Altering old projects

[Lady Rebecca]

Do any of you feel weird about altering old projects? I've been thinking about altering my Queen of Hearts gown. It was one of the first "good" costumes I made (a whopping 2 years ago!), but I still didn't know very much at the time. It has rigilene boning in it, the lining is wonky, and I used grommet tape to lace it. It's also probably about 1-2" bigger than it should be. So I kind of want to alter it, but I almost feel I should be keeping it as a testament to how I first started out.

Anyone else ever feel like this?

[operafantomet]

I've never had troubles with re-doing old projects. If anything, they remind me of how clumsy I was as a seamstress when I started sewing... I've actually given away a couple of the first dresses I made, because I knew I would never wear them again, knowing their imperfections, and therefore I had no desire of keeping them.

Wow, I'm unsentimental...

The pink Bronzino dress I have in my avatar is probably the one I've re-done the most. That is because the initial project was to copy a dress from the musical "Which Witch". When I saw the costume design, I realized the Bronzino portrait was the inspirational source, and my goal became to copy the portrait instead. The changes done were small - make new sleeves, make bodice a bit longer in the sides, re-pleat skirt - but enough to change the whole feel of the dress. I'm much happier with it now, although if I picked it up again I would probably see tons of other stuff I would like to do... Like changing the back closing into side lacing... So I keep it in a box as of now. 

After this, you won't be surprised that my advice would be to alter your dress? I think it would increase the chance of you wearing it. I see what you mean about keeping it as a document over your progress, but at the same time much would probably be kept in the altered version. Aaah, I dunno. What do others think?

[GirlChris]

I have no problem with altering old things- I'm just not very GOOD at it.  I've taken a couple of inches off the front of a bodice and altered the shoulder straps, but it's a total mess on the inside now. Taking in a medieval tunic resulted in it being too tight to remove (I had to rip out the seams to get out, then jerry rig side openings that ripped after one day). Attempting to "fix" the pockets on my pirate coat ended up completely destroying it to the point where it's unwearable.

I'm getting better, though. I took in the yellow kirtle I did a while back, and now it fits really well. I've just got to fix the skirt.

Hmm... I think I've altered most of the garb I wear regularly.

[LadyFae]

I also feel odd about altering old projects BUT I will do it, and be much happier with the results!  =)

I've never had troubles with re-doing old projects. If anything, they remind me of how clumsy I was as a seamstress when I started sewing... I've actually given away a couple of the first dresses I made, because I knew I would never wear them again, knowing their imperfections, and therefore I had no desire of keeping them.

I'll gladly take any of those off of your hands, Opera!  I LOVE your work!  =D

[LadyShadow]

I have the same thoughts.  There are things that I have sewn when first learning to sew and the first learning about patterns and different fabrics.  I do want to go back and fix them.  But then again if I just make a new one with all the new things I have learned it would be better.  So I dont know. I'm still kicking around the idea of fixing old, not so well sewn items.

[gem]

I tell myself I'm going to, but then I never do. Like the straps on my only fairwear bodice--they're way too long, and they're a little wonky, to boot (and it's also too long overall so it bunches at the small of my back). But how long would it take to disassemble them, fix them, and then sew them up again by hand?

...And what NEW THING could I make in that time instead?

So new usually wins. (shrug)

I will say that I've certainly disassembled and altered things as I was making them, if I found a detail I wasn't happy with. So I'd have fixed the straps if I'd noticed the problems during test fits, for example.  But I usually have to let the offending item sit for several days--until the frustration has faded and "fix straps" becomes just another task on the list of instructions--before I can face ripping it apart and rebuilding.

I have NEVER been sorry that I've ripped something apart to adjust it, that's one thing I can say!

[ArielCallista]

my Snow White noble gown...the sleeves are too tight and the neckline is too high, the bodice could do with being an inch for 2 smaller...I completely lack the motivation to take it apart to fix any of these things... I'm going to have to completely redo the sleeves...new fabric and everything cuz there isn't enough seam allowance left to just let it out.

[gem]

Ariel, I can't remember what the sleeves look like, but could you turn them into slashed sleeves, like Cindy has on her Eleanora gown? You'd be slicing the existing sleeve into pieces, and then binding the edges, so the seam allowance issue wouldn't matter so much.

[ArielCallista]

i don't have a chemise for under it for that to look right and I think it might take away from the snow white-ness...plus the main issue is in the shoulder type area. the arm hole is really tight and the neckline gets pulled down over my shoulder. then the bicep and part of my forearm are just way too tight...The sleeves look loose but its up under the slashed poof that its the worst...I'm also considering going less HA and just having it be short sleeved. I'd have to modify the poof a bit, but it could work...I just have a difficult to fit upper body...small waist and chest but broad shoulders and more arm muscle than normal for my chest/waist measurements...

[LadySeasan]

I wouldn't feel weird about  reworking an old project. I have this green gown, my very first "gown", that I still love to this day, that eventually...if I had the time, I would work on it.  But since I have lost so much weight since then, I am not even sure where to begin! lol

[Rosamundi]

. . . But how long would it take to disassemble them, fix them, and then sew them up again by hand?

...And what NEW THING could I make in that time instead?

I'm with Gem on the opportunity-cost theory.  :-) Plus, as a beginning seamstress, my abilities are changing so fast that it's not worthwhile to re-work my clumsy older efforts!

I <i>have</i> learned, however, to think very carefully before bundling home items from the thrift store with a makeover plan in mind.  I currently have two modern vests that I wanted to cut down for unboned/simple bodices. But so far it's taking me longer to re-work the finished pieces than to make new ones from scratch.