project reStyle: Sunny sundress

I haven't posted any refashionings in a while, but I'm very on track with my sewing lately, I'm so happy with how it comes along. Learning how to sew my own clothes is one of my goals for this year. Ever since I've given my mother's old Bernina another try the two of us have been teaming up beautifully. I always had problems with her jamming or ripping threads and other tedious stuff. So I decided to get my own and I bought a very cheap and simple Singer which was a total desaster. It couldn't sew a single hem without jamming and making a horrible mess out of everything. Dissapointed, I turned back to the Bernina again and lo and behold: She is humming away like a busy little bee.

And that's what came out:

This used to be a maxi skirt that I wore to pieces (no before photo... I'm so horrible at this! Sorry!). I cut off the waistline, hemmed it and then shirred it.  Yes, shirred. It's the magic word, ladies and gentlemen.
Repeat after me: Shirring, shirring, shirring...
Seriously, it's the coolest invention ever. I've been wanting to try it for ages and would never have believed how simple and effective it is.

It is a technique for gathering a garment but at the same time keeping it flexible. In a nutshell, the underlying sewing thread is elastic, which makes the lines pull together and gives the garment more body definition.
You can see the lines better in this picture:

I had so much fun playing around with it, adding lines until it fit just right. Then I shortened it and added two shoulder straps.
Voilaaa!

Love, love, love it!!

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