I was supposed to post my Valentine’s Day DIY today but I got excited over this new project. I did this yesterday and have worn the blouse to dinner and grocery shopping. Yes, I am in love with it.
First, a few things about the original dress. It was a tube dress that I thrifted several years ago. I probably wore it less than 5 times. The top bandeau section had a vertical seam right by the left chest area. It was quite a wayward seam that sort of annoyed me. This section was also a little too narrow for my liking. The bottom seam didn’t reach my underbust; the whole thing was a study in squashed upper body parts. The length of the dress was also problematic. I am nearing 30 and I feel like I have no business wearing things that reach no more than 2 inches above the knees.
And so I butchered it to make a blouse. (Finally, I have a cat motif piece of clothing. That I like.)
So you want to turn a dress into a blouse, too? Here are the steps I took. But first, some notes:
1. This will work best on jersey fabric.
2. I used a dress with an empire gathered cut. Any dress will do as long as the bottom section is gathered or pleated. This is because you will need wide fabrics to play with. Pencil or body-hugging dresses will not work.
3. You can also do this to a skirt by simply removing the elastic casing or the waistband. This method will also work using a shirt that is too large for you.
The tutorial:
