Strapless Cocktail Dress to Tulle Skirt Refashion

I am the biggest girly girl and I absolutely adore tulle skirts. My closet is full of them! I really loved the bottom of this strapless cocktail dress, so naturally it was going to become a skirt. This was actually so easy and I love my new tulle skirt!

Since this dress originally did not have a zipper and was stretchy, I did not put a zipper in my new skirt. Instead, I used the waistband from the Sweetheart Dress circle skirt hack from Patterns for Pirates. And since I am still currently obsessed with velvet, I used crushed velvet in mushroom, from Mily Mae Fabrics.

STEPS:

1. I cut off the bodice from the dress.

2. I cut out my waistband according to the Patterns for Pirates chart. I used the measurements for the XS and I made my waistband a little wider. 

From what I've sewn, the patterns are pretty true to size, so I would suggest going by your regular size.

3. I sewed the waistband closed, as shown by the pink dots. 

(Right sides together)

4. Next, I turned my waistband right sides out, folded it, and divided it into 4 points.

5. I gathered the tulle layer of the skirt to match the waistband, as shown.

6. I also gathered the lining layers to match the waistband.

Close up of gathering

7. Using those four points I created in Step 4, I matched up the waistband to the skirt. 

(The back point matching the back seam of the skirt, the side seams matching the side points, and the front point matching the front of the skirt)

I flipped it over and I had a new waistband!

Now I have a new skirt to add to my collection! This is a great way to refashion your cocktail dresses that don't get a lot of wear, or simply don't wear anymore. I can definitely wear this skirt a lot more than I could wear it as a cocktail dress.