An Uncommon Refashion

I have a difficult time getting rid of, or even altering, garments that I have made.  But a few months ago, I decided that it was time to let go of my full length linen/rayon blend hip hugging maxi skirt that I made in the late 1990s.  

The skirt actually got a fair amount of wear when it was first made, and I have a matching halter top around here somewhere.  But I haven't worn it in a long, long time.  I suffered through the super low-slung hip trend in the late 1990s and early Aughts.  It is not at all flattering to my figure, and a skirt with this silhouette always rotates on me as I wear it throughout the day, so that the side seams end up front and center.  I like my waistlines to sit at my waist, thank you very much.

I also had an idea that Simplicity 8019 might make a nice zip back skirt by eliminating the front opening.  I thought that the fabric would work as a wearable muslin, with the added benefit of reusing something that would otherwise languish unworn in the closet.  And I am always worried that if I donate something handmade (especially something like this skirt which looks like nothing when it's folded up) it's going to head straight to the garbage pile.

It was a tight squeeze, but I managed to cut all of the pieces out, even if I had to shorten the skirt slightly.

To work with my negligible hem allowance, I cut up the remaining scraps into bias strips to apply as a hem facing.  This also helps to give a little bit of extra weight to the hemline, which always wears better.

I am not entirely sure if the waistline stretched out, or if I mis-measured the pattern as I was altering the opening, but it turned out a little too large.  This was easily fixed by opening up a couple of seam allowances.  And, of course, there is some seam binding in there to keep things nice and tidy.

It's certainly not the most exciting garment I have in my closet, but I am confident it will come in handy.  And one thing is for sure - it will see a lot more wear in its current state than the previous incarnation!