50’s Skirt Adventure #6 – DIY Dress Transformation [Top + Skirt]

After seeing so many DIY transformations all over the internet, I figured it was time I gave it a go myself 🙂

The original dress was given to me by a friend who was clearing out her wardrobe at the time (score!). Even though the dress was too large for me she figured I could do something with it since the fabric was so pretty and it would be a waste not to try!

As seen on the runway over the last year, there have been many crop tops with matching 50’s skirts, so here is a simple tutorial to split the dress into a two piece.

Tools:

• Dress
• Sewing Machine
• Zipper

Tutorial:

1. Remove the zip from the dress.

2. Pick out the seams where you can separate the top and the skirt

I separated the skirt into two parts so that I could make a mini and use the other part as the waistband.

3. Make the skirt

• Gather the top of the skirt to fit your waist
• Make a opening in the skirt
• Add the waistband as shown in my previous projects
• Add invisible zip (I took this from the original dress)
• Finish off the waistband

4. Make the top

• Sew up opening (don’t need a zip as the back is shirred and stretchy)
• Bind the bottom with additional fabric (done similarly to a waistband – but is upside down)
• You can also choose to simply hem the bottom if you wanted

 

Top and bottom done!

LOve <3

PQP

P.S. I recently got my hands onto a heap of second hand shirts so there will be a few more transformations coming 😉