Upcycled Fashion – A second life for a vintage dress

Hey loves.

Anytime Sewn magazine puts out a call, I’m ready to answer. If you don’t know about this print publication, you should! This fashion magazine pulls its content from talented sewists, so it’s our place to shine.

I feel so honored to be featured (December 2020 issue) in a spread focused on upcycled fashion. We were asked to take a vintage find and refashion it into a party dress. This beaded gown from Goodwill was my starting point. I used McCalls 8024 for the top and out-of-print Simplicity 8931 for the skirt.

I completely disassembled the dress and removed the lining to get as much yardage a possible. Then I did some serious pattern placement jockeying. There wasn’t enough fabric for the back so I used a synthetic for both that and the lining.

I redrafted the front to open wider and raised the armscye to minimize the bulk under the arm. Attached the skirt to the top and that was pretty much it.

One thing I did like and intended to do was make this reversible. I wish I had enough of the beaded fabric for the front to complete the look though.

Full disclosure, some garments resonate with you, some don’t. This one didn’t even though I like the final result. I doubt it’ll stay around because it’s not that flattering to my figure. But what I did enjoy was giving a second life to old clothing. Someone else will have have the pleasure of wearing her out.