If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you may know that ages ago (I think 2 years ago) I made 2 BHL Elisalex dresses – one as a wearable muslin and one for a wedding – and there have now been 2 Me Made Mays (2014 and 2015) where I have failed to wear them. I have worn them only 2 or 3 times each – it always seems a shame to spend all that time making something and then when it’s finished you’re not sure whether it’s your style. I’m getting better at knowing this, but I still get seduced by new shiny patterns, especially if a lot of the blogosphere make them, even if probably really deep down I know that it maybe won’t suit me.

So here they were in their original incarnations:

You can read the full post on the blue one here and the green one here. 

 

 

I kind of liked them at the time, but I think I over-fitted them so they were a bit too tight to be comfortable and although I did hack quite a lot off the length, they still look a bit frumpy. I have finally realised, as a short-arse, that above the knee is my friend!

Here they are in their new forms!

I should really have ironed the green one before I took the pictures! Also, these photos are still blurry. I really don’t know what to do about it – I think I need more light, so I may need to get over the embarrassment of taking outfit pictures outside! The problem is our flat has no outside space and the house it’s in has no private space, so I have to stand on the street! I’ll find a nice secluded street somewhere……

There are, I think 2 fairly obvious changes: 1. I got rid of the sleeves; 2. I got rid of the pleats on the skirt in favour of gathers. I think it’s much better without sleeves – the neckline looks less wide somehow. I was conscious that they made my shoulders look wide, so this is definitely an improvement. I was worried I would have to alter the armscye as this can be a problem when you just take off sleeves, but it seems fine.

I removed the pleats in favour of the softer gathers because I felt like the exaggerated shape didn’t really do me any favours – they seemed to emphasise just below the widest part of my hips, not a good look! I unpicked the lining and then the whole waist seam, but left the zip in place, and then gathered the skirt and resewed it to the bodice, matching the side seams. I couldn’t face redoing the zips after the faff of putting them in about 12 times each when I made the dresses!

A change you made not be able to see is that while I had the lining unpicked, I let out the side seams (of the dress and lining) by 0.5cm as they were just too tight to be comfortable before. I also lopped another chunk off the length – 7cm with a 2cm hem, so 9cm in total. I’ve just looked at my original post and I took 20cm off the original length, so it’s now 29cm shorter than the pattern! That’s basically a foot!

We had a mini heat wave in London a few weeks ago (and it’s been kinda cold since then, boo!) so I wore both dresses then, and I wore one of them to do to the theatre and I got loads of compliments from people at my work! Yay! I love it when someone says ‘I love your dress’ and you can smugly reply ‘I made it’! But once people learn you make stuff, they then ask if you’ve made it which always makes me paranoid it looks all homemade and crap! Anyway, enough rambling!

Have you ever re-made something you’ve made? I normally am too lazy, but I’m glad I changed these as they are totally wearable now!