Working on Your Wardrobe

An effective and economical way of dealing with your clothes is the concept of working on your current wardrobe.
When I was in college I hired a dressmaker to make me a sundress using really good cotton fabric. When I began teaching I wanted to use the dress but it was not a practical garment to teach in. So I took out my scissors and cut off the bottom part of the dress, (it was a full skirt on the dress) and made myself a skirt to be worn with a simple blouse. Great result and no money spent as I already had the thread with which to sew.

While going through my mother’s things when she passed away, I found a beautiful blouse from Europe made with a batiste that behaved like a fine silk. The only problem was that a moth loved it too and ate a tiny hole near the shoulder seam. I brainstormed by myself as to how to utilize the blouse and I came up with this idea. I took some fine cotton lace and sewed it on both shoulder seams. Voila! I own the most beautiful blouse. Lace on the front, on the sleeves and on the shoulder seams. Mother has been gone twenty years. I hope she is looking down and saying something like…”she’s still wearing my blouse” and smiles as she notices.