Taking a horrendous dress and turning it into something cute and wearable is what I love most about DIY, and all it takes is a little time and imagination. As some of you may know, I fell in love with the Carven SS12 collection, particularly the strategically placed cut outs on the dresses. I knew the triangular cut out was something I would have to try for myself.
Originally I wanted a dress with a bright print like the Carven fabrics, but was unable to find anything I liked. I snagged this pink dress from the $1 pile of my local thrift shop and thought I could use that instead. I tried the dress on when I got home and my boyfriend almost vommed, it was not flattering in any way. I was told I resembled a 'sister wife' farmer in my mid-calf length, puffed shoulder dress that was also about 4 inches too big in the waist.
Transforming this dress took a little time but not that much skill, and all of it can be done by hand if you don't have a sewing machine.
How I did it:
1. I cut the dress short and hemmed it.
2. I took the dress in at the waist by about 4 inches by sewing two thick darts in the back along the existing seam lines.
3. I then created the triangle in the front by cutting an upside down T into the front centre of the dress. I then folded the flaps of the T up and out to create the triangular opening.
4. I secured these using small stitches and then sewed the raw egde of the bottom of the T over to hem it.
5. Finally, I cut the sleeves off the dress and hemmed the new armholes.
6. I then gave the dress a really good iron, focusing on the hemmed areas.
All done! This dress is sure to get plenty of wear. I'll be donning it with some sheer spotted tights once the weather starts cooling down a bit in Hong Kong. If you like this look but don't like the exposed skin, you can always sew some sheer lace over the opening which I think would be very cute.
I hope this sort of project inspires you to be a bit imaginative with things you see in thrift stores. There's a world of possibilities once you get to grips with taking the scissors to your clothes. Happy DIYing!
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