National Swap Day scores!

Look what the weather was like in Melbourne yesterday.* 30 degrees in the city!! Perfect for some backyard cavorting and capturing what I got at National Swap Day last week.

Here’s a more objective look at my favourite find. I’m wearing it back to front because it doesn’t have any bust shaping and the open neckline (it closes with a button at the back) looks better at the front.

I’m wondering if it needs any fiddling… I’m thinking of adding long cords with tassels to the front lapels and bunching the sleeves up a bit as these bracelet length sleeves don’t really do much for me. The length is also a bit strange – should I cut it to knee length or add some different material to make it longer?

Kyra called it “the Kandinsky dress”, and having all those thoughts about altering it, it does feel sort of like a work of art in progress. The pattern is gorgeous but the colours are a bit washed out, so I’m also thinking I could go over some of the squares with fabric marker to make them more intense.


I do love the flared effect around the hem though … it looks so pretty swirling around the ankles… hmmm… what to do…

Meanwhile, here are two more scores which are also going to need some work… I would never wear them together normally but for the purposes of efficiency here they are in the one shot. Crazy red and gold frilled synthetic shirt (WAY too hot to wear on a 30-degree day) and long pale grey skirt.

I only have to adjust the shirt to make it more my size, as there’s not much I could add to it (it’s just SLIGHTLY over the top already). The skirt needs to be taken in a little bit around the hips and I think I’ll add a huge brightly coloured ruffle to the hem from about the knees down. That’s the plan at this stage, anyway. Or do you have another idea?

I also got a necklace, but I’m going to show you that in another post because (surprise, surprise) I fiddled with it, and it could actually be handy for you to see the results.

And finally, the only things I bought which I don’t have to fiddle with…

Practically BRAND NEW sandals from Zomp (I know this as they came with the box and receipt!!). Pretty happy about that!

*It’s Melbourne. So today it’s 17 degrees and raining. Surprise, surprise.