Sew Subversive

I found this 1960's brushed nylon dress for £1 on the nearly-new rail at a church table top sale this morning. I loved the vibrant retro print and the cosy feel of the fabric, just perfect for the chillier months.

Originally a maxi dress I decided to hack the dress off just above the knee to make it more wearable figuring I'd get more mileage out of a groovy mini than a dressy maxi.

There's always a danger of treating vintage clothes too reverendly, like precious museum pieces to be wrapped in tissue paper and treated with the utmost of respect but heck, where's the fun in that?

Rubbish at sewing? Don't fear the scissors!

• Try a dress on with opaques and heels and stand in front of a full length mirror experimenting with a length that looks good on you.
• Mark the right length with chalk, take off the dress and cut 1inch below the required length with pinking shears or sharp scissors.
• Iron the 1inch length under, on the wrong side. Try the dress on again just to be sure.
• Slide in some Wundaweb and place a damp cloth between the dress and the iron. Hold the iron down until the cloth dries and the hem will be magically held in place without the need for scary stitching.