Dress to Skirt Re-fashion

This project was a pretty simple concept...but one I had never considered.  My girls were outgrowing some dresses I'd made them several years ago, and I just hated to part with something I had so painstakingly created once upon a time :).

Not only that, the girls really liked these colors and fabrics for fall.  The dresses being too short was the only problem.  One day it just hit me.  They'd make great (plenty long!) skirts.

This one is a jumper, so I simply cut off the bodice part.  Then I added some brown top stitching over the seams just to make it a little different than before.

Next, I rolled over the top about an inch and stitched it down (leaving a little part open), creating an elastic casing.  I measured how much elastic I would need on my daughter's waist and then threaded it through.  I used 3/4 inch elastic.

Then I stitched the elastic together and then stitched the opening closed.  I also like to stitch over the seam stitching on the top of the waistband (going through the elastic) on both side seams so that the elastic can't roll.  That's so annoying so when I am making the garment I make sure it can't happen!

And DONE!  A too short dress made a plenty long skirt.  We might even get another fall season or two out of this one.