7.21.2011

a refashion from my nonna

taking a cue from granny chic week at C+C i pulled out my nonna's handmade dress that i had started and then put on "hold" for 2 1/2 years, back when i was starting to figure out how to sew. refashioning isn't something i'm very experienced with, and using my grandmother's dress is important to me, so i guess that's why i sat on it so long. i got scared.
i forgot to take this "before" picture before i dismantled the sleeves, but they were longer and wider. the theme of this dress was "conservative."
much to my amazement 2 1/2 years later, i did a pretty good job tailoring and waist-shaping, and when i discovered a zipper on one side, it took me a long time to realize i did that way back when. i didn't know i knew how to do that back then! not bad!
this week i finally shortened and narrowed the sleeves and hemmed the dress. the cool thing about the hem....
... is that i discovered this nifty little technique i guess my grandmother used for hems... and i got very excited because i have a box full of this type of hem tape (?) that i found when i was going through her sewing things last year, soooo....
... i thought it would be nice to pay a hidden little tribute to her dress and her sewing legacy and such, and i tried the same in purple! (although my whipstich doesn't hold a candle to hers).
thanks to Lizzie from C+C for the nudge!

8 comments:

  1. I love this!! That dress is amazing and you look great!

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a beautiful fit your new refashioned dress is, and so sweet that it used to be your grandmothers. Lovely!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thank you both so much!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Emily11.2.12

    Gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Mandy Chambers18.6.12

    This looks awesome!  I love it :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. smunch18.6.12

    Thanks!  Would you know I still have never worn it yet though?

    ReplyDelete
  7. chiddada.wordpress.com29.4.13

    Not to sound stalky...but you are doing the same projects with your NONNA'S old stuff that I'm doing with MY Nonna's old stuff...and you live in Baltimore too? How are we not friends? I'm so confused.

    ReplyDelete