Everyone remembers Julie Andrews as Maria turning curtains into dresses, but one woman has gone a step further by pulling the Sound of Music style hack in real-life.
But forget old drapes, Natalie Zielke’s homeware of choice was a doona – a $14 Kmart doona, to be specific.
“The idea literally came from being in Kmart one day and seeing a doona cover that I thought would be really fun as a dress,” the 28 year old told Mamamia.
The result is an incredible, brightly coloured, one-of-a-kind dress.
The Queenslander shared her creation on the Kmart Hacks Facebook page and quickly racked up thousands of likes and admiring comments.
"Holy crap this is the best thing I've seen on the internet!," wrote one follower, while another added, "Looks like it could be a Gorman creation!"
Zielke says it took her about a day to create the dress, which the avid race goer and 'fashions on the field enthusiast' wore to the Gold Coast Magic Millions race day over the weekend.
Image: Supplied/Natalie Zielke
"I did it in dribs and drabs outside of my full time job [as a telco analyst]. This is just a hobby of mine, but sitting in an office all day, I really enjoy hobbies that let me be creative," she says.
"I cut the pattern out one morning over the Christmas break, then I sewed it each night of the week when I got home from work."
She says this particular style of dress required two doona covers because of the shape of the panelling in the skirt and to ensure the pattern matched up all the way round.
Listen:We’re obsessed with this instagram account that shows fierce, fab, man-repelling outfits. Post continues after audio.
"So it was $28 for the two covers (of which I still have heaps of offcuts leftover to use on other fun things) and the Pom Pom trim was from Spotlight, with three rolls worth about $10 I think."
Not bad for a $38 dress.
The Bachelor's Nikki Gogan is another of our Spring Racing favourites. (Post continues after gallery.)
Zielke also made the turban - millinery is another of her hobbies - and pom pom earrings herself.
"This is not my usual 'out there' kind of style, but making and wearing this particular dress really did teach me just to have fun and own it!" she says.
"It gives a girl great confidence knowing there will be not one other person in the same outfit as you. What better way to do that than make something yourself?"
Even more impressive, the 28-year-old has learned through 'trial and error'.
"I'm sure I do things completely the wrong way because I am mostly self taught through trial and error and have had a little help from my mum... most of the time I just fluke it though," she says.
It's also not the first time Zielke has whipped up a 'doona dress'.
A photo posted by The Everyday Mums (@theeverydaymums) on
Last year, she turned a Kmart Miles Quilt cover into a race day dress to wear to a Melbourne Cup day event in Toowoomba last year. She placed runner up.
She also transformed a Spotlight doona cover for a breast cancer race day, complete with a pink ribbon headpiece.
Her tip is to find what works for you.
"You'd probably notice these three dresses are all the same style with just a few neckline adjustments and that's because I worked out a style that suited me and I just stayed with it," she says.
Image: Supplied/Natalie Zielke
"All three completely different looking dresses though!"
Needless to say, the reactions have been extremely positive.
"I love people's reactions when they realise the possibility of these things if you think outside the square a little and see something for what it can be," she says.
"Since posting the photo, I have seen a lot of comments along the lines of 'Oh the possibilities', which is great. I think it's going to make a lot of people start seeing doona covers differently now."
We agree.
