Bias Cut Beauty

My most recent project has involved this little number. (Modeled by me, the last time I wore it; which may have been a good two years ago to a Kentucky Derby party in DUMBO.)

Which is the problem; the last time I wore this dress was two years ago! Don't get me wrong, I've tried it on since then, with the idea being to wear it out of the apartment. But I never make it that far. You see, the dress just doesn't fit that well and I don't really like the design of the bodice. I found it while thrifting (for only $4! and it's made by Jcrew, whom I adore and can't afford normally.) in the lower east side one sunny afternoon and couldn't resist, even though it's two sizes too big.

So my Sunday afternoon solution? Turn it into a skirt! I simply love the fabric and the fact that the skirt is cut on the bias. I'm rather bias obsessed at the moment, it just drapes so lovely and looks so nice, I don't know why more skirts aren't cut that way.























And here we are!

My updated, beautiful skirt!

A close up and the not quite as glamorous "model shot" as I would like. If you like those awkward photos people take of themselves, this is the blog for you! I could have asked Mike to take it for me, but that means having to overcome my embarrassment at wanting to pose in the following ways.

On a side note, aren't those shoes great?!!?


To turn this lack luster dress (with an invisible zipper in the side seam) into a skirt, I simply seam ripped out the zipper until I was an inch below the waist seam, where the skirt was sewn to the bodice; then removed the bodice from the skirt. I cut up the bodice fabric to make the waistband (matching stripes mind you, I hate when projects look homemade) and used the cotton lining of the dress as the lining for my waistband. Over all it took about 2 hours, since the waistband is three pieces and the lining is in four to keep my grain straight. I interfaced the waistband, understitched so you wouldn't see the lining (which is white, the same color as the stripes) and was good to go! The best thing about this project (aside from how cute it looks) is that I was able to leave the zipper in the side and just cut it down to fit inside my waistband!