Canada Day Sundress

I decided to celebrate Canada's 150th birthday with a brand new refashion to wear out to the park for the festivities.  The weather has been warm but stuffy recently, and I wanted something light and airy to wear.  Unfortunately, the best I could find was this.

Open your eyes, dummy!

Icky side tie thingies notwithstanding, I could see that this dress was just begging to be turned into the lovely summer dress I wanted.  I started off with a couple of little chops.

I have plans for you!

Then I made one big chop!

Bye-bye, sleeves!

Now it was time to start the stitchery.  I folded under the raw top edge and pinned it, then I stitched it down.

Fold and pin!

Then I stitched down the front placket so that I wouldn't get any awkward button-gapage when I took this dress in.

Follow the existing seam to hide my work!

Then I pulled Gruella out of her corner and put the dress on her, inside-out, in order to judge how much to take the dress in.

Just a wee bit!

Now it was time to get out those side-ties I cut off at the beginning of this refashion!  They were all wrinkled and twisted, so I ironed the heck out of them to flatten them out.

You will be flat!

I pinned these to the dress like so...

See where I'm going with this?

Then I stitched down the side seams to make the top of the dress more fitted, and sewed on the straps!  I tried it on, and decided to take in the sides just a touch more.  When I laid out the fabric to make my adjustments, look who came to investigate!

Skimble decided to help!

After removing kitty from fabric, and sewing down the sides just that teeny bit more, I was all finished!

I said open your eyes!

Not bad for a refashion that, according to all photographic evidence, I did with my eyes closed.  Now I'm all ready for a warm day at the park and an evening of live music!

Happy Canada Day!