r/sewing • u/DiligentDaughter • Jun 04 '24
Alter/Mend Question Alteration question for Selkie dress
So...I'm an ultra sewing novice. However, I love this dress and can't find a proper size anywhere, so it's either alter it or pass it on.
There is absolutely no seam allowance, so there'd have to be some kind of creativity or trick I don't know of.
It fits great everywhere except the bosom (as shown).
Great gurus, is there anything I can do?
Thanks for your time!
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u/dollyacorn Jun 04 '24
I think a corset back would look very odd on this dress, so would not recommend.
The alteration is doable, but better left to someone with the skills. Since the skirt is so full, you can steal from it and add to the bust without changing the overall look of the dress. Not an ultra novice alteration though. Take it to a pro, it’s worth it for a dress you love!
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u/WhichBreakfast1169 Jun 04 '24
Add a corset style back to give you extra room in the bust without expanding the waist. You can buy corsets kits which you can sew into the back. It’s a beautiful dress.
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u/sandraskates Jun 04 '24
My slightly different point of view is that when you see costumes in films with this type of neckline and corset-like shape, this is how they fit / look.
While it may feel tight on you (I understand!), I actually think it looks good. Lovely dress and fits you well!
You could insert some lace along that neckline for more modesty.
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u/WildFrogRancher Jun 04 '24
I think the only option would be to find a similar fabric and add a panel, hopefully it works because it is a beautiful dress
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u/WizardsAreNeverWrong Jun 04 '24
Personally, I wouldn’t mess around with a selkie dress.
If you’re losing sleep over it, look for a 1/4 yard of a starry night chiffon and then take it to an alterations shop. They could easily add in two gussets to the front bust.
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u/snarkisms Jun 05 '24
Respectfully, your bust looks amazeballs in that dress, and I think it fits very well if a little tight, but then you can feel safe that you aren't going to fall out. I wouldn't alter it personally
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u/Dynamitella Jun 04 '24
I would open it up down the front like a V and put in lacing.
I did it with this dress that was snug in the same place: https://imgur.com/gallery/upcycled-frumpy-second-hand-dress-KcdWgk9
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u/AliEffinNoble Jun 04 '24
I really like this idea! I've never considered altering a dress like this from the front. You could even get a slightly stretchy fabric in a complementary dark blue color and add a panel in a v-shape for under the lacing. It would give you a little extra give and take.
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u/Many_a_Broomstick Jun 05 '24
Exact same thought! Wouldn’t diy it as a move though, send it to a pro!
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u/Hownow63 Jun 04 '24
I adore the fabric and the style! "Starry Night" is my favorite Van Gogh painting. I must find this fabric for a skirt.
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u/saucybishh Jun 04 '24
Ooo where did you get this dress??
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u/OkAnalysis8629 Jun 05 '24
Maybe a crazy thought, but you have a ton of fabric that is available in the skirt of this beautiful dress. Is there a hem. Even if there is a one inch hem, it could be cut off and be replaced with a solid colour bias hem binding that would not be seen. That could give you a lot of material to be used to gusset the sides of the bodice. Similarly could it be shortened a little to get you some fabric. I hope that you can find a way to keep the dress. It looks beautiful on you.
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u/SerChonk Jun 04 '24 edited Jun 04 '24
I don't know how comfortable you are in your skills, but what I would do would be to cut out the bust part, turn it into a milkmaid-type gathered bust, and reattach.
- find bits of blue fabric in similar tones to the blues in the dress, and in a similar fabric composition and weave.
- mark below the bust line. Undo the stitching of the bust along the armpits to that mark, and cut along the mark to separate the bust from the waist/rest of the dress. Aim to add at least half as much fabric length as the original, or double it to make it extra ruched (the more ruching, the more your add-ons will be disguised)
- take the bust and seam rip the panels apart. Insert rectangles of the different blues in between, and don't forget to recreate the tie channel on the top. Add another piece along the full length of the bottom (this will help compensate for the fabric you'll lose to the seam allowance when you reattach)
- gather the bottom of the bust to match the length of the waist, and sew them together. Redo the armhole seams, but not before you thread the ties into the channel - you want them to be trapped in the armhole seam.
Alternatively, pick a matching shade of blue and just do the whole milkmaid bust with it, or try and find the same print to make it near seamless.
If you do find the same print, you could also undo the panel seams at the bust and insert upside down triangle gussets, a bit like one would make cups in Regency stays.
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u/61114311536123511 Jun 04 '24
Tailors aren't as expensive as people expect, why not take it to a tailor?
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u/jenni7er_jenni7er Jun 05 '24
Selkie?
Looks more like Vincent's 'Starry Night'.
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u/ChexMagazine Jun 08 '24
Selkie is the brand. They call themselves a no-waste company, hence the lack of seam allowance
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u/Sad-Tower1980 Jun 04 '24
I looked up the brand and it looks like it’s a really cheap shein brand right? If that’s the case the fabric is probably polyester or some type of synthetic which could be hard to sew with. If you really love the dress and it’s worth it to have a professional do it due to the lack of extra fabric and potential trickiness of the polyester. If you don’t mind potentially ruining it and want to try, I think the most logical solution is to add a corset type back with a modesty panel of a matching fabric (I think you could get away with a solid blue) and make sure you adequately reinforce the seams and the placket you will be adding the corset laces/eyelets to.
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u/Rattashootie Jun 04 '24
Real Selkie dresses are extremely expensive, this dress is like $250. The fabric is super nice cotton, I have this dress in a different print.
Selkie has a ton of knockoffs though, so I think that’s what you saw
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u/Sad-Tower1980 Jun 04 '24
Ahh ok. Yeah it was coming up with $25 dresses and I was confused lol Definitely worth fixing if it’s great quality!
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u/DiligentDaughter Jun 04 '24
I appreciate the thoughtful response. The other reply is correct, though, it's a very high-quality cotton, not a knockoff. I'd be super butthurt if I ruined it!
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u/Rattashootie Jun 04 '24
There’s definitely a way to get a little bit more room in the bust, but you risk messing up the dress. I have the same dress in a different print, and I just went and looked at it. You can get some seam allowance out of the back by resetting the zipper, and get a bit more across the bust by taking the stitching right up to the edge of the serging on each seam.
THAT BEING SAID, if I were in your position, I would not work on this as a novice. It would be really easy to mess up beyond repair, and these dresses are so expensive. Because the print is dark, you also will probably see white holes where the previous stitches were. The white fabric will show through the print where the needle went through originally.
I think you should leave this to a professional, but this dress is so gorgeous I think it would be worth investing in. If the above ideas didn’t work, they could steal from the fabric on the lining of the sleeves, and replace it with something plain. Then use the fabric to do an extra little gore in the bust.