Refashion: Polka Dot skirt to Tee

Simple gathered skirts are a great source of fabric for refashioning…

Once you remove the waistband lay the fabric flat, just look how much there is to play with…essentially a very wide tube of fabric…

To create this top I simply folded the tube in half…

When I have a slippery fabric like this (a very light drapey polycotton) I sometimes find it tricky to get a double fold. The under layer will slip and slide and flop about. To overcome this I fold over my metre rule which acts to butt the underneath fold right up against the outer fold. Then I gently slide the metre rule out again and place my pattern pretty sharpish, before the fold slips again!

I used the hemlock tee as a base pattern…

and extended the shoulder line to create a grown on sleeve. Exactly as I did here….and here…

cut out….

Pinned…

and sewed along the shoulder and side seams…

I hemmed the sleeves, bias faced the neckline and the hem is original to the skirt (so no sewing required there). I incorporated a couple of side slits in the hem for comfort and ease and I was done 🙂

Even though I’m not a skirt wearer, I’ll always check out the skirt rail in a charity shop. Look for simple skirts gathered into a simple waistband, in a fabric and print you love, and turn it into a cool and comfortable summer top 🙂