Who are you and what have you done with Selma

Say hello to the new and improved Selma-sational! 

In case you missed this post, that's Selma Sack Dress on the left, sad and desperate for a date. A date with the sewing machine, that is. The procedure was 'invasive' and the only part of the original dress left is the placket but she's happier for it. I have to say you guys blew me away your ideas and enthusiasm for project re-vamp Selma. Talk about putting the pressure on. I spent the next few days staring at this dress, paralyzed to start with 'don't stuff up, don't stuff up!' going round in my head. Stuff up a $2 dress? Luckily, I got over that one real quick and began the hacksacktomy.

Just in case you want to attempt your own sack dress re-vamp, here's the how-to: It's going to sound like everything flowed nicely from one step to the next but it was more like sew, pause ( scream) un-pick, sew...you get the picture. For the fitted bodice, I traced a dress of mine but added three inches to the length to sit on my waist. Only I didn't take into account the fabric on the other dress was really stretchy and this one more like an interlock so it's a little snug for my liking, but wearable. I sewed the placket shut to avoid gapage, bound the neck and armholes and used the pocket pattern pieces from the Darling Ranges dress pattern. For the skirt part I cut the side seams of the original dress and turn them on their side so that I could get the length I wanted for a dropped hem. I sewed new side seams, made a couple of new box pleats at the front and gathered the back. Lastly, I cut the skirt higher at the front, dropped at the back and hemmed.

I wore it the all day Sunday, got friendly with a hedge and even managed to wriggle a boob out the top to feed Hudson. My brother said it 'looked nice' before he knew it was hand-made so I think we'll declare this one a win on that alone. I paired it with thrifted belt, shoes and denim jacket and this lovely pressed flower pendant by Neus of Tiny Nice Things.