Wearing Your Altered Art

One of the dresses that I bought at Frenchys, during a shopping adventure with Margi Hennen in Nova Scotia, was too tight on top. I didn’t mind because I had a plan.

I would make a crocheted top and attach it to the dress, replacing the original bodice.

I crocheted the top out of a cotton and milk protein yarn (70% cotton, 30% milk protein). I’d never heard of such a combination, but the yarn is beautifully soft. Then I put on the dress, pulled the crochet top over it and my husband, Ted, pinned it in place (carefully).

I removed it (also very carefully, so as to keep the pins in place) and blanket stitched all around the lower edge of the top. Then I cut the original fabric top away from behind.

There was a problem: the sewing did not match the pattern of the fabric very well, and the bodice was not sewn on straight, but in a U. I ended up with what I considered an unsightly section below the bodice in front. The pockets lacked interfacing, and drooped in a sloppy fashion.

The original bodice.

I could berate myself for not adjusting while I was sewing on the crocheted bodice, but I was afraid that would affect the way the skirt hung. I do have a strategy for dealing with the pattern problem. I’ll display the finished dress as soon as I am done. If I get really brave, I’ll wear my altered art.

#CarolWiebe #Crochet #Frenchys #yarn #Hennen #Maritimes #bodice #Dress #alteredart