Anthropologizing Walmart: Reed Shirtdress

Sunday, May 6, 2012

gingham sundress refashion 


I've never been the sort of girl who walks into my friendly, neighborhood Walmart thinking, Today, this store will change my life

So obviously, it was no typical day when I spied a plaid sundress on the clearance rack in a fabric I've just had to have all my life. After all good sense abandoned me, I snagged up two sundresses in hopes of realizing the long-gone, but not forgotten, Moulinette Soeurs Reed shirtdress.  

It turned into the most frustrating project ever 'cuz in spite of using two dresses, I was scraping for enough fabric to get the plaid to line up, plus have enough for the longer sleeves and collar. But apparently, recycling a dress is a little like birthing a baby...once you get that adorableness in your hands, all the pain just fades away and now that I'm done, I can't quit thinking of all the places I'll get to wear my pretty plaid dress this summer. 



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55 comments:

  1. I'm in awe. Good job kiddo!

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  2. What in the world - this is an amazing rework!

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  3. That's SO awesome! The dress turned out fantastic! It looks awesome on you :) I so wish you could be my personal seamstress ;) Your amazing at what you do!

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  4. Oh my goodness!!! That is awesome. Off to wally world I go. That dress is really fabulous.

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  5. Wow, that takes a lot of talent!

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  6. I love it! How you got that amazing dress from the other dress is beyond me. Truly beautiful work!

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  7. woah, I did a double take when I saw the before and after photo. how in the world did you do that?! Amazing work!

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    1. Pretty much just took the dresses apart and started all over with a new silhouette. Probably not gonna try this again for a very long time! HA.

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  8. I definitely like your dress better than Walmart's! Love your work.

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  9. Amazing!!! I always see strappy sun-dresses and think "That would be cute with sleeves" you've inspired me to try refashioning something like this for myself (^_^)

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  10. You are seriously AMAZING. WHOAH! I am in shock! Though I shouldn't be, since you always come up with fantastic pieces! I'm SO impressed! (And also so jealous! Haha)

    I just got a groupon for a beginning sewing class... 25 isn't too late to learn, is it? :)

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  11. Seriously, is there anything you can't do!!! Looks gorgeous!

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  12. I'm totally drooling over this dress!!! I LOVE this style of dress, so cute :)

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  13. Wow. I have no other words! The dress is gorgeous and you are incredibly talented!!

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  14. You are the absolute cutest - LOVE how this masterpiece turned out - the dress is awesome! Totally worth the blood, sweat, tears of your long labor. I wish there was an epidural for making one pop out like magic though - I want one! SO LOVE IT!

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    1. Jan, how's the girliest boy mom? And her new little baby girl? Still as adorable as ever I'm sure. Cool to hear from ya again.

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  15. I have got to learn how to use my sewing machine! I have so many ideas I just need to get the thing working lol! this is so cute and modest too!

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  16. How beautiful is this!! I can't believe how you transformed this dress!! It looks so pretty on you!!

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  17. This dress is amazing!!! You look gorgeous!!! :D
    Ahhh, I want it!!!!!...What a perfect *summertime* dress!!!

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  18. I love it, It's a beautiful dress, easy to wear! God job

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  19. Oh my goodness, Kristina! You never cease to amaze me. I LOVE the final product! Who would've known you got this beautiful dress by birthing it out of 2 Walmart sundresses? Absolutely genius! I want one now! :)

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  20. I absolutely positively LOVE THIS DRESS!! It turned out fabulously! Amazing job. Thank you for linking another beautiful creation up at Creative Me!

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  21. That is FABULOUS! I want that dress so bad. I'll have to go check out my Walmart. I don't know if I'll be able to pull it off though, but I so want to try.

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  22. LOVE!!! But, I'd like to know how you can possibly envision that gorgeous "after" dress when you look at the clearance "before" ones hanging there at Walmart? I definitely need to expand my thinking somehow...in the meantime, I have your ideas for inspiration :)

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  23. So cute Kristina! Your dress looks so much better than the original, and how can you just look at a dress say, "Hmm, that will look nice!" Oi!

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  24. LOVE! Makes me want to try this on several "unwearable" items in my own closet. Great colors and shape. Thanks for linking to Craftastic Monday at Sew Can Do:)

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  25. You have got to be kidding me! This dress is adorable. Go You!!!!

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  26. WOW. You did an AMAZING job with this - I absolutely love the final product! Unfortunately I'm a terrible sewer, so I'll just sit here green with envy of your talent! :)

    I would love it if you would link up at Watch Out, Martha!’s first link up party: Martha Mondays, going on now through Wednesday! Hope to see you there!
    http://www.watchoutmartha.net/2012/05/martha-monday-link-up-party.html

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  27. Your is gorgeous and so much more modest and pretty!!! I love it. REALLY love it. I wish I could figure out how to make clothes and do things like this.

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  28. oh my - you are amazing!! seriously amazing!!

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  29. Wow! This is gorgeous! Great job lining up that plaid! I like yours better than the inspiration too. :)

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  30. Incredible! You have such an eye and talent for what you do :) Love it!

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  31. Beautifully done! Thanks for sharing.

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  32. Amazing! Love how this dress turned out - looks so great on you :)

    Sarah
    smalltowncatwalk.blogspot.ca

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  33. This is such great fabric and such a great dress. I have always been a little afraid of doing collars and this type of silhouette, but I just might have to give it a try!

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  34. Oh my gosh this is amazing! I wish I could do that, seriously that looks so good. I would love for you to share this at my link party-
    http://thewinthropchronicles.blogspot.com/2012/05/share-it-link-party-10.html

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  35. And I'm your newest follower... even though I can only dream about doing some of the things you do, I know I will be inspired!
    Sarah
    TheWinthropChronicles.blogspot.com

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  36. Lol I love the name of this post! And that dress looks fabulous!

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  37. Wow- great job. The dress is so cute and you look great in it!
    Shannon @ 2ndstorysewing.blogspot.com

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  38. wow girl!! what an amazing job you did on that dress!!

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  39. I can't believe you made that dress - it's gorgeous! Seriously, amazing colors and such a fabulous silhouette :)

    Annie
    The Other Side of Gray

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  40. Kristina this is amazing!! Like really I am so impressed right now. The differences between the before and after are insane! Not to be blunt but I hate the Before dress. ha but the After dress is so freaking cute! Major props to you, I'm seriously way impressed.

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  41. Oh and you look just as adorable as always! AMAZING!! The dress is so fun and bright... perfect for the warm weather! I always love to see what you have been up to :)

    http://www.confessionsoftheglitterati.com/

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  42. I bow to your greatness. Really and truly. Your talent amazes me. Good thing you live so far away from me...I'd be over dropping off my own two Walmart dresses at your place. I could pay you in warm chocolate chip cookies. Okay, 1000 warm chocolate chip cookies. Mine are really good.... ;)

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  43. This dress looks so similar to the Reed Shirtdress...it's pretty amazing! I wish I knew how to sew like you. Great job!

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  44. i am seriously in LOVE. and so impressed. if you ever want to sell that sucker, you email me first! ;)

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  45. I have that original dress. I loved the print and it was $3 on clearance. I usually wear it with a purple polo underneath. I never would have thought of changing it like that!

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  46. I just stumbled upon your website and this dress is by far my favorite of your designs. Very polished cut. Amazing!

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