Thrift Store Project: Sun Dress

The PTA in Carrboro- my Go-To Thrift Store

Thrift Stores are a great thing, aren't they?  I know, I know, some people say they smell funny, everything in them is cheap and not worth owning.  But give the thrift store a chance- there are so many hidden treasures!  From genuine vintage to nik naks only you would want to just the right piece that you've been looking for but didn't want to pay full price.  You never know what you'll find, but when you purchase from a thrift store you almost always have a value and a good story.

Here are some of my Thrift Store Hall of Fame Finds:

Fabulous vintage purse

Vintage Victorian Fashion Prints

Ceramic Fruit (I've always had a soft spot for this stuff)

Beautiful framed crewel work

An embarrassingly long time ago (two Mays ago!!) I got it into my head that I could have my thrift store value AND the satisfaction of making something that I would want and enjoy.  I decided to find some old fabric- in this case an old, lone bed sheet with no set- and sew it into a sun dress (YES!  That’s it!  I’ll do it in a weekend!)

Later I would find out this book,  Little Green Dress, has run with this concept.  I haven’t read the book yet, but I like the idea!

Surprisingly, finding the fabric was relatively easy compared to finding a pattern that would work with the fabric.  Two summers ago, on UNC campus, for miles and miles all the eye could see was gaggles of little tanned, stringy haired girls running around in strappy, drapey (no not an actual word) jersey sun dresses in bright colors.  It was hard to not to get sucked into the dream that I could turn my bed sheet into a dress like this. But having made mistakes like this in the past I was prepared and I selected an old pattern meant for cotton fabrics, with structure and defined curves.

Okay, pattern placement could have been better, but its perfect for the beach!

 My finished product is a humble little cocktail dress, simple in cut and very unassuming on a hanger.   However, don’t let it fool you, with a little effort and some tailoring I was able to fit the dress perfectly.  And that is one of the great benefits to thrift store fabrics; you don’t have to worry about messing up your fabrics because you didn’t pay that much for them in the first place.  You can experiment, play, alter your pattern, or make a pattern entirely your own.