Too Small Dress into High Waisted Skirt

Bob Marley Dress by HealingHeartDesignCo

I bought this originally from HealingHeartDesignCo on Etsy. It was a dress that honored Bob Marley, and I had to have it. The thing is, it was like three sizes too small! LOL! I knew I would be altering it, and I wanted to support a fellow seamstress. So I got the dress and it was hung up on my clothing rack all summer.

Now fall is here, and I finally felt ready to alter this dress. I decided to cut off the top and focus on the skirt. I mean, the reggae colors have me in little hippie heaven. My husband says this skirt reminds him of a Japanese OBI. I love that so much!!

I had a leftover piece of striped knit fabric from a t shirt dress I hemmed this summer. I used that fabric for the skirting, and added it in as a panel to make the skirt fit. I measured my waist, and then measured the fabric and skirting, to be sure it would fit alright. Then I cut along the edge of one of the stripes in the skirting, and added in the panel.

Next I got out two wide strips of fleece in a bright yellow! Using fleece for the waistband makes the skirt a bit warmer for the cool months, and I love how soft and touchable it looks. The strips were slightly too long, and about ten to twelve inches wide. With right sides together, I attached the waistband to the skirt, starting at the side seam. I left about a half inch free at the start of the seam, and sewed all the way around. I stopped sewing about two inches before I got back to the start. And sewed the ends together. Then I finished the seam.

altered skirt by Kat Sturges