A Modest Princess

Often dresses need just a few extra inches to be modest, this dress – purchased at a resale store was bought with the belt missing. With a 1/4 yard of black fabric a few inches were added and a matching belt made.

Black is probably the hardest color to match, but as this dress has a print the exact black didn’t matter.

First step was to cut the bottom, we wanted to add 4-5″ so I cut a 6″ strip giving us plenty for seam allowances.

I then seam ripped the original hem of the dress.

The front of the dress buttons up, but that made the bottom open too high up so I sewed it closed all the way up to the first button – this does mean the dress will need to be stepped into.

Next I pinned and sewed on the strip of black.

Having sewn the black strip all the way around, I joined the two ends and sewed those up.

Then pinned and sewed a new bottom hem for the dress.

Finally I cut a strip of fabric to make a matching belt, sewed it up like a tube.

Turned it inside out and then sewed the ends closed.

And here we have a lengthened dress with matching belt!