I made this dress in 2016 when I'd just changed jobs and lost 35lbs. I was really into maxi dresses because I couldn't wear them at my previous job. I was also still trying to get used to the fact that I could wear jeans to work. It was a culture shock to go from totally professional dressing to wearing whatever I felt like...so I gently slid into the whatever I want...meaning that I was a little overdressed my first year at the job.
![]()
When making this dress even though I'd washed both fabrics separately before I used them, I'd never washed the two together. This is what happened when I washed them as the maxi dress...
![]()
![]()
At first I thought I would be able to shout or bleach out the stains so it sat waiting for me to do that. It sat for over a year. Sometime earlier this spring I started to think I should just take it apart and make a maxi skirt. I finally did that.
It was easy to rip apart as I watched TV. In the meantime, I've added another one of these maxi dresses in these fabrications to my "To Sew" list. Hopefully that match will fare better.
To make this a maxi skirt ~
- I added the skirt portion to a 2" wide black elastic cut a couple inches shorter than my waistline
- I purposely did not iron the skirt before pinning it to the elastic.
- Since the top was already gathered, it made it easier to pin the gathered fabric to the elastic.
- I added one line of stitching at 5/8" and then again at 1/4" to secure it.
- Because it was already hemmed, once the elastic was attached, the skirt was done.
A few pictures ~
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
It only took a couple of hours to add a new skirt to my closet. This summer I'm concentrating on adding more maxi skirts, maxi dresses and wide legged pants to my wardrobe. I've accumulated so many maxi dress patterns over the years that I'd like to challenge myself by actually sewing a few of them!
...as always more later!
-
When making this dress even though I'd washed both fabrics separately before I used them, I'd never washed the two together. This is what happened when I washed them as the maxi dress...
At first I thought I would be able to shout or bleach out the stains so it sat waiting for me to do that. It sat for over a year. Sometime earlier this spring I started to think I should just take it apart and make a maxi skirt. I finally did that.
It was easy to rip apart as I watched TV. In the meantime, I've added another one of these maxi dresses in these fabrications to my "To Sew" list. Hopefully that match will fare better.
To make this a maxi skirt ~
- I added the skirt portion to a 2" wide black elastic cut a couple inches shorter than my waistline
- I purposely did not iron the skirt before pinning it to the elastic.
- Since the top was already gathered, it made it easier to pin the gathered fabric to the elastic.
- I added one line of stitching at 5/8" and then again at 1/4" to secure it.
- Because it was already hemmed, once the elastic was attached, the skirt was done.
A few pictures ~
It only took a couple of hours to add a new skirt to my closet. This summer I'm concentrating on adding more maxi skirts, maxi dresses and wide legged pants to my wardrobe. I've accumulated so many maxi dress patterns over the years that I'd like to challenge myself by actually sewing a few of them!
...as always more later!
-