We were looking for a pretty “house dress’ that didn’t make us look like an old lady; that was cool, unique and had some quality. We also have a penchant for natural fibers over polyester. And we couldn’t find anything in any retail store. A trip to the thrift store turned up nothing, but this fabric caught our attention. Upon closer inspection, we found that it’s silk! And it’s vintage designer! And it has pockets! And it’s $4!

It was also a robe. Yep, old-fashioned robe that ties at the waist and gapes open in front no matter what strings they add or how many times you tighten the belt.

And then the Inspiration Fairy struck! This is perfect! Stitch the two sides together in front, cut off all the pesky ties, add some sparkle, and we have the perfect house dress! Read through to find out how simple this is and see if you aren’t headed to your local thrift store this weekend!

Difficulty level: Amateur Sewer
Age range: Adult
Time required: 30 minutes plus shopping time

Things you’ll need:
An old robe
Needle, coordinating thread, scissors
Embellishments

Things to do:
1. Cut the strings from the garment, being careful not to cut the garment itself.



2. Try on the robe and see where you’d like the neckline to fall. Place a pin at this mark, on one side.

3. Match the bottom edges of both sides of the garment. Pin them together joining the right sides with a little overlap so you can stitch them together.

4. If you’d like to leave the two sides open at the bottom, move up the seam to where you want the edges to join. Start pinning.

5. Pin up the garment to the pin that marks your neckline.
6. Hand-stitch the seam using a loose stitch. Don’t pull the stitches too tight or you will pucker the fabric. Make a knot every few inches, just in case.

7. When finished, remove the pins.

8. Try on garment and see if you need to make any modifications. Add your embellishments.

10. Go look in the mirror and tell yourself how beautiful you look! And how smart and talented!