Y’all … it’s FINALLY HERE! I have been SEW antsy to reveal this to you but I of course had to wait till REVEAL WEEKEND for the 2018 Restyling Exchange. Reveal Weekend is literally the best part of the exchange. We finally get to share & see what everyone has made for the exchange, plus hear everyones reactions to their newly Restyled garments.
Today I am so excited to share with you what Jackie restyled for me!
WHAT I SENT
I sent Jackie this RTW knit maxi dress that was given to me by my aunt (because when you sew and people dont want things anymore they just give them to you assuming you can do something with it lol). I love stripes, and this jersey knit is particularly soft. But the general style of the dress was not really me. I didn’t love the lace on top (not a lace girl) and its not a shape I typically wear. I kept the dress thinking I would maybe try to squeeze an Ebony tee out of it or something.
WHY I SENT IT
Then I remembered that the Restyling Exchange was coming up and I knew it would be perfect! It’s always nice to send something that has a lot of fabric to work with. Plus stripes are one of those things that you really can’t go wrong with (did I mention the background is navy? .. so classic!) I did make sure that the person I was sending to was comfortable with sewing knits – one of the perks of running the exchange is that I get to pick who I send to ;). Jackie is no stranger to knits and I knew she would totally be able to handle the job!
WHAT I RECIEVED
I really should have recorded myself opening the package from Jackie because when I did I SQUEELED with delight! Jackie made me this adorable Farrah blouse by Chalk & Notch using the dress I sent her plus some complimentary green jersey from her stash (one of my favorite colors!) I love love LOVE the way it turned out. I especially love the contrast green under the flounces as I think it really calls attention to them and adds such a nice touch. Jackie mentioned that she really wanted to make the dress version of this pattern but didn’t have quite enough fabric (those flounces are a big pattern piece I’m sure). This was a bummer cuz I’m sure it would have been SO CUTE as a dress but lord knows I DO NOT need another dress and this top is going to get a lot of wear.
WHAT I LOVE
I mentioned before how soft the fabric was on the original dress and of course that carries over to this top. It is SO SOFT which makes the top SO COMFORTABLE. And Jackie was magically able to find a fabric in her stash of equal softness so that green yoke is just as soft as everything else and has the same hand as the stripe fabric so it all goes together so nicely. Another great thing is being in a super warm climate I will be able to wear this well into the fall. The longer length (and cute split hem) makes it great to pair with jeans. Although I did have fun dressing it up tucked into a pencil skirt as well!
I am also a big fan of girly elements like ruffles, bows, and of course flounces! Which is funny for me to say because I wouldn’t categorize myself as a “girly girl”…. but give me ALL THE RUFFLES! You can’t see it that well in the photos (you can in the video below) but the back shirt is slightly gathered into the yoke, which creates an extra bit of volume back there that is just lovely. I really love the way the classic, preppy-ness of the stripes, the navy, and the darker green play off the feminine vibe of the flounces. It just WORKS in so many ways. I have some white RTW jeans that I think will look so cute with this. And I also think those flounces will look adorable under a pair of overalls! So many fun ways to style this top!
SEE IT IN ACTION
I can’t thank Jackie enough for doing such an amazing job! She not only nailed this refashion but she really captured my personal style and made me something I will wear again and again.
Dont forget to follow our hashtags: #restylingexchange2018 and #restylingathome2018 to see what everyone has made!!
I’ll be back tomorrow to show you what I made for my dear friend Molly!
Happy Sewing,
This restyling is incredible! I love your video and this pattern moves so great in this knit!