Maxi dress to HiLo skirt

I've been meaning to take the scissors to one of my 2 maxi dresses made before our move/voyage out to the West for a while now and this morning I finally did it! The maxi dress I refashioned was unblogged, but basically I made it almost the same way as the first version.

It was a pretty simple refashion, turning the maxi dress into a HiLo/mullet skirt. The fabric of the maxi dress is a pretty heavy but luxuriously soft-to-the-touch knit. I bought it from FabricMart, but since I am no longer able to check my order history (or I don't know how to on the new site) I would have to guess that it's a modal knit Kelly green, or organic something Kelly green knit.

Because I made the maxi dress 2 layers (way shorter on the inside but enough to not have to worry that it's see-through), it added to the weight of the dress and I ended up having to always adjust it. Also, in the summer heat made the dress less wearable than I would have liked. Now that fall won't be too long away (I hope), cutting it into skirt will ensure wear-ability factor for me. Inside view ---------------------->

There's no sewing involved. I just needed some sort of ruler/curved ruler, chalk, pin and scissors.

I put on the maxi dress as a skirt and mark the length of the skirt I want. It was a bit tough doing it on my own, it will be easier if you have somebody mark it on you while you are standing straight. However, it can be done of course. So I made a small mark on the center back on how long I want it there (I want it to reach the floor when I wear my boots. And I marked the center front part, where I want it to fall just under my knee. (in the future I might even cut it to over my knee, but for now this is okay).

Lay the dress on flat surface with the center front on one side of the fold and the center back at the other side like the picture above.

Use your sewing chalk or whatever marking tool you wish and draw your curves.

Pin the folded dress together so that when you make the cut it won't move (you can also pin before you mark on the fabric).

Cut!

All done!

 

I plan to wear it with my boots.

I feel pretty!

This is the Memorial Day weekend ( a 3-day weekend) where Americans remember and honor those in service and those who has fallen while in service. For many, this is the time where families get together enjoying summer, or go on mini vacations. For us, this is our last weekend here in Iowa... 

Last night, instead of packing, the hubs played on his new computer game, the Bean played around and demanding Caillou, while I sewed me a maxi dress. In one night!

A while back I saw Erica B wearing one on her blog and checked out her link to Mimi G's maxi dress tutorial. I figured that since we will be traveling I will need something comfy yet cute to wear that I should try to make one.

Found that it is super easy to make, even for a slow sewist like me :) Left out the waist tie on mine since I suspect it will really highlight that I do look 6-mths pregnant (which I am not-pregnant that is). But might wear it with a belt some time under a jacket, lol...

Fabric: Hot Cha Cha Knit (that's what it's listed as at Gorgeous Fabrics :) ) It's black with metallic stripes (gold, blue and red). It's light, initially intended for a cardigan wrap, but since I don't have the pattern for one yet, might as well. I used up all 2 yards of it (sew a tube and then folded in as a self lining - basically i have a very short dress as lining)

Since it's our last weekend here (and since the peeps are showing our apartment 9 am - 1pm!) we went to the farmer's market (had yummy yummy breakfast burrito and argentinian empanadas), then off to my fave thrift store for a last hurrah, then back to the farmer's market to get snacks, then off to the park for the Bean to chase the ducks around before heading home at 1. The maxi dress wears well, very comfy, and I feel pretty! Those are hard to achieve in one outfit usually (in my case), so I say this is a win. I will definitely make a couple more. My location pics look horrid, so had to recreate the look here on our deck :)

Just had to get something from the thrift store....

An orange cotton tshirt that I am going to refashion, a mocha colored knit fabric that I might turn into another maxi dress or skirt?, some buttons, a lovely pin, and a cute bracelet....

 ... that says,"Truly fabulous people never get dressed before lunchtime..." or something like that :)

Have a great weekend!

MMM'12 Week 2 Recap

Here are pics of what I wore for week 2 of Me-Made-May 2012:

 

Click this to read re my MMM'12 pledge.

More MMM'12 group pictures on Flickr.

My Fuchsia Exposed Zipper Dress: M6395

I cut this pattern McCall's M6395 a couple of months ago, but only started working on it this week. I thought that the adjustment I made was not enough just looking at it (I cut pattern 16 and added inches from waist onwards), so I added another inch here and there. This morning when I put it on, I felt that it's too roomy. I like roomy clothes, but this one was too much. So I taken an inch from the sides, and then sew down the neck facings and press. The sleeves were also roomy, but that was the pattern as is. 

I think it's done and I'm happy with this version, even though I think I could've cut size 14 or 12 on the shoulders, and 14 on the bust for knits. And a smaller width for the neck... No.. I am HAPPY with this version..... Happy.... (keep on chanting that to myself...)

 I am loving the color. Fuchsia.

Fabric: Sophia ponte knit (double knit) from Vogue Fabrics.

Notions: Jeans zippers (One 9" cut to 7", and 2 5" zippers) and 1/2" wide black polyester twill tape from Joann's.

 

Looking at the pattern sleeves for this version (View B, which is the red dress in pic on top), it did not show that there's twill tape sewn on the wrists, however the instructions include that. So I also added that on mine.

The pattern calls for a full sleeves lining, but I omit that and in it's place added some sort of a facing instead using lining material which was taken off from a jacket that I refashioned into a lining for my suede cape project.

I'm holding off wearing it for now. Saving it for my birthday (in case I didn't get around making other stuff) which is in a week plus.