Date: 10/29/09 11:53 AM

A friend of mine who knows I don't do bridal has persuaded me to try to refashion a bridesmaid dress into a party dress for the holiday season. It's a nice iridescent sage green and I only really need to D cup the B bust and hem it, but it's the cape overlay shawl thingie that just has me in fits. It's a big square (pictures are below) that just lies on top. I'd like to make it into something, anything else, so that she doesn't look like a grandma going to church.

My friend said don't worry about the cape, but the fabric is pretty, it's just a big square with a hole in it.

Any ideas what to do with it?

cape laid flat


-- Edited on 10/29/09 11:55 AM --

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Date: 10/29/09 12:06 PM

How about a shrug? All the pattern companies have great ones.

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Date: 10/29/09 12:49 PM

how about a bolero with short sleeves.

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Reply to kittykate
Date: 10/29/09 12:52 PM

If she doesn't want the poncho/cape for coverage.....and depending on her style sense....

Make it into a scarf to tie closely at the neck

Make the fabric into a necklace, like Jordanna (?Sp) did on one of the recent project runway episodes with the fabric as a twisted base and add sparkles and/ or pearl beads.

Make it into fabric flowers to either attach assymetrically at the neckline or at the waist (? what is happening where the waist gathers meet.)

Make an evening purse using another base fabric, the poncho fabric as an overlay and/or flower or bow accent and/or woven in the strap of the bag.

If she needs/wants coverage....I would refashion it into more of a stole look and fasten with a fabulous brooch...this may not require much sewing, more of a rearrangement of the fabric...possibly adding another fabric as an underlayer ? black or bronze/gold in color.... or make a stole in another color and use the cape fabric to make accent flowers or a ruffle...oh my the possibilities!

I think the fabric of the dress looks pretty and holiday like, but the poncho/cape is not very attractive as is...although the poncho fabric seems to be a nice match to the dress in color.

Good luck and let us see what you do....ML

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Reply to kittykate
Date: 10/29/09 2:08 PM

This dress looks like this pattern - 2842 (Vogue Bridal Original) but done in reverse - so the detail all to the right on this photo (wearer viewpoint) was swapped and done to the left. If I were you I would buy this pattern at the sale at Joanns today (if you don't already have it) and do the FBA using only the relevant pattern piece in the size closest to my friend.
That way you can closely match the fabric and insert the right bust size for her into the dress, with minimal effort.
I recently bought a shrug pattern that looks like this one - very retro, although I am not a shrug person, I can see that it can be made retro glamourous:-)
One of the views looks exactly like the one pictured. View A I think - but you could do something more updated in silk chiffon or burnout silk velvet, which would update the look considerably... those fabrics are on sale right now at fabric.com in fantastic colors.
M3033

One edit: there is a Marfy pattern showing a shrug gathered up on one side - different looking:
Marfy Shrug
-- Edited on 10/29/09 2:15 PM --

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Date: 10/29/09 2:23 PM

If there is a waist seam (can't tell) I would just make it into a sash. A belt/sash is great for defining the waist and very in now. Otherwise, a little shrug is always nice. I've made the shrug from New Look 6675 (http://sewing.patternreview.com/Patterns/14018) several times, though haven't reviewed it, shame on me) and like it a lot. I redrafted the shoulder to have a slight cut-on cap sleeve and managed to cut both the outer and the lining fabric out of a decent sized silk scarf, so you should probably be able to get it out of the shawl.

------
http://theslapdashsewist.blogspot.com
=================
2007: purchased 115+, sewed 105+
So close to parity, yet so far

Trying again in 2008
Yards purchased: 133
Yards sewn: Somewhere around 95

2009? I give up

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Date: 10/29/09 8:30 PM

A belt, a sash, an obi, a hip scarf.

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Date: 10/29/09 8:37 PM

Perhaps you could use it as accent trim. I'm thinking along the hemline. Do a rolled hem, & attach it to the dress lining so that the sheer fabric extends beyond the dress fashion fabric.

Another thought is faux sleeves, attached to the straps and covering the shoulders.

------
With a great wardrobe that's still in the flat-fabric stage.
Fabric = clothing (some assembly required) (from Re Becca's DH)

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Reply to kittykate
Date: 10/30/09 4:48 AM

If you are hemming the dress shorter, save the fabric, then use it plus the cape fabric to make a nice evening bag.

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Belinda. Melbourne, Australia
http://sew-4-fun.blogspot.com/
**Sew for the fun of it**

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Date: 10/30/09 10:04 AM

I would make it into a sash and matching flower pin.

------
Fabric bought in 2009: 30 yds
Fabrc sewn in 2009: 19 yds
Fabric stash: 145 yds

3 Garments IN and 6 Garments OUT

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