refashioning a dress into a tunic

                                               These aren't great pics, but you do what you can!

2 things inspired this sewing project--one--I've been wanting a tunic top to wear with my skinny jeans, and two--I kind of went on a new clothes shopping spree lately and so I didn't want to purchase anything else 'new'--I wanted to either find one used or make one out of something I already had.  I found a black jersey knit dress in my closet that I've had for 2.5 years and worn maybe once.  Why did I buy it?  I have no idea, I don't wear dresses.

After I started cutting into it, I thought I should have taken a 'before' pic.  Oh well.

Basically I cut the bodice off, recontructed parts of the dress into a kind of flowy top, and used an old black sweater belt I found in my closet to cinch it up at the waist.  I sewed panels in the sides of the previously fitted bodice top, sewed rectangles (cut out of the skirt) at the bottom of the bodice part front and back as sort of 'panels', and cut off the three quarters sleeves and made a little cut in the tops of them.

I think it turned out pretty cute.