Makeover

Shortly before Christmas, 2013, I sewed myself a skirt.  It was very simple: rectangles of lace and fabric, with an elastic technique I hadn't tried before.  I wore it to church, but I didn't like it.  The elastic idea was not suitable for this project.  I added a casing later, but I still wasn't happy with the skirt.

The experience was not wasted.  One reason I sewed the skirt that way was was that a friend had asked me to sew her daughter a tulle skirt along the same lines.  I learned some things, and the tulle skirt turned out much better.  It also looked much cuter on a 15-year-old than this did on me.  The red skirt languished in my closet until this week.

It was time for a makeover.  I decided to use a favorite old skirt pattern, Simplicity 9696.  (It's just a classic pencil skirt.  Why do these patterns go out of print?)  I updated the fit (using techniques I learned from this book), and cut it out of the old skirt, lining first.  I basted the lining, and had Dandelionslayer mark a hem line.  Then I removed the basting stitches, and used the markings to line up the pattern pieces on the lace.  I still wanted to use the border of the lace for the lower hem.  This resulted in the lace layer flaring a little more than the lining, but I like it this way. 

I found just the right zipper from Grandma O's stash, and finished it off.  This time I am happy with my new old skirt!