75 cent Peek-A-Boo Back Dress

I'm always on the lookout for a new thrift store to explore.  On Labor Day, dear hubby and I were driving through Clearwater when I spotted a church thrift store on the other side of the road.  Out of the kindness of his heart, he made a U-turn so I could check it out!  On that particular day, they were having a 75% off everything sale!  You just can't beat that deal.

I picked up this little number for about 75 cents!  I really liked the pattern and the pleated bottom.  But, it was shapeless and needed to be revitalized!

There are three simple things to make any dress better:
1) Remove the sleeves
2) Shorten the hem
3) Take in the sides

After you do those three things, try on your dress every which way...backwards, upside down, sideways.  This particular dress had buttons down the front.  I decided to wear my dress backwards and make it a backless dress.

The fabric was a light polyester which frayed quite a bit.  I don't have a serger, but a simple zig-zag stitch works to tame those raw edges.

I chopped off the top of the dress and made a casing in the front and two casings in the back.

After I shortened the hem, I used the leftover scrap fabric to make a thick band.  I slid the band through the casings and sewed it closed.

 What can you buy for 75 cents that is cooler than this dress?