Too Tight Denim Dress Refashioned Into Comfy Strapless Dress

I want to start this blog by apologizing for the awful pictures. I really need to read the manual that came with my camera and figure out what all the settings mean. 

Also, please ignore that awful sunburn line on my shoulder.  I only did two all day outdoor activities this summer (one at the beginning of summer and one on Labor Day)  and both times, I got a sunburn.  I really need to remember to put on sunscreen.

Now that that's out of the way, this is a GAP dress.  I got it at a consignment shop for $1.  If it would have fit, I may have left it alone.  The tag says size 10. A couple of months ago, that would have been fine. But I've given into my love of Pop Tarts and I've been eating more of them lately than I care to mention.  It was also pretty tight in the chest area.  So tight, in fact, that it makes me think the dress shrunk in the wash at some point before I bought it.

This dress didn't fit right in the hips, so I decided to make it shorter and get rid of the tight part. So here's what I did.

I decided where I wanted my new waistline to be and marked it with a safety pin.

Then I decided where I wanted the hem to land by pulling the dress up. I marked that with a safety pin as well.

Next, I cut out the middle giving myself 3/4" on the top and bottom for seam allowance.

I removed the middle. I put the bottom piece in my sewing machine and ran a gathering stitch along the top.  This was done to make it match up with the top.  I then pinned the top to the bottom and sewed them together.

In order to fit on top,  this dress had to become strapless. So I cut off the top. I folded down the fabric on the top of the dress to create a casing for the elastic that I needed to add to keep the dress up.

Once I ran the elastic through, I sewed up the opening in the casing and I was finished! =)

It's pretty alone, but I LOVE it with my riding boots and my favorite navy and white striped cardigan (that I refashioned from an old lady tshirt I got for free at an estate sale.)

***If you have some time, swing by my Zibbet shop and take a look around!***

http://www.zibbet.com/TheRufflyBuffalo

Thanks! =D