a UFO completed, refashioning and RTW knockoff in one

I started this maroon wool shift dress at least 8 years ago using a now OOP New Look 6697 (which interestingly enough New Look have already reissued a different dress pattern using that same number). It is the long sleeved round neck version shown in green on the pattern envelope. At the time it fitted okay, except for being a bit short - it finished above my knee before hemming which I don't like on me, and it was too austere and a bit boring for me to be wearing in my early 20s! So I never finished it, but because I liked the maroon wool fabric, I put it in storage thinking that one day I would reuse the fabric.

Then I saw this lovely maroon/purple dress with red bands over at the Boden web site and I thought I could do something similar to save my maroon dress. Luckily enough I had some lovey raspberry red wool crepe in a similar weight to the maroon wool, so using the pattern I drafted up bands for the neck, hem and wrist line. Also lucky that I have stayed pretty much the same weight for the last 15 years or so, otherwise all hope would be lost for these long term UFOs!

I decided to keep the long sleeves since this would be a winter dress, but I just added a narrow band to keep it in line with the rest of the dress. I also replaced the lapped zip with an invisible zip because I like the look of an invisible zip so much more and I don't know what my previous aversion to them was. I added a lining, and hey presto, a UFO is completed, by refashioning it into a RTW knockoff.

In response to Melissa who asked in the comments in the last post, last weekend was the Anzac Day holiday here in Australia, commemorating war veterans. I usually go to the dawn service and war veterans march, but I went away for the weekend instead. Life got in the way of a solid three days sewing potential, but I do have to keep reminding myself I sew clothes to wear out, not just for the sake of it, so I do have to go out now and then!

And thank you all for the lovely comments on the TNT dress four ways in the last post. Valerie I love the back of the dress more than the front too, in fact I once tried to make it with the back on the front but yeah, that didn't work, a little too low cut for it to be publicly acceptable! Colette I think it is very funny that everyone refers to brown polka dot print by mentioning Pretty Woman. And christina it's lucky we don't live in the same city, otherwise we might give each other the evil eye if we ever saw each other on the street in your blue polka dot and my brown polka dot dresses!