Dress Rescue

Some people rescue dogs and cats, I rescue garments. Yesterday I found one at a Goodwill store. I discovered an upscale dress set, tags still on, straight from a specialty boutique. On a crowded dress rack, wrinkled green rayon vibrated with life and potential, calling my name. It was an artsy Indian dress and jacket creation with tassels and a few pictorial cotton decorative patches. I spotted it at 4pm and had a 6pm engagement. After trying it on, I discovered it was too big. Could I have it ready?

The outfit first desperately needed ironed and that’s how I uncovered the flaws, the reason this incredible garment was abandoned at Goodwill. One of the decorative secondary corded straps had come loose and unraveled. The easiest solution was to cut the other side, the secured strap, creating an unraveled match. Another problem that jumped out after ironing was a noticeable water spot, quarter size, at the center back of the dress. To eliminate this obstacle, I created a center back seam which absorbed the blemish and created a better fit. The side seams also needed to come in to match my curves. And viola, a garment rescued with 30 minutes to spare, enough time for a shower and makeup.