wardrobe refashion: red linen skirt

So, what was I doing Friday evening instead of writing a blog post? Sewing! Unfortunately, I didn’t finish until it was too dark to take pictures. But to make up for it, I’ve got a before pic for this one!

red linen skirt

Another long skirt — this one I originally bought to use for tote bags. That was before I started refashioning. But there were a few nit picky things that bugged me about it, so I had to weigh my options.

Pros

  • Pockets!
  • Beautiful red color.
  • Linen/rayon blend.

Cons

  • Really wide elastic waistband.
  • Drawstring.
  • Faux zipper flap. (Seriously? What the heck?)

red linen skirt

I figured I could fix two out of three and live with the wide elastic, so out came the scissors! First I cut about 10 inches off the bottom and finished it with a 1/2 inch double hem. I removed the drawstring and closed up the holes with a slip stitch. Then I tacked down that weird faux zipper flap with a slip stitch, too.

red linen skirt

This skirt comes with a bonus matching top. I plan on using the leftover fabric from the skirt to make this a little longer. I think it might also need some shaping. Any other suggestions?

thrifted: Both of these were garage sale finds. I think it’s kind of funny that I bought them to make totes and now I’m going to wear them!

4 Replies to “wardrobe refashion: red linen skirt”

  1. Hoping you’ll do a yoga waistband one of these days — a little bit of cotton/lycra fabric and bam! no more too-wide elastic waists.

    Will you need to do more of an empire waist for the shirt? I’m not really “seeing” how else to lengthen this. Ohhhh, or you could totally make it a button front! Maybe add short sleeves….You’ve got plenty of fabric from the skirt to work with!

  2. great work. I am just going to brainstorm here:

    For the top – I’m liking the small vertical ruffles near the neckline I’ve been seeing on tops.

    Or maybe – I don’t know how it fits you – but a wrap/crossover could be flattering – or at least hanging the neckline to be deeper or a V-neck.

    To add length – you could add layered folds at the bottom – think ruffles, but without adding any gather/extra width. Sort of like horizontal pleats?

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