About this dress:
Store: Deseret Industries
Price: $6
Brand/Designer: Jessica McClintock
Sizing: My current size
Floral Dress Refashion: Fabric Dyeing
Some of you may remember me posting the before picture of this dress a little while back. I already didn’t like the original color, but that dislike was amplified when I discovered it had multiple horrid stains. I immediately tried out the RIT dye I had on hand and decided to go with my orange color because it turned out a pretty golden rod shade over the original pale-minty color. It also didn’t make the dress look like a bandana the way my red shades did.
I lied when I said I immediately tried out my dye first, I actually cropped the dress first for this refashion project so I would have some fabric to test the dye on. The bottom of the dress had two folds that were sewn as a sort of trim decoration. I used my rotary cutter to cut underneath one of the folds. That way I didn’t have to create a new hem. #winning
I also used a seam ripper to remove all of the lace before I proceeded to dye the entire dress.
Dyeing can be quite a mess so you really want to be careful. This is what the dyeing operation looked like for me.
I was amazed and how the lining ended up being neon orange. I went ahead and removed it, but I’m keeping it because I may make a skirt with it later.
Floral Dress Refashion: Bodice Sewing
At this point, I removed the bodice using a seam ripper. It was gathered at the bottom, so the result was a super long piece for a bodice. Extra fabric would need to be removed.
To get a hold of the extra fabric, I took in both side seams, and added two bust darts. I also wanted the bodice to be removable, so I hemmed the bottom of it.
After the steps above were done, I realized that the bodice looked just as good backwards as it did forwards. The buttons give it a fun real.
Here it is worn with the original front in place.
But my favorite might just be the skirt worn alone.
What do you think? What’s your favorite version of this floral dress refashion?
Again to summarize:
That’s amazing! I love the buttons in front! You look like you could go out for a summer stroll in the meadow!
Haha! Thanks Chelsea! I totally need to find a meadow now.
Although I like mint, the mustard yellow turned out great. I’d probably wear the skirt the most :) !
I definitely like the skirt the most too! Thanks!
I like the one with the buttons in front. I think you make anything you wear cute.
Thanks Cindy!
SO CUTE! I love them all, but I love the belt picture best. You are gorgeous though, so I’m pretty sure you could pull of wearing a sack. : )
Thank you so much, Ashley!