As you may remember, last weekend I made the Katherine Tilton dress, Butterick 5986. Here is the pic after I completed my alterations:
I love the details of the skirt, but I wasn't as happy with the trapeze shape of the loose-fitting dress. To address this, I had removed 2" from the CF seam. I then took two large tucks at the side waist, where a seam would be, if there were a seam.
After these alterations, the dress was ok, but I still didn't love it. It was very comfy, but I knew I would wear it only around the house. One problem is that I used a very "droopy" fabric, and the cowl neckline needs a fabric with a bit more body, so that it drapes, without drooping. But, in general, the dress just didn't feel like "me".
So I decided to chop it off and make it into a skirt.
But first, I removed the side tucks and put the dress back on for more pictures. (And WOW, is it a super comfy dress!) These next two pics show the dress, sewn from the envelope, in a size 16. The only alterations were the removal of 2" from the CF seam beginning from the bust, and tapering of the sleeve from the elbow to the hem.
Long ago, I made a "belt" made from 1" elastic which is handy in these sorts of situations.
I put it on and marked the dress with lots of pins.
I then used a Clover Chalk pen to draw the cutting line. I chopped it along the chalked line.
I measured the waist after cutting. It was 56", which is much larger than my actual waist. (Not surprising, since the pattern is marked as loose fitting.) Because the fabric was so drapey, I didn't bother removing fullness, but I added an elastic waistband.
Voila!
I LOVE this skirt!
It is comfy and edgy - two qualities I love in my clothing. I will get loads of wear out of this. In fact, DD1 is home for spring break - she attends university in Oregon which is a good 10 hour drive away. She brought a friend and the three of us are hanging out tomorrow. I think I'll wear my new skirt.
And, hopefully, I'll get a tiny bit more sewing in. I have a long todo list!
