Happy Fall Everyone!
I am now 10 months into my 2025 No Buy Challenge, no buying new clothes for all of 2025 to be precise.
Now one of my exceptions to this challenge was two weeks ago when one of my daughters was married. I know how to sew, and considered creating my own dress, but with the wedding planning and everything else on my plate I decided to not add something so high stakes to my to-do list.
I don’t go for anything traditional, and this dress would be no exception. I looked for a dress online and with my daughters approval, I chose this beautiful green, asymmetrical gown. Nice right? Of course when I received it and tried it on, it needed some adjustments.
No problem. I have been sewing since I was a kid, taking resale items and hand-me-downs from my mom and reworking them into items that I liked. This was the in the 70’s, when you sliced the side seam at the bottom of a pair of jeans and added a large pizza slice piece of fabric to create killer bell-bottoms. Ahhhhh, the memories.
Altering clothing is like building construction. You need plans and an understanding of how your project is put together. When I began separating the lining on the inside to see what was underneath, it hit me how complicated this was going to be. I must have taken that dress apart twenty times trying to get that bodice to lay right!
You may be thinking, “yeah, that’s why I don’t attempt that!” Well, I learned so much from all the mistakes and the dress ended up being just what I wanted.
Most tailoring projects I do for myself or my daughters are the simple ones such as, shortening a hem or taking in a waist. These tasks are not rocket science, but most people are intimidated to even try. Really, if I can figure them out anyone can. I am going to begin dropping tips about how to do simple alterations in a series I’m calling “Tailor Thrift”. Not only are you learning a fun and highly satisfying skill, but you will be saving money and making the planet very happy by re-purposing valuable resources.
Drop me a comment if you have specific questions about alterations. Like I always do in life, if I don’t know the answer I will find it!
-Cathy
Queen of the Nobodies 