Upcycle: From Trash to Treasure

Have you seen those cute sheer dresses with cute embroidery flowers on them?

They had been very on trend and I wanted one but never could find one. I found one at local thrift shop and grabbed it up even thought it did not fit that great. I thought why not modify it and make it better. It sat in my closet for a long time. I finally had that “cute” sheer dress with cute embroidery flowers and I hated it. The shape, the color. I just was not feeling it anymore.

I found some inspiration on Pinterest of an outfit with similar looking fabric but in black as a skirt and top and figured I would try a similar look.

First I dyed the dress using DyeMore Rit Dye which dyes polyester fabrics. I can’t even remember the last time I dyed something but now I remember why I don’t do this often. It was not the most fun process. It was hot and smelly but it did give me a color I was going for.

Keep in mind it also dyed the flowers dark so if that is not ok with you then this won’t work.

After dyeing I went at it with scissors cutting the top off for a crop top and enough fabric in the bottom for the skirt. I did not have to do much to the top after I cut it off. I did cut off the elastic at the wrist to make it more free flowing.

The skirt I used pattern Simplicity 8300 View A and added a stretch woven as my bottom layer. I made a size 12 and really needed a 10 because I had to take quite a bit off the side seams.

Now this look is obviously not for your faint of heart or for everyone but for a night on the town post COVID this will be a great fun look. I topped it off with another Upcycle. A blazer I picked up at a thrift store and put on this really cool skull in the back.