One of the first things I uncovered from my mother’s wardrobe was this dress. The concept of this dress is great except that it was for an old person. Sorry, Mom! However, this looks like it would make a great addition to a summertime swimming attire, so even though we are in the midst of winter spring, I decided to remake it for my daughter Liz. Fortunately, stripes are totally in this spring, so this would be the perfect upcycle.
Repurposing Fashion Clothing: Upcycling an Empire Waist Top from a Dress
First step, cut it up. I measured where the bust line would be by putting one of her tops on top of it and marking where it would go. Notice that I cut a a strip out. This is going to be the empire waist line.
But this ugly pocket HAS to go. Buh-bye.
I attached the waist first. I accidentally put it on backwards. Since it folds down, it has to go on the outside of the dress, not the inside like one would normally make it. Next up is the ruffle part. Using pins, I stitched it into place with my machine.
Voila!
