Girl Dresses out of a Woman's Skirt

When we were preparing for a family wedding in July, I was doing a lot of sewing for my girls, and came across this pretty rayon-wool one-button-on-the-pocket gathered skirt in a thrift store. I decided to cut it into a skirt for my youngest girl. I cut the gathered waistband off the skirt at the correct length for a little-girl skirt but wasn't sure what to do with the beautifully-patterned bottom of the skirt, so I put it aside.

Next I had to cut the gathered waistband to the correct width for my toddler girl's tummy. I decided to cut it off at the pocket so that she could have a pocket in her skirt. (Note: I wouldn't do this again: the pocket's really too large for her to really use!) When I was finished, I had one width of skirt about 8" across. Not sure what to do with it, I decided to fold it in half to see if I could make a bodice for a dress. Here it is below. Notice that the gathered top is so much more narrow than the full bottom. (Click on any photo to see the details.)
So, taking a gamble, I decided to see if having a narrow front piece and a wide back could make a succesful bodice. I narrowly hemed the sides of the skirt piece and joined them together at the bottom, leaving ample armholes. Then I carefully cut and hemmed a neckline with a keyhole snap closure at the back. It seemed to fit my daughter, so I reattached the lower part of the original skirt to make the bottom of the dress. It worked like a charm.
Though my original project of a toddler skirt: wasn't as successful (the toddler is wearing it in the boat picture in the post below: click on the photo to see it up close), the toddler dress was a dream! Another thrilling episode in the ongoing adventure of converting adult clothing to child-size wearables!

Comments

Sarah said…
That dress is adorable!
Anonymous said…
That is beautiful. Love the color. You did a great job. Roxie
sarah e. said…
Wow! What a beautiful little dress! I love the idea of making children's clothes out of cast-off adult clothes. (Now if only I knew how to sew!) Have you seen this toddler dress made from a man's button-down shirt? http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=170402.0
Leila said…
Wow, I really like how that turned out! It doesn't look too grown-up for her, as the original might make you think...it's the cutest little-girl dress, and I bet with a dark long-sleeve T or turtleneck it will serve her all through the winter!

{ A thought: Why don't you turn the dress inside out, sew the pocket to make it the size you want, and then just cut away the excess?}
Unknown said…
Great idea and beautiful work!
Cool, I net to try it too
Unknown said…
I love the dress! It's lovely! Well done Regina!
Mary said…
It's so beautiful on your daughter! I would buy a dress like that for my girls in an instant!
Kristyn Hall said…
Very cute... I wish I had a little girl to sew for. :)
Is the toddler in the "ship" picture wearing the original skirt little Polly? Time does fly!
amy said…
That is just darling!

Popular posts from this blog

Clothing Organization part 3: Detachment and Appreciation

What I do with Old Scapulars