Repurposed Skirt Into Toddler Dress

Time spent in front of my sewing machine is one of my rewards for having other mundane household tasks done. I usually can't be creative if I know my closet is disorganized or towels need to be folded. ( You too?) Yesterday was just the opposite. My house was chaos and I retreated to a small safe spot to spend some time crafting with needle and thread. I had been dreaming of refashioning a couple of my skirts into dresses for the girls. They came together in minutes with no measuring and imperfect stitching so I thought I would share it with you.

For the dress, I chose a skirt that zipped on the side so with no elastic it's still easy to slip on and off over her head. It is a great light fabric, perfect for summer days on the farm. Bonus: it may be the one thing she has that isn't sickeningly pink!

I turned the skirt inside out and slipped it up under her arms, pinched it so it fit snug but not too tight and marked the fit with a pin.

Remember you want the zipper to be on the final dress! With one long crooked stitch, I sewed from the pin at the top diagonal to the bottom.

Then I cut off the other portion and turned it right side out. The straps were made by cutting some of the left over skirt into strips. I folded and pressed each edge into the middle and then folded the strip in half and top stitched. So simple, no measuring!

(Sigh. Photo upside down. Oh blogger, why do you hate me?)

The two front straps are stitched to the dress about 2 inches from each side seam. Erica suggested that I have it come to a V in the back in the middle so the straps wouldn't slip off her tiny shoulders. Great idea!

I love the final! She couldn't wait to model it for me.

And I'm happy to say it survived all the typical country life activities of the day too: trampolining, picking "roses" (dead weeds from last fall), and carving letters into the mud. That's my girl!

It also looks darling with her mud boots!

Of course I had to make a similar one for her younger sister...

I ripped the skirt to get the length for the new dress but didn't hem. I like the unfinished edge. Torn strips of fabric became basic double straps tied at the shoulder. Incredibly simple but still so sweet!

They are going to look lovely wandering the garden this summer.

And so will I. Remember this skirt I made myself...

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It's Blog Hop! Thanks for visiting and much thanks to Dandelion House for getting us all together. Be sure to check here for more farm girls doing their stuff.

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We are still looking for more suggestions for Two Blue House recipe make-overs. Tell us a dish that you always wished was a bit healthier or made with wholesome ingredients. We will do the experimenting (and all the dishes that generates) and you just get a great recipe with perfect results the first time! Sound good? We think so! Leave a comment with your suggestion and we will pick one to feature on our "Good Food Friday" post. Good luck!