Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Before and After


I made this Michael Kors knock-off dress earlier this year.  It was scrimped out of 2 yards of fabric and I really believe that I shorted the sleeves because they were always tight.  However, when I went to put the dress on earlier this fall, the sleeves were just too dayum tight.  Part of the problem was definitely the trim that I added to the sleeve's hemline and I guess the other part would be that my biceps have gained in bodaciousness.


Anywhoo, I decided to remove the sleeves...I mean it's a perfectly good dress that can be worn sleeveless with a cardigan.  

So here is the before:

...and here is the after:


I simply removed the sleeves. Pressed down the 5/8" seam allowance, stitched it flat and then pressed it again.  It has only slightly changed the look of the dress especially since I'd styled the dress before with a cardigan. But it will still be wearable and that's what's most important.


Finally, one of my Christmas gifts was an American Express Gift Certificate which I promptly took to Bed Bath & Beyond and bought a new Rowenta iron.




My old one was leaking and caused me much grief during the construction of the Christening Gown.  I'm glad that I bought it because there is a vast difference in the amount of steam the new one is putting out versus the older one...and I never even noticed it!


Finally, it's the last week of 2011 so the next couple of posts will be my yearly wrap-ups before we barrel into 2012.


...as always, more later!



14 comments:

  1. A very smart (and sensible) restyle. Hope you enjoy your new iron!

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  2. Nice restyle, it's always better to have something you'll wear vs. something that's not quite comfortable.
    I think changes in products like irons are so subtle you just adjust your expectations as time goes by and don't notice that it's actually changed.

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  3. It's a cute dress with the great use of the plaid, so I'm glad you could save it!

    Also, congrats on the new iron! There is nothing like a great, steamy, reliable, non-spitting iron!!

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  4. Like the solution to your problem and the look is great either way!

    Thanks so much for such a great blog.

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  5. You might be able to get more wear out of it now. Great save!

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  6. Glad you were able to make it work.

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  7. Your dress has a nice summery vibe without the sleeves, or year-round with the cardi, so good save!

    Some people think gift certificates are impersonal, but I love 'em. Who else would know which iron to buy??

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  8. Great idea..it looks just as nice sleeveless.

    Enjoy your new iron..an iron that spits is so annoying...I bought a Reliable brand iron and it is awesome...also non-spitting which is wonderful :)

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  9. Yes, indeed, a very cute dress and well worth the makeover. You have so many cute cardigans, too.
    Enjoy that new iron!

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  10. Your dress looks great after the restyle. I love a new iron. I invested in a steam generator iron and love it despite the fact I often steam up my glasses.

    Happy New Year

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  11. Great save, Carolyn. I'm looking forward to your 2011 wrap up.

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  12. Your remake looks quite stylish. A good iron makes such a difference. My old iron died so slowly that I didn't notice until I bought a new one.

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  13. You are an inspiration! Great dresses. I do think that the michael kors one is my favorite because of the way you worked the plaid.
    Happy 2012,
    Terry

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