See How I Transformed My Grandma’s Vintage Dress Into Something New

Tools and Materials:

• Dress
• Dye
• Sewing machine
• Scissors
• Seam ripper

This particular dress had some stains and discoloration, so the first thing I did was dye it. I used boiling water, and I mixed in Rit DyeMore in sapphire which is used for polyester fabrics, like this dress. I made sure the dress was already wet, which ensures that it will color evenly, and put it in the pot with the dye, stirring it in. I then left it for an hour. Once time was up, I took it out, rinsed it until the water ran clear, and then threw it in the wash.  

Now that my dress was dyed and ready, I took it apart. I used to do this with a seam ripper, but it took too long, so now I just grab scissors and cut around the seams and I removed the skirt and the sleeves from the bodice. Because the dress had a yoke at the top, there was a part that stuck out awkwardly after I removed the sleeves, so I went ahead and took that part off as well. 

Next I put the dress on my mannequin and made my alterations. First I put in pins to take in the sides. Then I removed all the buttons and snaps and sewed those sides together to create the front of the dress.  

The next thing I did was cut the back so that I could add a zipper. Then I turned the dress inside out and tucked the skirt into the bodice so that I could sew it together. I put the lining of the buttons in the front because I liked the ruffle detail that it gave the dress.

Using an old sleeve pattern, I cut my new sleeves out of the original sleeves to create a cap sleeve. Then I pinned and sewed the sleeves to the bodice. 

And that’s it! That’s how I took my grandma’s old and totally vintage dress and turned it into something way more modern, but still with a nod to that vintage feel. I also found an old belt when I was going through her stuff, so I dyed that as well and added it to complete the look. I love how it came out, and I love that I get to wear a dress that suits me but is still an homage to my grandma. Have you ever done anything like this before? Show me in the comments!