Refashion Project: A New Skirt

It has been years since I wore a size small and this dress.  It's a ready-to-wear number from Italy.  I loved the workmanship, the style and the 100% cotton fabric.  It was comfortable and stylish and I felt good when I wore this dress.  

I really like the high waisted skirt with it's pleating all around finished with the tie belt.  The bodice was fitted and it has a handkerchief hem.  And the interior of the invisible zipper was finished with seam binding.  I have never seen a zipper finished so beautifully and with so much attention to details that were only known to the wearer.  The only detail this dress lacked were pockets.  Of pockets would have taken this to a state of perfection.  But I digress.  

Back to post-menopause reality, my size small days are long behind me so it was about time that I try to figure out what to do with this dress.  There was a small tear at the invisible zipper seam.  So donating it was not really an option.  And I do like the fabric so I held onto it thinking that I would cut it up and reuse the fabric. Yesterday, I had a different idea.  Could the skirt be saved?  

A plan came together when I pulled another skirt from the it-doesn't-fit pile.  This skirt is from about a decade ago and was made with vintage McCall's 7870 and the cotton sateen fabric was still in good condition.  From the front piece I cut a length to use as an insert for the dress skirt.  

The front facing from OOP McCall's 7870 was stitched down and used as a casing for elastic.  and it became a panel piece for the center back of the dress skirt.  I could narrow the panel piece, it is quite generous.  But I also can get away with it since the tie belt holds it in place.  

Right now, I'm just glad I have a skirt that fits.  

Happy Sewing!