I bought this dress at Forever21 a couple years ago and wore it a few times then washed it. Well, thank you F21 for selling such good quality clothing…not. The shirred bodice started to unravel. I wore it again at Easter but rolled the bodice down and covered it with a wide belt. It worked but was hard to recreate.
Here’s a photo where you can see it a bit.
I really love the colors and pattern of the skirt so getting rid of it was hard. I almost did it a few times.
Last week I was on a “make it work” kick (thank you Tim Gunn). I had a day of mending, sewing on buttons and finishing up a project from April so I could start on new projects. Turning this dress into a skirt was on my list and it was super easy. The days Project Runway is on also motivates me for some reason too…..
It actually wasn’t that flattering as a dress. The bodice was too small and the length was odd on me. It also didn’t stay up too well – my problem with a lot of strapless things.
I chose a point and went to town with a pair of scissors.
The narrow band of elastic at the base of the bodice, I used as the new waistband elastic. Score. I thought I was going to have to put in elastic for the waistband.
I then folded the remaining section of the bodice down over the elastic and stitched in place. It’s not the most finished or perfect waistband but I figured I’d be wearing a belt or cardigan over it anyway.
Finished! I put it on so you could see better how it looked.
It’s much longer now and will be great with sandals now or flats when it cools down a bit more. Yay! I love maxi skirts. They are my go to when I don’t want to shave and don’t want to wear pants. Haha!
Next up to ReFashion is a t-shirt from H&M that is too small in the shoulders.
Elizabeth Hafner 