The Hydrangea Dress

So it turns out I was the only person in the world who looked at this dress and thought "four leaf clovers", to everyone else it clearly screams "hydrangeas". So hydrangeas it is!

I got this vintage dress relatively cheaply (by UK standards) as it had a broken zipper. But as long time readers will know, mending (ie. boring sewing) isn't my forte. So it of course sat unloved on a shelf for... erm... about two years, until inspiration struck and I realised that, if I removed the Peter Pan collar (sacrilege!) and lowered the neckline at the same time as refitting and adding a new zipper, I could wear it to a wedding without looking like I'm twelve years old.

I cut quite a few corners to make all the adjustments without having to remove the lining. If I'd had more time, I would have added some tiny darts to the neckline, as a lower neckline fits the body differently to a higher one. But it's fine to wear, and what I did do was save the bra hooks on the shoulders to avoid any straps showing. Perfect for a wedding disco!

[Soundtrack: 'The Denial Twist' by The White Stripes]