Great to have more of my New Zealand family involved in the Sew it Again project, with cousin Keri being the latest to upcycle and wear a Textile Beat refashion as Sew 241.

We went op-shopping in Brisbane during National Op Shop Week, as you do, and Keri found a little black dress of dated style with good potential because of its viscose fabric and pretty neckline.

After washing it, Keri grooved-up the hemline by cutting it into a modern curve and cropped off the puffy sleeves. When teamed with a red top and tights (from my stash) this is ideal work-wear for Keri whose management role within childcare centres straddles the office (add a black jacket) and occasional hands-on involvement. 

To upcycle the dress (photos below), we lay it flat with the seams aligned so that the centre front of the dress and centre back formed the edges. We did a rough outline of proposed new hemline with chalk before cutting through the two layers of the dress at once. After trying it on, Keri actually revisited the hem with a second cutting to create a more dramatic (shorter) front. She then cut confidently across both layers of each sleeve, leaving in place about 3cm of the old sleeve to create a fringe effect. As you cut into the sleeve, just look ahead and aim for the other side because then you can cut without having to measure exactly. Once one sleeve is cut, use it as a guide to cut the other so they are both the same. You may want to put a hand-stitch or two to secure the cut seams but the fabric edge itself does not need to be neatened. It was also lovely to involve Keri’s children Olivia and Liam, photo above right, in this upcycling project as they used the offcuts to make a carry bag for their Uno cards.

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