I did not take that many progress photos because I did not think I would take this alter so far! I'm so glad I did and that it all came together so naturally.
Here is the Before, bought off etsy! I loved the color and wrap style, but wearing it felt like a vintage nurse uniform. Which is cool but not my style. I knew I wanted to remove the fold over collar, and give the sleeves more character. Nice sleeves make the biggest difference in a piece's silhouette!
Firstly I took off about 7 inches from the bottom of the dress (because I'm short). This gave me enough fabric to create my flared sleeves.
I used my knowledge of making pleated skirts to create these sleeves. Machine sewn down the pleats, than hand sewn/backstitched to finish the raw edge. I love an opportunity to show hand stitches for a DIY look.
Here's a progress photo of the collar removed and pins holding down where I will finish the raw edges. I also added embroidery here.
I finished altering this dress in a couple days, It's my new favorite piece!
As soon as I finished it that day, I was lucky enough to have enough time left in the day to do a very quick photoshoot! It was also overcast and the perfect weather for photos.
Wearing ItIsKnown Scale Maille on my shoulders transformed this look instantly, they certainly win the attention from everything else in my photos 💘
My next newsletter will show before and after editing from this shoot. Visit my website homepage at the bottom to be a part of my journey with art!
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