A tunic from a dress: re-formatting the 90s

For about a year and a half, I have been following a blog called New Dress A Day by Marisa Lynch (she will have a book out in Oct). Marisa was out of work a few years ago. She loved fashion. She wanted to do something creative. So she decided to take used clothes, that she bought at Salvation Army, Goodwill, Thrift stores, etc., and give them new life. Her only restriction was that she could spend no more than $1.00 per item per day. It was a great year, I tell you. She did some amazing transformations. Since that year, she has either posted other people's finds and fittings, or, sporadically, her own. She not only snips and sews, but dyes, glue-guns, and once even made a cool purse out of 1980s shoulder pads!

Below is a dress that sat in a corner for 6 months awaiting the 'Marisa Treatment.' I loved this dress, originally bought at 'La Cache' (now Cornell Trading) on sale. It was a sheer rayon dress, and way too big for me, not only in the 90s style, but a(n overly generous) medium size. No, no - it's not a 'fat' dress, I was always the weight I am... it's only ironed. I used to love dancing in it, having it swirl about me.

On the night that we went to the superb Paul's Spaghetti, which was my niece's Christmas gift to us and where she is the only waitress, I realized I had nothing to wear. Oh ha. A few hours later, I had finally reformatted the dress. I took it in by 20" - 10" on each side! After cutting it to shorten it into a tunic top, my daughter grabbed the left-over and said she was going to make it into a scarf. The print really is nice, as is that red.

These photos weren't so good, so I played in Camera+, being too lazy to ask anyone for another photo shoot.

Before... bought maybe in 1997 or so, I used to wear it over a danskin for dancing at Sweat Your Prayers, which was a weekly venue in Toronto in those days, or with a belt over a black silk slip. Loved the dress, and fabric, and could not bring myself to throw it out, though with sleeker current styles it seemed like a tent dress and unwearable.

Snip, snip! (and the real colour!)

And now a great little tunic top, which I can wear with tights and a black skirt, or with my velvet leggings, or a pair of skinny jeans. Dressed up here with some dangly jewelry and my red Venetian glass beads, and a belt, I'm on my way out to hear Paris Black sing at The Unicorn (last Sat night) with a bunch of friends.

                              

Nightgowns

Granted, it may not look very interesting. But the pattern was on sale. Nightgowns in stores are usually too short, and the fabric thin enough to see through. With grown children about, I prefer long and opague. I'm not crazy about Victorian-style nightgowns due to the amount of material and how long it takes to get all the creases out as you yank and toss and turn getting comfortable to sleep. Besides, I nattered to the dubious-looking saleswoman, it's all in the fabric.



And I learnt how to turn a regular 5/8" seam into a French seam after you've sewn it. Turn in carefully, and pin. Edge sew. No ends to fray. Perfecto!

I went to Queen Street in Toronto, the 'garment district,' and found the African-style print below for $4./yd - at 3 yards, that's $12.00! I liked it so much, I went back and picked a floral. I think it makes me look Pre-Raphaelite.

There are a few reasons why I like this particular style in 'unexpected' fabric. It's like a lounge-gown. Very comfortable in the mornings and evenings. Also, with a belt quickly snapped or buckled on, I feel comfortable letting the dog out. Who would know it's my nightgown?

How perfect is that?

My daughter took these photos late last night and perhaps we should have had more lights on. Still, fun!