While digging through my closet trying to find something to wear for work, I realized something…I have very few tops and almost only dresses.
This makes days when I feel like wearing jeans a bit trickier than they should be.
When I plucked this black sweater dress off my refashion rack, I wasn’t quite sure if I wanted to keep it as a dress or not.
I liked the neckline of this dress, as well as how soft, warm, and cozy the fabric was. But…dress or top? I really wasn’t sure which way I was going to go.
Let’s turn this frumpy dress into a DIY Peplum Top!
I got started by resizing the dress with the help of my dress form.
Then, I ran each side of the dress through my machine.
I chopped off the extra fabric from the sides…
…and now for the step that would take this dress into peplum top territory!
I cut off some of the fabric from the bottom of this dress. The leftover skirt part will be my new peplum!
To complete this refashion, I ran the bottom raw edge of my new top through my serger.
I could have just hemmed it, but I wanted my new top to have a more funky/edgy look to it. I think it looks pretty nifty now! 🙂
What do you think?
On a side note: I was thinking about how when I first started this blog, it wasn’t so odd for someone to be snapping pics with an actual camera all the time.
But now, when everyone pretty much just uses their phones, I tend to stand out a bit with my clunky Nikon…;)
I don’t mind! I want to take the best pics I can for you guys, even if selfies are a bit weird…
My new top was perfect for an evening celebrating a good friend of mine starting his new job/celebrating a great week!
Cheers!
So chic! Well done! (So glad you posted this and the other link to your most current peplum refash.)
I second, that, Elaine. I’ve been thinking about you, Jillian and assuming that your nonappearance is a result of fun and stimulating involved ness with new occupation and such. Reverse Flash Leather Jacket
I second, that, Elaine. I’ve been considering you, Jillian and trusting that your nonappearance is because of fun and energizing occupied ness with new occupation and such. Chris Pratt Star Lord 2 Jacket Costume
wow nice hand made peplum sweater. You look pretty in this dress. try to make like this:
http://www.moviesjacket.com/chris-pratt-guardians-of-the-galaxy-2-jacket
I hope you make a skirt out of the bottom!! Fun!!
Hi! I just found your blog and I love it!! You make awesome stuff and I love that you are recycling old clothing, saving money, and being creative in the process! I just wanted to share some information with you that really made my life better.. because this GORGEOUS top that you made is so form fitting, I sort of noticed your bra line under the shirt. I recently found this subreddit called ABraThatFits and it blew my mind. I realized that after so many years of being uncomfortable in all of my bras that I was actually just wearing the wrong size! Mind was BLOWN. Here’s the guide:
http://www.reddit.com/r/ABraThatFits/wiki/fit_guide
Im SO much more comfortable and happy now. I can literally wear my bra all day where before it would start to hurt after just an hour or two. The sucky part is that because my size is SO different from before (34B to a 30D!) that it’s a bit trickier to find the size and can be a bit more expensive. But it’s soo worth it.
I know this sounds sort of sales-y but I just really want to share this info with every woman I meet because it really, really was valuable to me. I hope you read the guide with an open mind and find your TRUE bra size. Most women are uneducated about this including me! Thanks for your awesome blog!
I LOVE this remake! Talk about revolutionary change for the good!
My only wish is that you had made it a smidge less form-fitting. I think it would have been more becoming if it skimmed your figure rather than clung to it.
Ahhhhh its been two weeks I’m going through Jillian withdrawl!! I hope everything is well!
I second, that, Elaine. I’ve been thinking of you, Jillian and hoping that your absence is due to fun and exciting busy-ness with new job and such.
I, too, have been reading you for quite awhile, including binging on your blog when you were doing a new piece every day for a year. I’ve been so inspired to try refashioning something myself, and yesterday was finally the day! I turned an old bridesmaid dress into a cute spring skirt, and blogged it here: http://nosmallmiracle.blogspot.com/2015/02/refashion-201-periwinkle-polyester-dream.html
Thanks for the inspiration and sharing of your process!
This is very eye opening for me. This isn’t your most daring re-fashion but it’s made me re-think ‘basics’ which I never think of as a re-fashion item. I’ll keep an eye out for good fabrics in ugly styles to refashion something as versatile as this! Thanks!
So, I’ve been reading you for a few years now, possibly since you were making a new outfit a day for a year. My friend who is also into thrifting and consignment shops just loaned me a book called Overdressed and I got so excited when I saw you mentioned in there. Between you and the book, I’ve been inspired to buy a sewing machine so I can start altering my own second-hand clothes.
Wow! What i learned today is that frumpy clothing makes me look huge! You are clearly a very height/weight proportional woman with classic curves but when you put on those frumpy cloths they make you look not so much those things. I now have to wonder how awful the things in my closet must make me look because i think they are hiding my flaws…scary…i own something that looks very much one of the items in your photos…i doubt ill ever wear it again.
guess its time to haul out the old sewing machine
What do you do with the leftover fabric after resizing? Toss it, or donate to quilters, or use for something else? Just curious.
It’s been a while since I’ve checked out your site – I am so happy that you are still creating 🙂 Cute top!
Cute! Even though it’s not as chilly down there the excess would make a great infinity scarf 🙂
Mannequins are not expensive, 30 pounds on eBay, it saves ruining clothing longterm! Sewing too tight, not pinning straight, etc
I wonder what you do with the skirts you cut off – lots of fabric to make something
else??? I have this thing about not wasting anything……
wonderful!
Very cute! Good choice!
Wonderful look, wonderful choice!
Cute! So many possibilities with a black dress! Love that you made a top this time.
Rarely wear dresses, always good to see tops – thanks
Very enjoyable refashion.
On another note, it looks as if you may need a new serger blade.
Totally cute and stylish refashion. You are so talented.
Brava! Totally digging this top.
That looks great! What I would give for a dress form. (Not, apparently, a hundred bucks or so, but my oldest child is up for grabs!)
The top looks awesome! What a great refash! I too use a clunky old camera instead of a phone (mind you I only have a flip phone so I don’t really have much choice). Do people give you weird looks too?
I still use a film camera. I don’t care how many weird looks I get.
Just once, I’d like to see photos of you staying at home with your dog on the couch watching tv, like us normal people, the bag of chips and the glass of wine on the coffee table in front of you. Nice job, though!
This was a great improvement. Having the mannikin to do the fitting was a real positive for this one.
Love!
I’m curious about the pixel size of your pictures. Do you reduce the size of your pictures before you upload to your blog?
I love your work! You probably get this a lot but do you sell your old refashes to make room for new ones? I have a bunch of things I’ve refashed and I’m running out of room.
LOVE. THIS. TOP!!!! Superb refashion!
So cute! It looks adorable on you!
Very CUTE! I like the dropped shoulder. Hope you kept the skirt piece to make a black mini.
This top is super flattering on you! ABSolutely fitted perfection!
I love your stuff! I make my own clothes and I always wish I could do what you do to refashion some of my other stuff (I suck at refashioning… but I’m great with altering a pattern! haha)… just wanted to let you know though, your serger tension is quite off. They can be a tricky beast to get right… tension… the bane of all sewers existance!
Gorgeous, as always!
I love it! Wish I could do what you do. My refashions have been a bust so far.
It may we cliche but wow does this have versitility with a classic or funky look depending on accessories. Nice job!
Really love this sweater!
I like your “real camera” pics much better than your phone pics! Top looks great, but I would say it is a fitted top, not so much a peplum. Looks great and very versatile with many looks. Great job as always!
Excellent! It dies t always have yo be a dress. Very cute on you
Glad to see you make a top. Glad to see more diversity!
Love it! but the white thread it´s a don´t for me, maybe u can ran the bottom raw edge through the serger with a different colors of each threads. Anyway I love your work
Love it, as I do almost all of your refashions! But, what happened to the seam at the waist?
Cute new top I like the sergey hem. Thanks for carrying around the bulky camera so we can have good pics. You do a great job of photographing & blogging your work. Thanks!!
Love it! I requested a sewing machine as a gift and have never had it out of the box. I bought a sewing book on your recommendation and i’ve never opened it. Maybe in a few years. ☺
Give it a go – buy cheap thrift shop stuff so it doesn’t matter if you wreck it and you already have a ‘pattern’ to follow. i had cupboards full of rags before I got something I was prepared to actually wear but now love sewing. Even made my daughters’ blazer and slacks for college
Wow!! Fantastic transformation!!
Cool refash. Question, were you going to use the extra material to turn it into a peplum sweater?
LOve it. I need to do this. You make it look so easy. Whats the worst that can happen? A thrift shop item gets messed up 🙂 Looks fantastic.
Very cute & cozy! I could use that up here in the frigid North Country.
Yes, definitely! I could use something that’s warm and actually looks good out here in Canada. 🙂 This is perfect.
Loved this. I would have cut and serged the sleeves to match.
Great refash!! Simple and stylish!
I like it but was hoping for a peplum style. You’re so talented!
Super cute, good job!