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Old August 28th 03, 12:39 AM
BijouEtBeau
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Default Suggestions for restyling a tiny vintage dress?

I recently picked up a slightly damaged vintage evening gown many
sizes too small for me, because I wanted to pick off the trims for
another project - heh, heh. The trims were just tacked on and came
off easily.

Once I stripped the trim off, I could see the fabric itself is
gorgeous. I desperately want to adapt it into something to fit me,
and I think I have figured out how I will restyle and repair the
bodice and sleeves but I'm uber-pearshaped and whomever this was made
for was slim hipped, so it's the barely a-line 7 panel skirt that has
me a bit stumped.

It's so narrow that if I enlarge it by adding godets/gores in a
coordinating fabric, the insets will have to go all the way up to meet
the bodice. I'm afraid that will look too much like a circus tent!

I'm wondering if I could flip the panels so the current hem becomes
the waistline and then use the insets to fill in the gaps that would
naturally be created below? - but I can't really envision it in my
head. Has anyone ever tried this? Did it work? Or does anyone have
another idea? I hate to just add a big wide panel of the contrast
fabric, now that I've figured out how to restyle the bodice so it
won't look patchy.
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