Recently I contrasted upcycling with "refashioning." Here are two examples of this idea. The first starts with a dress I've had since Reagan was president. Seriously. Purchased for a trip to Miami, I bring it out once each summer when the temperature in Seattle passes the magical 80 degree (F) mark. A few years ago, the dress lost its elastic waist and tie in back. But I really like the fabric and wanted to wear it more than once a year. Since I'm not moving to Miami anytime soon, I decided to transform the dress into a simple sleeveless top.
I chose a pattern I'd used once before, Simplicity 8523. The skirt portion of the dress provided more than enough material, especially since I didn't need sleeves. Also, I eschewed the arm and neck facings -- simply turning over the edges works fine. And who needs extra bulk around their neck and armpits? Not me.
But after I cut the skirt from the bodice, I discovered that there wasn't quite as much fabric as I thought. The shirt would have to be shorter. (I was able to preserve the hem of the original dress, saving a step and buying a little length.)
And if I wanted to match the pattern, back to front, it looked like I wouldn't have enough fabric for the back.
I didn't like the pattern on the dress bodice, but the sleeves were more attractive. Could I use them to fill in the missing shoulder? Only if I cut the shoulder into halves and live with a seam in the middle.
Here's the view from the front. I removed the label from the original dress and added it to the new top. It adds a bit of polish and reminds me not to machine wash it (again).
