTE!

Totally wearable summer dress! The empire waist is super flattering, the skirt is full and fun, and the the elastic I added at the top of the dress is comfortable.

Ready to Party!

This dress worked really well because the skirt didn’t need to be altered at all. The striped design is fun and can stand on it’s own. Because the top of the dress was vertically striped, the contrast is natural and flattering in any capacity.

Fake Buttons, Serious Elastic

I left a couple of the buttons on, just for fun. They don’t do anything – I sewed up both sides of the button band – but it’s a fun detail.

Kinda Like PJs!

So, before it looked like an old fashioned prison dress, and now it looks like a fun party dress! Thanks, Marisa, for the inspiration! Have you been inspired by a blog you read lately?

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