horrid polyester polka dot monstrosity into cute little mini

[shesxautomatic]

here's the before:


eeew, right?!
i bought this sucka at a thrift store in sevierville, TN around new year's (you can tell the picture is old because my walls are still pink!) for a couple dollars. the polka dots are some crazy stretchy polyester deal, and the bottom is a heavier polyester that doesn't stretch at all. i liked the little polka dot polyester necktie, though. whatever you'd call it.

what i did:
- removed the sleeves, shortened (keeping the original sleeve hem; i shortened from the top) and re-attached
- shortened the midriff section by several inches, realized it was too short, added a red band of ribbed knit
- changed the bottom white skirt to jersey (not so hot!) and shortened to knee-length
- kept a tiny band of polka dot from fitting the top and used that as a band around the bottom
- added a white jersey ruffle because it was, ahem, too short. the ruffle is edged with a thin red rolled hem

i kept the tie! the tie is the best part!

afters:


yay green walls


not exactly sure what this close-up accomplished.

i was a little leery of it - it reminds me of an american flag, in a bad way - but i pulled it out of the closet to show a friend and she immediately started flipping out and saying things like, "OH MY GOD, LAUREN, WHERE DID THIS COME FROM? CAN I HAVE IT? PLEASE?" sucess, then?

what do you think?

[dragonmama]

Oh wow! What a transformation! You did a wonderful job, and it's really adorable.

[melyssa_marie]

it reminds me of the bicentennial patriotism of 1976 (er... what i imagine it would have been like) i picture you eating watermelon and playing with sparklers in this dress come july 4th. very cute, not in the tacky way i think you're thinking. you did a great recon!

[oceandolle]

I'm so jealous. That dress is waaaaaay adorable. Totally awesome recon.

[violentjayne]

I love it , and it looks more nautical than american flagish to me ... maby if you added a lil anchor applique on the whit to would dive home the .. im not a flag look .. either way I love it and its millions of times better than the original !

[nofury]

I think you did a wonderful job!

[hannabear]

Oh veeery cute! You did a really nice job with it!

[lafemmedramatique]

First of all CUTE dress! I love it!

Second- I'm stealing photos of you to take with me when I get my hair cut later this week. I can never find what I want in their outdated style books, and try as I might, I just can't get exactly what I want when I cut it myself.

So, awesome job, and thanks!

[RachelKristin]

wow! you did an awesome job, it's so absolutely adorable now! i want!

[tidesong]

Ooh its definetly very cute now!!

[kbariweg]

who would have thought that original dress had such potential! I'm amazed! that's what we call a recon...

[geekch1ck]

I would have passed the original dress up as "don't go there, you'll never make anything out of it".  You did a GREAAT job!!!  I bow to your skillz.

[try.fail.repeat]

Absolutely adorable!

[shesxautomatic]

First of all CUTE dress! I love it!

Second- I'm stealing photos of you to take with me when I get my hair cut later this week. I can never find what I want in their outdated style books, and try as I might, I just can't get exactly what I want when I cut it myself.

So, awesome job, and thanks!

  haha feel free. although there are probably better pictures of my hair on my myspace... myspace.com/killedbyfuck
it's basically a growing-out aline that has been razored to hell with scissors. i tease the living daylights out of it every morning


and thank you everyone for your lovely comments! ya'll make me blush.

[bluefuzz]

you made that sooo cute it's amazing. i looovee it : DD

[gopoundsand]

freaking adorable! 

[Andi.Devine]

this is amazing.

[whimsykid]

Wow that is a GREAT recon! Very creative and it looks so nice! I'm going to have to go ugly-polyester-dress-hunting now...

[sarabell42]

That is so cool!! I want one. Sadly my sewing machine skills are limited to changing t shirts around.

[blossom1044]

brilliant

[karicrafts]

awesome recon!!  looks great on you!

[rad-tastic]

Oh my gosh, FABULOUS! That is SO cute, and you did an amazing job. btw, I like your hair. 

[iheartalex]

Thats adorable!

[stelloun]

This is a great recon! the dress is adorable, perfectly made and I love the scarf collar! It doesn t remind me at all the american flag, don't worry , its just a great dress because its in the same time something very comfy and very "sophisticated" I mean you can wear it in many differents occasions. What I also love with it, its that it shows clearly that you never have to "buy this, buy that and that again" to make something good, there are so many materials around us its just that we don't know how to use it !  There are so many people (women especially  ) who wear clothes one season and throw it away, you can allways find materials for recon instead of buying absolutely something new. Then I say bravo to all the crafsters of this forum who are in this meaning and bravo to you and thank you so much for giving us a lot of motivation with such a beautiful work!!

[PunkyPenguin]

Definitely a drab to fab recon.  I didn't think of the flag at all when I saw it.  It looks much more nautical to me.

[Idle Will Kill]

I loooove this.

[Poshoeda]

I am oh-so-impressed. When I saw the before picture I thought "how is she going to make anything decent out of that?", but you made something WAY beyond decent. That dress is so freakin' amazing and I want it!

[SuomiSidhe]

That's inspirationally adorable. I feel like all I have to say just echoes what's been said. Very sophisticated, so creative, and much more nautical than flag-like. Kinda retro-esque in an excellently funky way.

[kitschkween]

so awesome! i agree that it looks nautical. i didn't american flag at all when i saw it. i thought of a sexy, retro, pinup dress.

[utopianchaos]

this is beautiful!

just had to put my two cents in, even though it's been said a hundred times...

[BonEsInspired]

What a fantastic recon!!
Great Job!!!!!

[ItsMePorsh]

its sooo adorable! If I was your friend....i would be begging for it too =]

[karmickaboom]

You turned what has to be the ugliest dress ever into something adorable.

[Cerisa]

It's incredibly cute!

[Artbitch]

That's amazing

[lollie_pollie]

i love it! it's way more nautical than american flag-y.

[Elphelba]

I can't believe that went from so ugly to so cute. I think the ruffle is a really nice touch at the bottom (it really makes the dress), so yay for happy accidents .

[gracichu]

Awesome! 

It doesn't remind me of an American flag at all.  It looks kind of sailor-y to me :]

[PoeticPixie]

that looks like something that someone would pay alot of money for! Its adorable

[justine256]

That's sooo adorable! I love the necktie.

[lizthecraftybitch]

i adore this dress. i really like that you kept the neck tie because normally i would think it would be ugly, but it turned out totally cute.

[butofcourse]

I tottally agree with you friend.  I want it.  I am SO JEALOUS of you sewing/design abilities.  Thanks for the "what I did" section.  love it.  I didn't think American flag at all.  awesome!

[arrhythmia]

Oh, how fun!! I love this cute recon....you are amazing for seeing something in this before!! The red part makes it, too!

[June 21 Beach Bride]

Heck yes, success! That is incredible! You're so talented!

[curiousminded]

Absolutely lovely!!

[wichitamom]

OMG I am in Love, I think of the same thing when I go to thrift stores, and you did it so beautifully!~

[ShinyMelisTx]

I just wanted to say that all your clothes have been so beautiful. You are so talented! You need to be a designer and make your own line! Everything is amazing!!!