I declared my mission to learn how to sew last week, specifically to hem one dress in time to wear it to my soon-to-be-married friends’ rehearsal dinner on Friday evening.  Get excited, because as you can see from the above photo… I did it!

The hem isn’t perfectly even, nor by any means flawless, but it is complete!  I was so nervous I would make the dress too short that I ended up making it a bit longer than I would have liked.  I plan to go in for round two to shorten it even further.  What do you think?

Regardless of the length, this bold jade is such a pretty color.  It’s so festive and a little unexpected.  I plan to wear this dress even when it gets chilly out with some patterned tights and a neutral trench, after I get the hemming right of course.

Dress: Thrifted
Booties: Steve Madden

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xo rach

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I have a confession to make: I do not know how to sew.  There, I said it!

Now I’m not saying that every woman should know how to sew, but considering I grew up watching my stepmom make everything from blankets to baby clothes it should have been something I picked up long ago.

In my recent thrifting adventures I’ve seen so many items that would be perfect with a minor alteration, like a lifted hemline or shortened sleeve.  This made me realize that my days of going elsewhere for alterations is over and it’s time to learn how to sew for myself.  Imagine my surprise when after a brief mention to my family about this, a beautiful new sewing machine  arrived at my doorstep!  They’re so thoughtful!

This week my mission is to learn how to sew, at least well enough to successfully shorten the hemline of one dress.  Check back on Friday to see if I was able to pull it off.  I’m holding you responsible for keeping me on track!

Do you know how to sew?  Ever alter your finds yourself, or even make pieces from scratch? I would love to hear your tips!

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xo rach

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