Vertical ruffles

Another one:

I am really unsure about this one. I bought this skirt and it fits fine but it is just so MUCH! I like the vertical ruffles for the flowy effect but it adds a lot of bulk to the hips.

So I am wondering if I can make it into a top, maybe some wider straps or even cap sleeves and a black trim (this is just the underskirt flipped out to make it look like trim.)

....I would use the same material as the wider straps. I could leave it sack-like or I could cinch in the waist and shorten it.

Or maybe I reshape it completely to be a top like this one from Pinterest:

Or maybe the skirt is very "Carrie Bradshaw" and I am just being an old lady about it?  Skirt or top?

Empire waist or wasted effort?

3rd dress: This one is an easy fix, just a little too big. 

 Question is do I just stitch up the gaping neckline for modesty, leaving the buckle at the waist and the length a little long?

Or do I raise the whole thing up at the shoulders: raising the neckline but leaving it in its original V shape, bringing the buckle up to be more empire waisted and effectively shortening it a bit?  Is the difference even noticeable or will it be a wasted effort?

 For my height, do I need to shorten it even more to above the knee with either way that I go? It is a very stretchy polyester knit.

Second Skin dress

2nd dress: Second skin. That it what it fits like, a second skin. It is fitted perfectly because it is a stretch denim type. I've never worn it because it just seemed to leave nothing to the imagination or I just felt too fat for it.

But I really love the dress and it feels awesome to fit so well. I clearly have to much butt for it. 

I never thought I'd say this but this dress makes me want wrinkles....in the dress that is.

So when I was trying to decide on a lace overlay or not - seems like too much with the embroidered effect at the bottom - I noticed a few wrinkles and started to play with it. I like the idea of adding some rusching like darts through the entire bodice and hips of the dress. What do you think?

 It also shortens it without bothering the embroidery at the bottom and without having to reconstruction the bodice to remove length there. I might would have to sew up the back slit a little. Any thoughts on the rusching?

Or do I leave it smooth and just add some lace down each side ad maybe some trim under the bustline like an empire-waist? Like this one that I pinned on my Pinterest Board.  Thoughts?

 

Flouncy fun

I know that I've been off the radar for a while but I won't bore you with the details.  I'll just jump right back in.  

I know that refashioning is best when it is a major overhaul, like from a lampshade to a miniskirt, but sometimes just minor tweaks are best. When I swapped out my winter for summer clothes, I realized that I haven't been wearing a lot of them because they just aren't quite right. So now I am on a mission to make them right, minor or major overhaul. I am showing them just pinned here to see what you think before I start the stitchin'.

First outfit is too big and the busyness of the fabric and flouncy design are lost. 

 I believe that shortening the underskirt so that the curves of the flounces on bottom show more, helps give the "sack" some shape and shows off all that hard work at the gym. Other than that, a basic take-in all over - a pinch on the straps to lift the neckline and a little extra taken in at the waist to give it less of a sack shape.

Question: When I taken in the sides, do i take in the underdress only or go ahead and take in the flounces too making them lay against my body more...especially in the waist area like I have pinched in here?

Your thoughts?  I'll update with a final photo once I am done, but I would love some input, especially from the fashionista's out there.