A Sleeve Reprieve Dress

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Welcome to my long hot summer! Yes…I’m aware that technically it isn’t quite summer yet, but with temps in the humid mid 80s, I feel like I’m already there. I was cleaning out my pajama drawer and came up with this jersey-knit shirt that I scored for $1, but never refashioned, as it quickly became my favorite winter pj top.

The winter of our discontent is over! Time to move on!

This top just won’t do for a getaway to Georgia Wine Country! First off, I needed to get rid of those sleeves. Since this is a jersey knit, I simply cut them off right at the seams, as I knew they wouldn’t fray.

Snippity Snip!

Then, I took it in a couple of inches. Baggy is great for sleepwear, but I wanted something a bit more fitted!

Whirrr!

Don’t get me wrong…shirts are swell. But I was in the mood to wear a comfy dress for my trip. I took the sleeves and cut them open, like so:

See?

Then I stitched them together to make one long strip and pinned it to the bottom of the shirt.

Almost done here!

As I pinned, I realized that (doh!) I didn’t have quite enough fabric to reach all the way around. Not a big deal for me, as my keister was fully covered, and I don’t mind a little side slit. I COULD have added on a different similarly-colored fabric to the sleeve strip, but…I was in a bit of a hurry. 🙂

I stitched the discarded cut-off sides together to make a matching sash. I mean, how could I resist the urge to make a totally no-waste refashion?

This is it!

But I styled my new dress with a thick belt for this trip instead. Don’t worry! I can always use that sash later! 🙂

I feel like a forest fairy! I hope that’s a good thing.

Here’s a look at that side that the sleeves didn’t quite get to:

What do you think?

I think it looks kind of neat…but to each her own! 🙂

My new dress was uber-comfy for a lovely wine-laden Georgia day!

Check out that view!

Or just check out this one instead.

Seriously…I’ve got views to spare.

Our favorite wineries were Three Sisters , Wolf Mountain, and Monteluce. If you can’t get to Napa or Sonoma (heck…even if you can!), check this area out! It’s definitely worth your while. 🙂

We went to Wolf Creek Vineyards twice! 🙂

Is it heaven? No! It’s just Monteluce! 🙂

Grape Babies!

Great travel buddies! 🙂

All that wining really makes you hungry! One of my readers responded to my facebook post about what I should check out while in Dahlonega with Shenanigans Irish Pub (Thanks, Kellie!), so that’s where we went! 🙂

Time for a cider break!

Ahhhh! What a perfect day!

Wish you were here!

Cheers!

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38 Responses to A Sleeve Reprieve Dress

Super, super cute. I love the look on the bottom of the dress and I LOVE some knits with their non-fraying!! It’s in the 90s here in Texas already so I am ready for summer clothes too.

Not sure how I feel about the sleeve hem, but it is definitely creative and double points for a no-waste refashion!

I am waiting with bated breath to see what you do with that fantastic electric blue dress just behind you. I’m guessing those sleeves will GO. 🙂

So funny! I’ve been watching that too!

Super cute dress!!!

My property backs up to Monteluce. It’s just beautiful there.

I’m sooooooo jealous!!!!

I love it. It looks adorable on you and oh so comfy. Thanks for sharing the photos of the lovely views.

Love it!! I don’t usually leave comments but I really would love to have something like that (last product). Keep it up!

Reading your blog makes me want to drop a cool hundred at the thrift store and hit up my sewing machine. 🙂

A HUNDRED DOLLARS?? WHOOOOAA, sugar, you’d be refashing til YOU”RE a HUNDRED!! Shucks, even $30 would net you enough raw material to keep ya busy for a loooong time…..how expensive are the thrift stores where you live?!

Where I live in Memphis we have oodles of great thrifts…..but I avoid Salvation Army or Goodwill because they are really expensive on their stuff and don’t really have good sales like the other of my favs…..

Get out there and grab you a few goodies and dust of that machine!!! Carpe the church lady dress! 🙂

Very cute little dress. What if you tied each of the ends that hang in a knot?

That was my thought, too! That would be so cute! (Not that it isn’t the way it is already) :). Love the blog!

I was just going to say that! 🙂 (Great minds think alike? 😉 ) I really like it as-is, cuz it looks kinda artsy, but I was wondering what it would look like to tie the ends together in a little knot. Hopefully that wouldn’t make it too tight to walk in!
Great refashion!
~Jen
http://diaryofamadmama.wordpress.com

i love the whole look. Thank you. I’m getting ready to take the refash plunge. I have about 5 things waiting to take a scissors and sewing machine to. You are very motivational and inspirational.

I love this! It looks so comfy and flattering. I like the side slit. Personal preference for me would be snipping the flappy bits back a bit or knotting them like someone above says, but that’s probably just because it would bother me like when my bangs get too long. It looks great on you just as is! 🙂 And who doesn’t love something bed-comfy being pulled off as day wear? Yay!

One if my favs! I love the natural edge hem and it goes great with the napa valley style!

Good grief, that’s cute!

Avant garde! Looks great on you : ) The vineyard looks sublime as well!

I don’t live in Georgia but have been to a few of those vineyards and Dahlonega. Love it there! Great job on the dress!

Thanks for the inspiration and sharing your photos.

Love your ReFashions!!! Just recently discovered blogs (Yeah, behind the times) and I LOVE your blog!

Very creative, and I am impressed by the no-waste aspect! What a beautiful place to visit.

This is definitely in my top 3 of all of you refashions. LOVE it!!!

I must say that the dress looks very wearable and comfy and that wine looks too delicious :P~ ..yummy to both 🙂
http://etheea.wordpress.com/

I love how the top part turned out… comfy and fitted. I ESPECIALLY love the idea of wearing PJs out in public. Well… PJ’s that don’t LOOK like PJs… I’m not a fan of asymetrical (at the bottom), but you are rocking the look!

Absolutely love you refashions but not feeling the love for the hem on this one. Anyway just my opinion, looks like a lot of other people really liked it.

I love the colour, but the bottom is just bad. I think YOU could have done WAY better. I have been reading your blog since the beginning and I have to say, lately the refashions haven’t been impressing me at all 🙁 Sorry to be a downer! I will still always come back to see what you’re up to!
-e.

Love it, “my keister’s covered!” You’re SO brave, that’s what I think anyway. Thanks for the inspirations, keep’em coming.

I think it’s adorable! I would wear that, ESPECIALLY with the funky asymmetric hem. That is what makes it unique, not just some replica of something off the rack at Old Navy 🙂

You have achieved oneness with refashion. Very cool!

So… I may have just read your entire blog in like a week. Lol. And I have to say I wish I was more comfortable in dresses, because the stuff you re-fashion is awesome!

I’d also like to thank you for your “run a thread through candle wax” trick! My 5 yr old is currently learning to sew, and it stops her getting so frustrated (and her dad or I having to help her every 20 secs) when it doesn’t get tangled up!

I agree with the other commenters–do that crazy blue dress next!

Eres una artista, encanta tu blog y todo lo que haces. Mi ingles es muy malo.

Besos

Comfy AND fashionable – I love it!

You must have been in a hurry. You could have made the selves do a low high thing too…

If I knew you had gone wine tasting, I would’ve tried to bump into you! I live 20 minutes away from all of those! BAH! -_-

Love dahlonega (we went to college there!) and wineries 🙂 perfect pairing!

This is one of my favorite refashions you have done! I LOVE the uneven hemline and that is the kind of dress you can find in Nordstrom or Saks for mucho $$$. Just love this piece! Great job!

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A Sleeve Reprieve Dress | ReFashionista