Upcycling: A Skirt Becomes a Summer Halter Top

I’ve had this skirt for ages. Even though I love the style and the fabric print, the fabric itself was uncomfortable as a skirt. It generated a lot of static cling and every time I would wear it, by the end of the day, I was hating it. I was going to donate it, but then I started to learn how to sew and thought I’d use it for my very first upcycle project.

I used my Ava dress for inspiration and hacked together this top. I used the bodice pattern from the Ava dress, unaltered, and then traced out the bodice skirt using the bottom half of my Lago tank. I had to compensate for some measuring I wasn’t happy with after cutting, which involved adding 2 side panels to the bodice skirt to give it more flare. I think it would have been too tight without them. The halter ribbon is actually an embellishment that came attached to the skirt waist front and works perfectly to tie up the top.

It took a while to rip out the seams from the skirt itself, but it allowed me to maximize the amount of fabric available to cut the pieces for the top. I have random bits left over I’m not sure what to do with. Maybe I’ll think up some wrist cuff or accessory to pair with it.

The fabric is a woven polyester and frays quite a bit at the raw edges. I used a combination of straight stitching for side seams and edge stitching, overedge stitching for finishing the edges, and zig-zag for attaching the bodice and bodice skirt to the elastic band.

It’s not perfect, but I’m mostly happy with it and it’s pretty comfortable and definitely summer-friendly.