And Sew On: Women's Skirt to Girl's Dress Refashion

March 02, 2011

Women's Skirt to Girl's Dress Refashion

Not too long ago I bought this skirt at The Salvation Army for $4, with a mind to turning it into a dress for Audrey:

The skirt is (was) size 2, with pleats and lining. Pretty quickly it became this:

This was my first skirt refashion, and I think it turned out beautifully. I think this is my favourite dress so far. Here's a quick overview of the steps:

1. I turned the dress inside out and had Audrey hold it in place with the zipper in the back, then I pinned down the sides, letting the skirt flare out a bit past the waist.

2. I used my rotary cutter and grid ruler to cut away the excess fabric, allowing about 1/2" on either side. (I should have left about an 1", because the dress was too tight, and I had to pick apart the stitches and sew it again with a REALLY skinny seam. Live and learn.)

3. I used some of the scraps to create the straps. I took three inch strips, ironed them with right sides together, sewed up the long side of each one, then flipped them right side out. Then I pinned them on the dress while Audrey was wearing it. In the front, I put the straps on the outside, and added buttons as a false closure. In the back, I put them underneath, then attached them in a slight "V", because I find they don't slip off her shoulders that way.

4. The neckline ended up being a little low, so I added the ruffle. I made another strip like the straps, then I sewed it into a ruffle by folding the fabric up and over as it went through the machine. The I sewed it onto the dress:

I added white bias tape to the bottom, because I love that look.

Audrey loves her dress. She ended up wearing it to school with a long sleeved t-shirt and tights, and she told her teacher that her mommy made her dress. I'll have to teach her the word "refashion".