Hand-Me-Down Blues - A Refashion

I had just refashioned this cute sailor dress from an old skirt when Project Run and Play announced week 2 of Season 10 was to make something from a hand-me-down.  So, there we have it. What perfect timing for me. Turning this skirt into a sailor dress was one of my favorite refashions so far this year. 

This came about when my youngest daughter came home this summer for a visit before moving to Japan. She brought home this baby blue skirt that I bought for her years ago.  

She asked me if I could remake it into something for her little girl because she has always loved the color of this skirt and the detail on the bottom of it.  I pulled out this old pattern from Butterick and we agreed that it just might be a cute choice for her baby girl if I could just figure out how to cut it out and still use the beautiful detail near the hem. 

Vintage 1960's Butterick #6494

I first used the skirt's lining to make the diaper cover. (Sorry, I didn't get a photo of the diaper cover and the whole outfit has been shipped.)  Then I laid out the pattern so that the middle of the front and back took full advantage of the skirt's wide center pleats.  I eliminated the buttons down the front that the pattern called for and hoped that the dress would go over a one-year old's head by tweaking the pattern just a little bit.  

In my pile of giveaways was a white shirt which became the sailor collar. I even had to break-up the sleeves due to a lack of two larger pieces and inserted some of the cool border... I simply loved how that little detail made the sleeves wonderful!  The pattern called for grosgrain ribbon for the tie but I didn't like how that looked. I had a little leftover red cotton from binding this quilt which I sewed together. I loved the fullness this fabric gave to the knot.  The red ribbon I used on the collar was also leftover from another project.  So this dress didn't cost me much to make.  The only thing I had to purchase was some interfacing for the collar.  Total cost for this dress was $2.00.  Are you hearing me sing the hand-me-down blues right now?  It's quite a happy tune!

Using a hand-me-down 1960's pattern from a second-hand store seemed the right choice for this refashion.  Don't you agree?

My 9 month old granddaughter modeled this dress for me and hallelujah, it fit!  This little girl can stand up all on her own and is just learning to walk.  I simply adore babies at this stage, don't you?  

xoxo Grandma

Linked to:  The Dedicated House, Creating My Way to Success, Project Run and Play, Lou Lou Girls, Nap-time Creations