Tutorial - Too Big Sequin Blazer and Skirt Turned Party Dress

 

Sequins are so in right now, but not in my budget! Challenge accepted. The diy-er in me knew I could figure out something that wouldn't cost too much. I scoured thrift stores looking for anything sequiny or sparkly that I could make something out of.

And I found it! A large sequin blazer and skirt. It was $25, probably the most expensive thing I've bought at a thrift store, but compared to the $$$ dresses out there it was a steal.

Here's the before - 

The first thing I did was remove the sleeves and shoulder pads with a seam ripper, starting with the lining of the jacket.

Next I measured from the top of my shoulder to where I wanted the waist of the dress to be. I took this measurement (14.5 in.) and I used pins to mark it all the way around the blazer.

To prevent less sequins from getting everywhere, I sewed two seams 1/4in. apart and then cut the blazer between the seams.

So I ended up with this:

I tried it on and the arm holes were way to big for me. I compared it to another dress of mine to see how much needed to be taken in. I turned it inside out so I could pin/sew both the lining and the main fabric and the seams would be inside.

Once that was fitted, I sewed the top to the skirt. I didn't have to do any modifications to the skirt which saved me a ton of time. I pinned them right sides together making sure to overlap the front pieces and stitched below the worn out elastic waist of the skirt.

Here's the inside after they were stitched together:

And the right side:

Yes, there is no shape to it.... yet! I didn't want to bother with a zipper so I used elastic. It's not the easiest thing to get on and off, but for ease of sewing and time it works!

I hand stitched the band of the skirt up using a blind stitch - encasing the seam and making a slot to put new elastic.

I used 1" wide elastic. To determine how long I needed the elastic to be -  I measured it snug around my waist and added an inch. I pinned one end down and threaded the other end through the waistband using a safety pin and skinny knitting needle.

*Honestly, this part was tricky. I had to try a couple times to get the elastic all the way through. It was frustrating. And I didn't know if there were any twists in the elastic since the fabrics were so thick. So there might be a better way to do this step. Maybe sewing the elastic to the skirt band and then hand stitching it up. *

After I threaded the elastic through I used the sewing machine to stitch the elastic ends together. Then I hand stitched the opening closed.

I hand stitched the arm holes with a blind stitch. I also did a couple stitches to tack the v-neck so it stays together.

There we go! This looks better :)

I paired it with some black tights! No other accessories needed besides a smile!

Sparkle sparkle! I wish I had more places to wear this to....

I still have quite a bit of left over sequin fabric from the bottom half of the blazer and sleeves! Haven't decided what to make with it yet. Any ideas?

P.S. Thanks to my sis for taking pictures of me in the dress!