I think it's skirt month: dress to skirt and skirt to dress

15th of the month, and I'm just now seeing the missed opportunity to do another theme. I didn't realize that I was doing skirts, but it appears that I am. I'm always kinda disappointed when I look at dress refashions and the dress is transformed into a skirt. Even though dress to skirt projects are usually lovely and make an item more wearable, I think my obsession with dresses makes me feel the need to preserve the them as dresses.
Sadly, for me; sometimes a dress just has to be a skirt. I got this one last fall, and thought it would be perfect for layering up, with it's lined, full skirt portion. I love stuff that ties in the back I liked it in the Goodwill fitting room.

What's interesting is that I don't hate it in these pictures either. The problems: bodice too small with little triangles that caused either a flattening effect (like in the pics) or extreme push up (the top looked odd no matter what); empire waist too unflattering; large print giving it a "too much" look for a short gal.
I had no choice but to make this poof  dress into a poof skirt. That way, I could lower the waist to the waist. Also, I could pair it with a tiny black top to balance it out. You know, big-ass skirt+tiny little top= good, I hoped.
I carefully removed the boob part of the dress. And...that's about it.

See how there's an inner layer there? That tan color? I just folded and pinned, then stitched around the edge there. I didn't add elastic or anything, because I figured that I would wear it old timey vintage style and high on the waist, like I always do. Then I just tie those two side sashes in the back and it could work. See?

the back

Guess what's helpfully keeping that skirt up.

All butt jokes aside, here's the outfit. I wanted to wear one of my bird brooches, because...I can't remember why. I tested how it would look on a tank top strap. Behold:

I don't care, I freakin love this high waist poof skirt. I think it's retro-tastic, and I want to go to a fancy garden tea in it. And drink an energy drink or something, not tea.

Earlier this spring, I attempted to do this in reverse. You know, the skirt to dress. You can see that here and see that I was not all that satisfied with my results. Undeterred, I tried again with some other skirts that I thought would be easier ton work with.
I took a long black skirt with some sort of nature items as a pattern. BOGO sale at OUTfitters, so I'll say this was the free one. Sized large and made of that cheap fabric that I think we were supposed to twist up and wrinkle for wearing in the 90s. Remember, they called them "broomstick skirts"? I think. Anyway, this skirt had buttons all down the front. That was key for making this thing work.

 I added some straps left over from a previous project, but this was not really necessary. Check this; that piece right there are the triangle boob covers that I removed from a dress similar to the one above. I can't find what I did with the straps that I had literally just removed.

See that? The skirt's got straps on it now. Wow, I'm such a damn talented seamstress, I attached straps. Then, I put a thick belt on! Let's see the big reveal!

Pull a big skirt up over your boobs and belt the waist; no talent required. How about that bodice?

The top button didn't button and I'm ok with that, because that made it more awesome. I think it does. You know I didn't get any compliments on this cute little dress. Is it possible that only I think it's all awesome and everyone else thinks it's shit? Well, shut up, I think it's cool!

 Yes, filter. I'm all classy and such with this old looking pic style.

I took these pictures over the weekend and I already made another dress to skirt to show you. So, you better look at it!