WRITTEN BY: HELEN LE CAPLAIN // @Manc_Vintage //  www.mancunianvintage.com

I love this skirt but it's two sizes too big and, alas, not something even a few well-placed darts could sort out. Instead of hanging forlornly in my wardrobe, I've decided to breathe some new life into it with this simple reconstruction.

YOU WILL NEED

Skirt
Scissors
Elastic
Sewing machine
Tailor's chalk/ straight pins
 
STEP ONE
First cut off the fitted waistband so you're left with the main body of the skirt, if it has a zip cut this off too.

STEP TWO
Measure around your waist, divide this by two and add an extra couple of inches wiggle room - this will be the width of the front and back pieces.

STEP THREE
With tailor's chalk (or pins) mark out the width across the top of your skirt and therefore where you'll cut.

 
STEP FOUR
With the right sides together, and allowing for a 1" seam allowance, stitch together the side seams.

Press the seams open with a hot iron.

STEP SIX
For the waistband measure half an inch and press with the iron (to hide the frayed edge) and then measure another 1.5"/2" and press again.

 
STEP SEVEN
Pin the waistband in place before firing up the sewing machine again to stitch it in place.
NOTE: Be sure to leave enough space to thread through the elastic!

STEP EIGHT
Feed the elastic through the waistband until it comes out of the other side.

STEP NINE
Tie the ends into a loose knot and fix the elastic so the material is spread evenly across the elastic waistband.

STEP TEN
Stitch the elastic together and then the last gap in the fabric where the elastic was threaded through.

 
Voila, you now have a perfectly wearable skirt. It just goes to show that size doesn't matter when charity shopping and nearly all items too big or too small can be made just right with a few simple tweaks.