Hello 🙂
So, it turns out that navy blue is just as difficult to photograph as black… oh well!
I have made a skirt. This used to be a pair of extra-huge, navy blue, corduroy jeans, that I bought from the op shop yonks and yonks ago for a fancy dress party. They’ve been sitting in my refashioning pile, awaiting a new life. The fabric is perfectly good but they haven’t been worn ever since the aforementioned fancy dress party, because they did not fit anyone in my family.
My new skirt is based upon a firm favourite skirt pattern, Vogue 1247. I unpicked and re-used the sturdy silver jeans zip from the old jeans in the centre back, as well I took off and re-sized the waistband with its attached belt loops, and managed to retain the silver jeans button and its corresponding buttonhole, both in situ from the original jeans.
The pockets are lined with blue-and-white stripe fabric, leftover from Sam’s Christmas shirt.
Due to the fabric limitations, I had to cut the skirt to have a centre front seam, as well as the standard centre back seam.
Now you might be thinking; if the jeans were so big to start with, how could you possibly have “fabric limitations” in making a rather small skirt out of them? Well, when it comes to re-fashioning a new garment from an old, even if your old garment has plenty of fabric it still can be quite a trick to get even a smaller new garment out of it. This can be due to several factors, such as awkwardly placed seams, or if your fabric has a nap. In the case of this old jeans to new skirt refashion, there were both of these factors to contend with. Even though I was starting with satisfactorily extra-big trousers, they were cut in an old-fashioned, late 80’s, early 90’s style, with wide hips tapering down into narrower ankles. This is the exact opposite of what I wanted in my little skirt; which is narrowest at the waist and gets wider going down to the lower hem; plus there was the nap of the corduroy which you always want to be running down the garment, never ever up the garment. Plus there were big slanted hip pockets in the jeans, getting in the way of cutting anything out from the top of the jeans. Plus, a lot of the old bar-stitching was done with an incredibly strong thread, almost like fair dinkum fishing wire or something, making unpicking a sheer joy. That was heavy sarcasm just there, by the way. So in the end, it took quite some careful measuring and giving and taking a few centimetres here and a few centimetres there from different pieces, to get out the pieces I wanted. This is a lengthy justification for why my skirt has a centre front seam, as well as a centre back seam. So not ideal, I know, but it was the only way the skirt could be!
Details:
Skirt; Vogue 1247 modified, refashioned from a pair of old navy blue jeans/trousers… my review of this pattern here
Top; the hoodie from Pattern Magic 3, blue knit, details here
Thongs; Havaianas
D’ya want to hear/see something funny? This will give everyone a laugh…. I actually made this skirt back in January of this year, specifically for my high school reunion! and wore it, and photographed it on that day for the blog, but I never put the photo up here… I decided I just looked silly. Now I’ve decided that it’s not toooo bad, so here it is! I made the skirt because I got this whacky idea in my head to kinda reproduce my old school uniform for the reunion. I found my old school tie, which is tiny! and wore it. The other pieces are from my regular handmade wardrobe, but it was such a hot night that I left that blazer in the car…
Yes, it was silly… but it was fun!
So, this outfit below is a pretty close representation of what I used to wear to school, every day 😀
Details:
Skirt; Vogue 1247, as above
Top; the bamboo shoot top from Pattern Magic, white linen, details here
Tie; my old school tie
Blazer; Simplicity 4698, navy blue silk, seen first here, and also worn in 6 different ways here
Sandals; Vincenza, from Soletta shoes
I am loving this skirt and good way to get a new one with such wonderful cord. Great school uniform 🙂
You make that school uniform look quite saucy! It's amazing how large a garment one needs to yield a new, smaller garment. I'm impressed that you got such an adorable skirt out of your "yardage".
I adore your new skirt. I have seen plenty skirts with cf seams, I thought that was normal. By the way, you look great in your school uniform!
Sassy you.. Great pattern and pretty skirts… Clever you to fit into a limit yardage
I love your school outfit redo!
You totally rock, Carolyn! I love the reunion look! And well played with the refashioning from jeans! I tried that once- and failed dismally. You give me hope!
I love the first picture!!! Your dog is sooooo cute!
The skirt looks nice on you! It doesn´t seem a refashioning, very well done!
Fantastic skirt, what a fun refashion and outfit to wear to your reunion.
Very cleverly refashioned, and because of the dark fabric, the centre front seam is hardly noticeable. Well not from where I am sitting!
A very useful thrifty make. I like making things out of old things and you are right there seems to be enough fabric even when it looks enormous to start with. Jo x
I think you look cute. I must finish my pants to skirts refashioning project one day. Wearable or not, at least it would be done.
another great skirt. and of course it was difficult to squeeze it on a pair of pants, one word – corduroy! and all the tricks involved in that.
Cute photo of your school uniform, and as a wild and free California child I can't believe you had to wear a TIE to school.
Lovely, Carolyn. I love that your wardrobe is so simple and classic and yet so striking.
cute skirt and even better it was refashioned from an old pair of trousers. You tie does look tiny, and I bet when you were in school it was huge.
I love it, and love you "school outfit". Refashioning items is fun and challenging.
My high school uniform was very similar; navy a line gaberdine skirt, white collared blouse, navy jumper and the navy red and gold tie and the blazer were optional. I would have got into real hot water wearing my skirt that short. We had to kneel on the floor and our skirt had to touch the floor!
Great refashion btw. I am still meaning to do something similar with my own navy cord skirt!
Wow, really?! That's amazing! Our school uniforms must have been identical! Probably just except for the school crest on the pocket of the blazer.
You look great, as always. Your school tie is a riot. Very Harry Potter. 😉
This is a great skirt! I love the top too.
Love the "school uniform". A great skirt – even with it's centre seam.
What fun! I have seen a few versions of this skirt in black but I think I like it even better in navy. & you did well to get a skirt out of a pair of trousers – almost like a conjurer, since there really can't be that much width in trousers. The finished result is very neat. Also with your cooler season coming up, this skirt will be cosy with tights and boots.
You are so full of fun! I love the skirt and the whole idea of reproducing your uniform.
Fabulous skirt – such a great make-over! And lovely pic too!
It is weird how much fabric you actually need to cut a smaller garment from a bigger one. Sometimes I buy men's t-shirts to make new t-shirts for my boys and I'm amazed at how I pretty much use up the whole thing making the smaller shirt! Anyway, your skirt turned out great. I'm working on that simplicity blazer pattern right now!
I think it's so kewl that you remade your high school outfit for the reunion! Love how you refashion pieces into very pretty and workable garments.
You are continually AMAZING!!! What a neat redo of your high school uniform!!
We had a blue knife pleat blue skirt and white shirt in years 11 and 12, but no tie.
Love your refashioned skirt. I bet you looked amazing at your reunion too.
That's one of the things I love about refashioning–those little cutting challenges that often make for the most interesting design elements! And the outfit with the tiny tie is cute. It kind of reminds me of an anime school uniform.
Very skilled refashion. When I started serious refashioning I was amazed at how hard it was to get enough fabric. You've done a great job. It's fun to see you in your uniform; that was a really good idea for your reunion.
This is a lovely idea! You became ugly and huge pants into a fun skirt so feminine .. Oh, Carolyn, you're so clever!
Whaouh ! this refashion is top ! I like so much the look with the white top and tie. (cette "refashion" est super ! j'aime beaucoup le look avec la chemise blanche et cravate)
I like the school uniform look! (possibly because I never had to wear one… 😉
It's a very clever refashion, I love that you were able to use so many parts of the original garment!
What a brilliant refashion, you'll have to show us how you did it 🙂
Clever refashion! I missed all of my reunions but I imagined lots of outfits for them 🙂
Great refashion! I have several items of clothing I'd like to make over but have so far run into all of the limitations you mention, even if the item seems to have an excess of fabric. Well done! I like the school uniform too. 🙂