Red Rayon Revamp

I'm really sorry I've got nothing super exciting to share this time...yes, I am sewing furiously (and Bascha is sewing even more), but none of our things are quite ready for a blog post yet!  Here is one "completed" project that I have a few pictures of.

A month or so ago, I picked up a red rayon dress at VV to wear for WWII reenacting.  I really liked it.  But it had a high waist...not like empire, but several inches above my natural waist.  I wanted to make it work though, so after talking to Bascha, I decided to cut off part of the bottom of the skirt and make a waistband.  

Here is the before.  You can't really see the high waist line that well because it tied in the back and that pulled the fabric in a little more to my natural waist, but the actual "waist seam" on the dress is higher.

if you are wondering why I'm wearing a mob cap...I had just gotten home from a day at Latta
and hadn't totally gotten undressed yet :P

Originally I planned on facing the waistband (thus the yellow strip in the picture below), but I never ended up doing that.  I didn't think it was necessary.

the waistband

hemming it

I just did a narrow rolled hem on the skirt after I cut my waistband strip.  The waistband was 3.5 inches I think.

gathering the bodice to fit the waistband

I sewed the bodice and skirt to the waistband and then realized, uh-oh, I'm never going to get this on.  Thankfully I found a zipper in the stash and put it in.  I think the zipper would need to be longer, because even now, I am at risk of busting the waist seams when getting it over my bust. :P grrr..13 inch waist/bust differences.  If you look at the finished picture, the waistband is actually not that tight...I can pinch out excess.  My mom says it doesn't need to be tight, and anyways, if I were to make actually fit smooth to my waist I'd never get it on.  :P

zipper

finished waistband

I think it's a really cute dress!  And I'm happy with that little modification.  Now I've got a decently accurate '40's dress and it was just 2 dollars! :) 

~Theresa