Hi everyone,
I sent Susette’s ex-husband an email last night and shared my blog post the day I shared about Susette with all of you. I included the comments you had made and he was touched. He forwarded it to his daughter-in-laws and I just received the sweetest note from Riya, Susette’s granddaughter. She’s not as little as she is in that picture with her brother, but she’s a beautiful young lady… and I thought I’d share it with you.
Riya Willhite
October 20, 2025 at 4:22 PM
Hi! I’m Riya, Susette’s granddaughter. My mom just sent this to me and I’m so happy to see that people care about her just as much as I do. Nana talked about you all the time and every time I told her something, she’d immediately tell me how excited she was to tell her friends. Thank you so much for making sure my nana was never lonely, I appreciate it more than you can imagine. I’ll miss her so much, and I’m so sorry you also lost one of your dear friends.
Best wishes 🙂
Hi everyone,
Well, what I made wasn’t “entirely” sewn by me, but the alterations I did to it might certainly qualify for “being made by me! I decided “AFTER” I had gotten started on altering the dress, that this might make a fun blog post… so that’s why some pictures are mine and some are from the internet.
Last week I found this pretty dress at the Goodwill with the tag still on it… It was a very beautiful rayon crinkle (kind of gauzy like) dress that I loved, but I didn’t love the style… This is the picture of the dress that was on the tag… oh yeah…it was brand new… never worn… retailed for $72.00 and I got it for $6.16! SCORE! :o)
This is a close up picture of the dress fabric… it’s perfect Fall colors.
It has navy shirring in the middle of the dress all around the waist. My picture looks black but it’s navy blue.
I Googled it to see if I could find any more pictures of it and I found some… it even came in different colors.
I’ll try my best to describe it. It was a halter style dress, where the armholes were still there but cut WAY out and there was only about 2 inches, if that much, of fabric between the neck ruffle to the edge of the armhole. It had a bias strip from the same fabric around the armholes… Let me show you a few pictures of that…
The neckline had a small ruffle around it with a drawstring that tied in front and had 2 navy tassels that could be tied in a bow or left to just hang. There was a cut out keyhole neck opening. I put a piece of white paper between the dress neckline so you could see it a little better…
The dress had several vertical rows of different fabrics… each one coming to a point and having 6 points to the dress… then the bottom of the dress had a ruffle stitched up and down and up and down around the point, then up and down and up and down again… sort of like in this picture…
Okay, so I think you get the idea of the dress…it’s probably considered a BoHo dress… (Bohemian) and I love that style. Here’s what I didn’t like about the dress… I’m not into handkerchief hems on dresses, and fortunately this one was long and the points almost touched the floor. So, I decided I could take the yards and yards of ruffle off from around the points and use that for something else… (You’ll see in a minute!) It took quite a while to pick out all those stitches in navy blue. It was tedious as I didn’t want to cut a hole in the already soft fabric. When I got all the ruffle removed, I just had a dress with points now…
I laid the dress on my bed, all spread out and chalked a line from point to point to point, all around the dress and curved it so it a hem I could live with. I cut the dress off… or rather I cut the POINTS off. Then I took that ruffle I had removed and I carefully sewed it to the bottom edge of the dress. I didn’t ruffle it as I sewed it on, I just did it like this… It was hemmed with a serger and with it being navy, no one will ever know it’s not finished with a rolled hem.
I had about 2 yards left of the navy ruffle and 6 pointed pieces that had been cut off… So I took those 6 pieces and turned them like this… and stitched them together… and used just a bit of the navy ruffle fabric to make it a little bit wider. I hope you can tell what I mean…
This is the inside….
This is how they look on the outside…
I bet Charlotte knows where I’m going with this…
I cut out a sleeve from each 3 pieced together triangles of fabric I’d made…
I took off the bias edge on the sleeve and was able to extend the shoulder width about 1/2″ or so… then I sat the sleeves in without any gathers… then I folded the long pieces from the ruffle in half and pressed them flat… I made sure they were the same width all the way the full length of them, used my ruffler to gather them up evenly and then added the ruffle to the edge of the sleeve… thus creating a sleeve from my points and ruffle! :o)
I laid the dress on my bed, so you could see it now, all finished and worn yesterday! I love it and got 2 compliments on it before I even got to my seat! YAY!
So that’s my alteration job and how I turned a dress I didn’t care for too much into one I REALLY LOVE!
I’ll see you tomorrow… maybe…
Blessings, Jeanne
Riya’s note is so sweet and thoughtful. I know Susette would have been proud of her for doing that.
Ah, yes….I did figure you were going to get sleeves out of that fabric, one way or another!! and really, the finished dress is pretty that way. (I am so not a fan of uneven hems. Not a good look on someone who is short, anyway.) By the way, the skirt looks to have godets (the little print) between the gores (the big print), for those who might want to know what that style is called. Good save on the dress, Jeanne!
In reference to yesterday’s talk about cell phones, I’ve had one for many years, but mine is the simplest flip phone. I wish LG still made them–they were so easy to use! The kind I have now (by Kai) is so difficult to try to enter a name in the directory, much less try to write a text (I have so far written ONE. That was enough!). I get fed up with all these companies assuming you have a smart phone and/or want text messages. Not for me, thanks!!
Oh, that note from Riya just warms my heart! It is so comforting to know that she is caring and thoughtful, just like her Nana! Yes, she is not so little anymore, but a beautiful young woman of 16 now! It is so nice to know that she is just as beautiful inside as out!
Oh, I love those Boho dresses, Jeanne, but you do have to be tall to look good in some of them, especially with that type of hemline. Your Rebecca would fit the bill! You did the right thing to add sleeves. I would do that too, and do not wear sleeveless anything anymore! You certainly did get a bargain there, and where is the picture of you wearing it? That would make my day!
Oh my, Riya’s note is so touching. I am so glad you connected with Susette’s ex hubb, and that he related our thoughts and sympathies to family.
This just makes my heart so happy.
The dress, wow, what a great bargain on a beautiful dress. I do love the fabric.
This dress certainly did need “refashioning” and you did it. I love the sleeves
and the hem is now really nice. Well done project!
Happy Tuesday everyone. I hope the week is moving in a good direction for all of you. I have been sewing and working on my “Under The Maple Tree” quilt. You can look at a chat “thread” here…. I think: https://substack.com/chat/3289560. So far, I have been keeping up.
Today I would love to stay inside and sew, but I think I am going to check out the new Target built very near our new house. Perhaps if I leave early enough I can come home and sew…. or maybe sew a little and go out after lunch!
Hmmmm have a productive day dear ones
That was exactly what Susette’s grand would do. A wonderful sweet note to us. Such a loss for Susette’s family and all of us as well.
As to “the dress”, when I first saw it, I immediately thought: It needs sleeves and it way too long. And what does Jeanne do, but cut it off beautifully and add some sleeves. Kind of like Tinkerbell and her magic wand! Poof! And there is the new wowser of a dress. And all for $6.16. I can certainly see why she received compliments. Good job, Jeanne!
Well, yesterday, we headed up to Home Depot and found that tool that is supposed to work with a driver on angles. Maybe we’ll find out today if it actually works, although, the sun will be fierce until around 3:00. Other person was looking at screw lengths, so I, quickly bored, decided to head to Halloween and see if anything new had arrived. As I walked by the paint department, there was our neighbor talking to the paint guy. We’ve been discussing what color of white to paint his house interior. He had a handful of chips and was getting another opinion. Behr Simply White looks good. Anyway, we finally got out of there, picked up Taco Bell, and headed home. Later, in the shade, I managed to fill the end of another bad board with Bondo, so early this morning, I’m grabbing the paint bucket and after some sanding, get that spot painted so we can replace the missing deck board. I can’t wait to get that hole that drops down ten feet to the concrete filled back in. 🙂
I did get back to weeding and filled a bucket out in front from the planter. Discovered that some horrid crabgrass has decided to move in there. Lots more work to do around here.
Congrats to Jeanne, on the dress sale and take care.
Dear Jeanne, thanks for sharing Riya’s note. How wonderful that she was able to send a message to us here on the Sofa.
I like how you transformed the dress. I think your version is prettier.
Per your comment of yesterday. Yes my friend and her hubby will be seeing Andrew Wyeth’s artwork. Also, explain please your comment about one of his pictures inspiring your play.
Dear Barbara, okay, more later.
Hi Dorothy, I love Andrew Wyeth’s work. My favorite is Christina’s World. I also like N.C. Wyeth’s (his father) works. My daughter has the books of Robin Hood and Treasure Island illustrated by him (Gifts from her grandfather)..
I, too, am curious which painting inspired your play?
Dear Laura, hello. I will elaborate. I will ask Jeanne to share my email address with you.
Testing
I tried resubscribing, but there was no indication that it worked, but the test worked, so maybe…
Oh, good news Marilyn!
I ran to the PO this morning and back home now… I was going to email you to see if YOU were okay… I don’t like it when I don’t hear from my regulars!!!
I hope it works this time…
I might check my mail chimp stats and see that it has gone through okay.
What a sweet and thoughtful note from Riya. So nice that she and her family could see our comments and especially Dorothy in PA’s heartfelt poem.
You did a lovely save on the dress, Jeanne, and what a deal.
Hi Marilyn!
That lovely note from Riya brought tears to my eyes. Since Susette’s death was so sudden I’m sure they’re still in shock. I know Susette would be so proud of her for doing this.
Wow!! I love your new dress. I don’t like the uneven hems either and what you did is definitely an improvement. And I love the sleeves. I too want to see a picture of it on you.
This alteration/renovation reminded me of the movie “Summer Magic” with Hailey Mills and Deborah Walley. Walley’s character always had lovely dresses she made from patterns from Paris. Mills dresses were very babyfied. In one scene they are going to a dance and Walley is horrified by the dress Mills shows up in so she (Walley) takes Mill’s dress and pretty much disassembles it and comes out with something very lovely and much more fitting to her age. It’s a great movie.
Still hot here. Looks like not much fall for us this year. Or maybe we’ll have no winter and have Fall weather instead. Yesterday I was watching the weather and they gave the record highs and lows. Yesterday in 1989 the high was 32 degrees. Crazy place to live.
Summer Magic was one of my favorite movies as a young girl! I haven’t heard mention of that movie in years and years! One of my AMC dolls was like Hailey Mills, who also was in the movie, Pollyanna. Jeannie actually made me a Pollyanna outfit for that doll.
Back from the pool and the brand new Publix grocery store. Wow, it takes almost an hour to see it all. This is near the YMCA where we go and we have 35 miles one way to get there so we won’t be going there but twice a week, LOL.
Such a dear note from Susette’s sweet granddaughter. I am so glad her family has been told about her how much she has meant to her sofa friends.
About cell phones, to each his own. We use ours a lot! For instance, when we go to the grocery store we each take our phone and our list and each take a buggy. When one of us it through, we text or call the other to let us know we are through and waiting up front, a lot easier to call than walk all over the store looking for each other. If I am selling any doll or clothes on FB the buyer uses my messenger and it calls my phone. Yesterday, our neighbor came to the house to ask for help. Her husband died that morning, he has been very ill. She came because her home phone was not working. Her husband had a cell phone but she has never used it and won’t. So here is no way she can call anyone and the home phone won’t be fixed until tomorrow. So, cell phones can be very helpful.
We called our priest and also my friend’s sister so people are coming.
Jeanne, you continue to amaze. I would not have given that dress a second look, but you made it into a lovely perfection. Please take a photo of you wearing it! I wish the former owner could see it on you! She would be so amazed too.!!
What a beautiful, thoughtful letter Riya wrote to you and our sofa girls. Susette would be proud if her.
And Jeanne, you did your magic on
that dress! We definitely want to see you in it. Amazing transformation!
Another great sewing tutorial Jeanne. Thankyou. Glad you made time to do something for yourself🤩