Happy Belated Thanksgiving! 🙂 I hope you had a wonderful one spent with loved ones amongst many delicious foods!
Before I show you my latest refashion, allow me to introduce you to my new foster pup, Bosley!
Bosley will be staying with me while he recovers from some pretty terrible neglect he suffered before being surrendered into foster care. You’ll be happy to learn that he’s doing really well (and loves playing with Douglas). Methinks he’ll find his forever home really soon. 🙂
When I woke up yesterday, I realized that I had nothing to wear for a Thanksgiving gathering with friends.
I threw on a housedress to contemplate my conundrum…
This would make a perfect Thanksgiving Day frock! Look at the pretty fall colors in this homemade $1 housedress! And I just LOVED those big vintage red buttons.
The shape needed some work though.
The sleeves were actually perfect how they were. But I got to work taking in the body of this frock.
As I tailored my new dress, I noticed a few tiny holes. No worries! I got to mending!
With those tiny holes repaired, I chopped off a bit of length from the bottom of my new dress.
It got a new hem…
…then I sewed down the bottom of that front placket to keep any crotch-gaping at bay!
After a quick press, my Turkey Day dress was ready for a delightful (and food-laden) gathering with some of my favorite folks! 🙂
I think this refashion has a fun 60’s feel to it. What do you think?
I accessorized with matching tights (of course!) and a pretty vintage brooch I scored at our local farmers’ market. 🙂
Great times were had with some pretty terrific people. 🙂
Cheers!
Fabulous dress. And, brooches are not gone. I have a boatload of brooches and find them all the time at TJM/Marshalls and consignment stores. Many stores have pins. I wear them all the time on my outfit and on my coat.
Ooh another fab MOD look – loving it! And I too have a TON of broaches, let’s bring them back!
I am always campaigning to get broches back in style. I have a gazzilion!
Bosely is adorable. You have cute dogs. I like your outfit. I find that the top bodice does not work for a large bust. I have so enjoyed your site. It has given me a lot of inspiration to pull my sewing machine out.
Honey
Brooches are classic. True classics never go out of style.
I adore your blog. Been sewing for 40 years and you are truly amazing! I was just wondering….I really liked your “turkey day” dress but hated the buttons. I thought it aged it. Do you ever change the buttons? I get mine when I can on clearance or atleast at 50% off sales. I also cut some off clothes. I have quite a stash. Changing the buttons can be an even bigger improvement. Keep up the good work! Looking forward to your next refashion.
So cute! I love it…very 60s! Also I fully agree with you, can we bring brooches back into style?
Very pretty dress! Thanks for fostering Bosley, he looks so cute with Doug E Doug!
Very harvest mod Jillian~~~ loving this one! I am currently looking for an all around machine with serging capabilities. What machine did you use here?
Thanks darlin!
Thanks so much! I couldn’t find an all-in-one, so I opted for the two machines. I really like my Reliable DreamStitcher and would happily recommend it. 🙂
you are so cute… and i love this idea, and i just love the orange color!
You really completed the outfit w/the right color tights and boots. Love the whole look!
Such a cute dress – but am I the only one who noticed a penchant for “heads-popping-out-of-your-head” in the photo series? lolol
Love it so much! I so agree with you for the brooches, I love to wear them even though it make me feel live a granny :s
Beautifully done! I am very impressed that you had tights to match as well as brown boots with an orange zipper! You truly are THE QUEEN……..
So cute! Love the orangey, retro vibe. And yes to a proper brooch revival!
Really cute!!!
I have to ask, where did you find matching orange tights?
I get most of my tights from Target. The weirder colors go on sale all the time for really cheap. 🙂
Perfect for your turkey day celebration! After seeing the finish job on this too, I’m having a bad case of serger envy.
I agree, Bring Brooches back
As cute as the outfit is, the colors of candy corn, I am most taken by Bosley. God bless you for taking him in. We have adopted 5 rescues total. 2 were lost to cancer and the other 3 are safe and happy. Me thinks Bosley may have found his forever home already. 😀
Bosley is an amazingly sweet boy. I absolutely adore him. AND he has his first meeting with a potential forever dad today! Fingers crossed! 🙂
What a great outfit – dress, brooch, tights, boots – you rock the whole thing. I’m with ya on the brooch love 🙂
I love Elena’s overcoat! It looks vintage chic. I adore your cute frock too. I think you can pair it with flats and wedges too. I agree, brooches should be brought back! I wish I still had the hand me down ones I wore as a child. I felt so grow up wearing them.
I love this dress – the colors are fantastic, and the alterations are perfect. Time to start looking for more housedresses at the thrift store!
I think it’s absolutely fabulous! I love orange/rust!
Great job. You know how to inspire us to make new creations out of old things.
I love the dress! It is so perfect for Thanksgiving. I so look forward to your posts. I love each one and find them so inspiring. Thanks so much for sharing!
love love love!!
I would love to see you do an article on your Goodwill Outlet strategy! On the other hand, I don’t want more people going to the outlet…hehe.
All your refashions come out so cute! I am so glad that I found your blog, and enjoy your emails every time. I learned to sew from my mom, and am so glad that she shared that gift with me. I teach 4th graders, and as one of my ways to de-stress is to sew!
If anyone can make brooches popular again, it would be YOU! Go ahead, I’ll follow you.
The absolute perfect dress for Thanksgiving! The colors are autumn and it’s nice and loose for all the turkey and fixin’s!
love the orange combo! From one wiener dog lover to another, thank you for helping that lil guy!
Your posts light up my day. Super cute frock. I’ve got a question for you. What brand of serger do you have, what made you pick that brand and would you recommend it? (So that was actually three questions…)
The serger I use is a Reliable Dreamstitcher. I really like it and haven’t had any problems with it. 🙂 The reason I use it, is because they were kind enough to give me one. They’re big fans of me, and I’m a big fan of theirs! 🙂 http://www.reliablecorporation.com/Products/SERGING/DreamStitcher-787
Right, who wants to wear a belt when she’s going to Thanksgiving dinner?!
What no belt
As usual another wonderful save. I would love to be able to sew…what should I do if I wanted to start?
I love this one, Jillian. The colours are great and the buttons are 100% cool!
Trés cute boots too! Well done, as usual. Fall is my favorite season for fashion, and I love the colors. There are lots of us who are thankful for you as inspiration by the way.
Amazing!!!
One of my favorites to date! Love your doxies, too (we have two as well)! Thank you for fostering 🙂
Adorable and the dress is cute too.
Hope you had a great thanksgiving ! This is one of my top three! Love it !
I love it! I never would have thought of this!
Your new foster pup is too sweet! Also your dress turned out really cute, I love that pattern.
Stunning as usual!
I love it! It’s very retro looking. Oh and, I bought a sewing machine… It’s 100% your fault. 🙂
Lovely refashion! Makes me look at house dresses in a whole new light!
CUTE!! Who ever thought a housecoat could be do fashionable!! Perfect waistline for Thsnksgivjng too…nothing tight or constricting!
I wish I could find a great gingham or plaid for this holiday, I already have the pin and sweater. I have only recently found that clothes come in colors and I have to say my wardrobe is still lacking in the fall colors department. I would run to the GW today because I’m sure all the clothes are half off but alas it means more to me to not spend money today so stores will clothes and people can be with family. This is a great refash you really make these house dresses into something wonderful.
Angie: Some of us need the money more, my dear. Don’t make that decision for us.
Love this vintage refashion! The matching tights were perfect. So inspiring.
Cute, cute, cute! And great Goodwill blog post too! You rock!!!
VERY retro, very cute! Reminds me of something I owned in the ’60s……long ago enough to be retro and not just old-fashioned….HA!