Fuller Brush Mini Maid Vacuum & A Copper Prom Dress

I decided to go with the Fuller Brush Mini Maid Vacuum for the sewing room.  Maybe because it was red, or that it was $5.00 cheaper...... Either way, this vacuum SUCKS!  It sucks SO good, all my machines are now spotless and my table cover has never looked this clean!



Fuller Brush Mini Vacuum



My sewing machine is three times bigger!

The machine is the exact same one as the version sold in Nancy's Notions catalog but a different color.  I bought mine off of Ebay for $28.95 free shipping.  It will get a lot of use in my sewing room.

Now back to sewing!

My neighbor girl is going to prom.  She bought a dress last year at a store closing in a size smaller than she was.  Fast forward a year and she gained about 50 lbs!  She didn't have the money to buy another dress and she really liked the color of this one.  The only thing was that the top was 10" too small and the zipper didn't even come close at the waist by a good 6"!

Once I agreed to fix her dress, I had about two weeks of pure dread!  What have I gotten myself into?  I have never altered a prom dress before!

Then one day I got mad, took the dress apart.  The waist trim off, all the hooks and snaps off, the bodice from the skirt, the bodice lining from the skirt lining and then I almost had a panic attack.  What have I done?

I needed to add 5+" to both sides of the dress to accommodate her increase, wedging down to 3+" at her waist then tapering to nothing at 6" below the waist since that was as far down I could go.  I drove the hour to Joann's to have the lady in the fabric department tell me it was indeed taffeta but they were out of that color since it's considered a seasonal color.  They did have some on the red tag clearance table a few weeks ago but we both dug and dug with no luck.

My only other choices were to drive to Orlando 1-1/2 hours away and chance someone there having this crazy color fabric in stock or to try Ebay.  I decided to try Ebay. 

The store was called p-linens.  They had two colors, copper and rust.  Since I wasn't sure what color this was I ordered a yard of each for only $5.83 each plus free shipping.  I messaged them that I needed the fabric as soon as possible when I placed my order of Friday.  Believe it or not the fabric was in my mailbox on MONDAY all the way from Troy, Michigan.  I have put them into my FAVORITE Store!  The fabric color copper was a PERFECT match!

Now I had to decide how I was going to at to this dress and keep with the same design elements.  I didn't want her to look like someone just added to it! 

There's A LOT of dress for a girl who is only 5'2"!  Too much if you ask me.  But no one asked so I just sew!



Copper Taffeta Prom dress

I added a wedge at the side, pleating the fabric vertically to match the other pleats and to help make her look slimmer.



Pleated wedge at side



Back view



Side View

The original beaded waist trim couldn't be used since it was 6+" too short.  I made a cummerbund/waist sash from a length of pleated fabric to use for a finished look.



Waist finish



Copper Taffeta Prom Dress

 

 

The alteration wasn't as hard as I had first dreaded but I really don't want to do another one any time soon.  I'm ready to sew for me again!  I'm Bonnie and I'm a greedy sewer!

 

Until next time.................

 

Bonnie