Of Obsessions and Cleavage (which is slightly different than cleavage obsessions)

I'm a big girl, I can admit it: I get completely obsessive at times. Truly, completely, totally obsessed with something and everything else can go suck it while I do whatever it is I'm doing. Sometimes it's unproductive, for example I've been playing this game I remembered from my childhood -

Princess Tomato in the Salad Kingdom

(Evidently there's a Wiki page - WHO KNEW?!) But it's okay because I'm almost at the end of it. And yes, that makes it okay.

Another recent obsession was The Refashionista, a blog about re-making thrifted or old clothes into totally new and much more wearable fashions. She comes up with some of the most clever things, like turning skirts upside down into shirts. Stuff I would never think of because, while I make a lot of my own clothing, I generally do so from fabric yardage with patterns, either commercial or drafted from pieces I already own and love. For several weeks I worked my way backwards and read every single post in her blog. And by the time I finished, I was sold. I've been meaning to clean out my closet forever anyway; why not see if I can make anything I don't particularly like into something custom and perfect?

I've been in the mood for red lately, so I dug through my dresses and found this one that I'd thrifted a couple of years ago when I was a few pounds lighter and a whole lot sluttier on a daily basis:

As you can see by the little tag still attached, I've never worn it.

I really liked the color and sort of bandana-ish print, but it was low cut in the front, low cut in the back, and pretty much skin tight on me. Looking more closely at the tag makes me wonder...

"Ambiance Apparel"

It's by Ambiance Apparel, which pretty much sounds like code for cosplay. I can only assume this is some Malaysian factory worker's interpretation of a slutty cowgirl costume to be worn for bangin'.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I just beat Princess Tomato in the Salad Kingdom while waiting for that photo to upload. I thought you'd want to know.

So to take this dress that's only appropriate for the bedroom into something to, say, wear to the park with the kids, I was going to have to move the looser part up where the tighter part had been. I smoothed it out to see what could be done.

Maybe if I just chop off a bit?

Nope, still slutty.

Time for another cut:

And this way, I won't even have to put in another hem. I pinned the bottom piece to the top, right sides together, then used a zipper foot to get right up close to the piping.

Geez, do I need to clean that machine, or WHAT?

Alas another obsession with cleaning thrifted antique sewing machines got in the way. That one's not a bad habit to have, though! But that's all it took to make this dress into a shirt that's perfect for those occasional jeans days.

IT HAPPENS SOMETIMES, GAH!

It's still a little cleavage heavy, but I don't see anyone complaining. Do you?