What I’m Wearing…
* Refashioned dress {by ADDISON} into a crop top and skirt {see below}
* Vintage o ring choker, wishbone necklace, initial pendant from Tiffany’s
* Various bracelets and rings, DIY Leather Lanyard Bracelet
* Leather studded sandals by L.A.M.B. {old}
I bought this dress a few years ago and have worn it a few times even, but it never really ever felt that flattering. The slip that it came with it wasn’t the right shape for the design of the dress, so I opted for different slips that also never felt right… and the crocheted lace felt heavy and shapeless. I wore it with a sweater, blazer, and boots for a mock skirt look that worked out but just recently decided that I was going to refashion it into something much more wearable. And so I did.
Before and After…
What’s so easy about this fabric is that you don’t have to finish the edges to make it work. If you’re careful, and cut around the threading, you can leave it as is, or finish it off with a little seam glue if you must, but I did not. Since the skirt was already nearly fitted, creating a drawstring waistband was the easiest option and allows me to wear it low on my hips as seen here, or higher up if I wanted to {which in all honesty, I do not -because it’s just not flattering on my body} -BUT I like the option. However, if I wear it higher up, it will have to gather more, creating a sort of scrunchy potato sack look, which is fine if you’re teeny tiny or in your twenties.
Creating two pieces also allows me to wear them separately, which I ADORE, so there’s that.
So, if you have a similar lace or crocheted dress, you can easily pull this off by following the simple steps below. You’ll need scissors, matching needle and thread, and a long string or leather lacing {which is what I used and works fabulously for this because it stays put} to use as your drawstring.
NOTE: Wash it as the label suggests OR simply wash by hand or in cold/gentle cycle and hang dry. Remove the leather lacing drawstring first.
Easy DIY Steps…
Begin with your dress on, without a slip underneath {unless the contrast helps you to determine the shape}.
Based partially on the pattern of the lace and partially on where you want your top to hit, snip easy areas of lace so you know where to cut.
Remove the dress, lay it flat with a contrasting material {like a towel} in between the layers and carefully cut AROUND the lace patterns. You can easily cut tendrils that are attaching larger appliqués, but keep the large designs together and create a cute lace scalloped hem.
Once you’ve got a complete separate top, cut away to clean up the edges and voila, you’re done!
If you have a seam opening up {like I did -see the last photo above} simply put a few stitches in it to keep it together. You may want to do this to both sides of your top just to make sure it holds for good.
And… Voila! Cute Lace Crop Top.
The skirt…
Decide how long you want your skirt. I wanted to keep the length in mine {but a mini skirt would be cute as well depending on the shape of your skirt}, so I simply turned the skirt inside out, folded over/under the top edge as little and as straight as possible, grabbed my needle and thread, and ran a straight hem stitch through it, leaving a little looped gap where my drawstring would go. What’s so great about this fabric is that you literally cannot mess up. Your stitches can be as messy as possible, and you won’t even be able to tell.
Once you’ve created your tunnel, stick your leather lacing with a large safety pin, decide where the front and center of your skirt is, and run it through the tube until you get to the other side. It’s pretty self explanatory really, a drawstring waist is just about the easiest. Just make sure you make it rather narrow/small, as you don’t really want a lot of extra material gathered right there.
Trim your excess lace from the inside {though I actually didn’t need to} and you’re done. If you have the skills, you can create a different waistband, add a zipper, sew in some darts to make your skirt fitted, that’s all up to you and the fabric you’re working with.
And… Voila! Cute Lace Crop and Matching Skirt Combo
The sheerness and design of your lace will determine what you can/should wear under it. Though you can see my shape through my lace, it’s thick enough that I opted for a flesh-toned bra and boy shorts here… but you can wear it as a coverup with a bikini underneath or if you want more coverage, find a nude or contrasting short skirt slip to wear with it and matching camisole.
Have Fun Refashioning Your old Duds!
* Find all my DIYs here
