reconstructions are some of my favorite things to make! i love finding really awful stuff and turning it into something that will be loved and worn. the best part is showing people a “before” photo after they start gushing and watch their double-take 😀
people ask me where i get these clothes… i don’t really have a single answer, they come from all over the place. antique stores, consignment shops, thrift stores, bargin bins (i really love the goodwill outlet; they have some of the worst picked-over stuff), donations from friends… i’ve even found a few pieces in the dumpster (don’t worry, i washed ’em!).
before
after!
i used black sweater knit and blue ribbing to make the bottom of the dress. the sleeves were shortened and trimmed with black sweater knit.
before – this dress was originally handmade, and when i received it, it was in pretty sorry shape. the waistband was partially detached from the top, for one thing.
after
the original purple fabric is actually pretty stretchy, so this dress is very form-fitting and slinky 😀 i cut off most of the buttonholes because they were REALLY wonky looking, and salvaged the middle with some slinky black jersey. also replaced the buttons with shiny black buttons. this dress can be worn a few different ways – as shown, or
scrunched up, or
bubble hem!
before. can you see the ELASTIC DROPPED WAIST in this picture? someone tell me – is that look actually flattering on anyone??
after
loooove it. i got rid of the elastic and put in the black waistband, added sleeves and cut the bottom to a nice length and kept the original neckline. the buttons on the side do unbutton, in case you want a nice long slit 😉 i really love how this one turned out.
before – pure 80s polyester. i had this slung over my back while i was wandering around the thrift store, and one guy actually complimented my ~sweet costume~
after
i took the colors and ran with ’em (and they match PERFECTLY).
before – another handmade dress.
after
i know this color combo is way early 90s but, unf, love it.
before – actually, this one is pretty cute as-is, but i wanted to play around with it
after
i don’t even know what. this recon took FOREVER but i think the end result turned out pretty swell.
also, for whatever reason, the original dress came with both a tie-thing AND a belt
before – sorry for the awful picture, this one did not want to photograph at ALL.
after
i guess this one didn’t really want to photo either. the skirt and top are separated by a line of black piping… the ruffly goodness on the shirt was continued at the bottom of the skirt. frilly!
before – loved the fabric for this one (v. slinky, almost like swimsuit material!), loved the peplum. did not love the elastic dropped waist.
after
i kept the peplum, but shortened and tightened the whole thing so the pattern wasn’t so overwhelming. it still is a little overwhelming, but at least it is in a smaller dose!
before
after
i love all the colors in this one… you could wear it with pretty much anything and it will match! there is actually some pretty neat ruching detailing on the shoulders (from the original), but it didn’t photo too well due to the shiny/silkiness of the fabric
LLADYBIRD 
Hi!
I stumbled across your blog while browsing Craftster and I just wanted to tell you that your stuff is awesome! The bright floral graphic print dress with the peplum is my absolute favorite. Where do you find such awesome prints? Isn’t amazing when you find fabric that could be put to use in a much better way than intended?
You have good taste in fabric you’ve have inspired me to start posting my own creations on my blog! I suppose I should start cause I certainly do sew enough lol!
Anyway, keep up the awesome work!! And I look forward to seeing more!
PS…In one of your posts, you said you’d wanted to go pattern shopping…check out Ebay. I’ve gotten tons of awesome vintage patterns for the low!