The Topsy Turvy Polka Dot Dress

I really like a good red, white, and blue combination, so when I saw this shirred, strapless dress, I knew I had to pick it up!  Plus, it's polka dots...bonus!!  However, strapless was not going to work for me.  My first thought was to make it into a skirt.  It would be a simple transformation, but also a waste of some of those lovely polka dots.  After some thought, I came up with a different solution.

I began by making a cut across the skirt, leaving enough room for the shirred part to become a bodice.

I then turned the new bodice piece inside out, and upside down, and pinned it to my dress form.  You can get an idea from the lines drawn on the photo below how I cut the new bodice.

I stitched up the new shoulder and side seams, hemmed the sleeve edge, gathered the new neckline a bit at the center front and finished the neckline with some self made bias trim cut from the small leftover scraps.

I then reattached the skirt portion to the bottom of the new bodice.

One of the best things is that the dress pulls on over the head...no zipper!

This version is much more wearable now!  And none of the polka dots were lost!

I like to link to these great parties!