Denim Skirt Re-Invented

 

I have had this skirt for a too long, if you consider how many times I have actually worn it.  It might be that it is black (am not so keen on black) or it might be that the top stitching is baby-poo brown (do I really need a reminder?!)...or it could be that it hasn't fitted me in too many years.

It has been lurking in my cupboard with the view to maybe doing something with it - dungarees or dresses for the girls...skirt for me...patchwork cushions...I don't know - just Something.

Well, it has become a skirt - for me!  I hardly sew anything for myself.  It's just so much easier to sew for smaller bodies, with no curves, or bulges that need to be cunningly concealed.  It's also much, much cheaper to buy fabric for the girls.  Funny how smaller clothes need so much less fabric.

So, there it is!  This is the front view.  Doesn't look too bad.  Until I see myself in it.

This is the back, with the zip and slit.

To make the skirt, I chopped off the top part of the original skirt - with the zip and pockets.  I also chopped the side seams off, so that I had two pieces of fabric to cut the fronts and backs from.

I used a skirt that I had to get the general shape for this one - slightly A-line, but more pencil-ish.  I used a flat, curved waist band from a pattern that I had {although elastic waist bands can be comfortable, I really didn't feel like the extra bulk it would have given me with denim}.  I never wear my tops tucked in, so am not so concerned about the odd waist band colouring.  I kept the original slit, but chopped off the hem.

I also unpicked all of the icky baby-poo brown top stitching and re-stitched it with a deep red, to match the deep red zip.

The pretty floral fabric around the hem (and lining the waistband) was given to me by a lovely lady on our local Freecycle.  It is very narrow, but I have rather a few metres of it.  I cut the hem trim on the bias.  Probably not necessary, as the hem is pretty straight.  And folded it in half to stitch it on to the denim.  It is a lovely comfortable hem against my legs, especially when I sit - not at all hard like denim might have been.

If (more like 'when') I lose some baby related weight {Chloe is one this coming weekend.  I should really have lost weight, rather than gained by now!!!} the skirt will slip lower on my hips.  But, I think that the length and shape would still be just fine.

Oh...did you notice the pretty wall stickers on the first images?  Those are in Ava's bedroom.  Or what is left of them anyhow.  Note to self - stickers on a 2 or 3 year olds wall - not the best idea!!!!

This is what it looks like now.  I spent ages sticking these on during the last week before Chloe arrived.

This is how it originally looked...from here.  Lots of stickers mutilated and missing.

When both the girls have grown out of the I Love Stickers phase, we might consider replacing it.  But, for now, it keeps being re-arranged to at least look ok.