Lace Skirt to Trevi Top Refashion

In my last post I promised a full review on how I refashioned a lace skirt into the Trevi Top.

First of all, here’s the skirt I started with.  It’s lace (crocheted maybe?) and very pretty, but not super flattering to my figure, not long enough, and not really me as is.  So of course I had to refashion it and make it mine!

Because I was afraid the skirt would unravel once I cut into it, I tried to preserve as many of the existing seams as I could.  It seems the original makers of the skirt had the same idea because there was only 1 seam around the skirt, on one side.

The Trevi Top and Dress pattern was a perfect choice for this refashion because the arm and neck openings are bound with bias tape.  The other seams are french seams, leaving no raw edges either.  And the back placket is all enclosed on the edges as well.

Lace Skirt refashion step 1:

I laid out the front pattern piece lining up the bottom of the pattern piece with the hem of the skirt.  Then I carefully cut through 1 layer only across the armhole opening across the shoulder and down the neckline.

Lace Skirt refashion step 2:

I flipped over the front pattern piece and continued cutting the neckline opening, across the other shoulder, and back down the armhole opening, again only through 1 layer of the skirt.

Lace Skirt refashion step 3:

First I folded down the part of the skirt I’d cut out for the front.  Then I laid out the back piece of the Trevi Top and Dress pattern.  I did fold in the amount allowed for the placket up the back.  Then I continued cutting up the armhole opening, across the shoulder and down the back neckline opening.  Then I flipped over the back pattern piece and cut out the other half in the same manner as the front.

Lace Skirt Refashion step 4:

Carefully cutting through the top layer only, I cut up the center back of the skirt which was now looking more like a top!

Lace Skirt Refashion step 5:

The skirt had more width than I wanted the top to have, but I didn’t want to create side seams to take out some of that width after I’d worked so hard to preserve the integrity of the skirt this far!  I used the lining fabric (it was the perfect color, of course) to make both the back plackets and the bias tape for finishing both the arm and neck openings.  Once I had my placket pieces interfaced, I laid them out as you can see above, thus eliminating some of the fullness from the width and preserving the seamless construction.

After this step, I continued with the instructions for the Trevi Top and Dress.  The only change I made to accommodate the original construction was making only the top button on the back placket functional, and eliminating the need for many buttonholes and cuts!

I also kept the original waist tie, and by weaving it in and out of the holes at the waist level, I can have another look, slightly more fitted.

Needless to say I’m pretty pleased with this lace skirt refashion!  I only wish I had another lace skirt to play around with!

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