the vintage alterations saga
I have pretty much finished the alterations on my friend's Suzy Perette dress, we basically had to rebuild the top half of the dress. The waist was way too long in the back, the darts had to be turned into princess seams to remove room above the bust (we're not sure what that was for unless the lady who owned this had the worlds highest chest), drop the armholes, reshape the neckline and add a new zipper. Oh and the petticoat needed to be repaired as well. The dress is at the cleaners now, but when it's back I just need to attach the petticoat and it's done! This was my first vintage alteration and I didn't find it too different from regular alterations. Patience, chalk, pins and a good idea of how to get things back together are all you need. I have a lot of experience taking things apart and getting them back together since we only do custom at work so that was the biggest help. Now I've got to get moving on that jacket, yikes!!! That one is going to be a bit tricky if it can be done at all.