When I was at a garage sale in October, I found an unusual king-sized bed skirt for $1. It had snaps every few feet, but there was no middle piece that went on the bed itself for the eyelet ruffle to snap onto. Fortunately, the ruffle itself was what I needed. The seller was asking $1, and I gladly took all of that eyelet home.
Not only did it have a ruffle, but it had a top edge just like the waistband of a skirt.
I cut out two pieces, avoiding the set-in snaps that were there. The skirt was rather long, so it was just perfect for a knee-length skirt for my 7-year-old, who asked me for a white skirt for Christmas.
The only tricky part was putting in the elastic. Since I had two pieces of skirt that would be closed once I sewed the sides together (as the existing skirt already had a “waistband” sewn in) I cut two pieces of elastic and sewed them in at each end. I sewed both sides of the skirt closed with French seams.
Supplies:
a piece of a bed skirt (or wide finished eyelet)
thread
elastic
Tools:
Sewing Machine
Iron
Sewing pins
Scissors
Time:
About 30 minutes
Cost:
$0.35, including the cost of elastic. I have lots of fabric left and I can make more projects with it. The same daughter who requested a white skirt has also requested a white dress, so I may work this same fabric into a dress for her as well.
What a beautiful skirt! I love how sweet and feminine it looks. Excellent job and excellent yard sale find 🙂
Genius!!!! Seriously, you always amaze and inspire me to look at clothes and fabrics with an eye to alteration and restyling.
Resourceful and so beautiful! You inspire us!
It’s beautiful 🙂
It’s breathtakingly beautiful and clever.
When I was young, I had a pattern for a skirt and a cap-sleeved boatneck pullover top that utilised the eyelet border of the fabric. No hemming! Consider making a matching top for that skirt. It is lovely.
I purchase a similar bedskirt of Battenberg lace. I made a ruffled lamp shade cover and it turned out great. Not sure about the rest will ponder and maybe make some small bags to fill with a soap and knitted washcloths for gifts. I did see some cute small holders sewn of lace and white material to hold 4 candles as a gift item as well.
You truly have an for beautiful things as well as being amazing with needle and thread. I know your daughter is going to love her skirt, it’s so beautiful. Thank you for sharing your time and talents, your blog is my favorite.
An eye for beautiful things. My brain worked faster than my fingers.
You definitely have “the eye” for upcycling! Great skirt!
I am making my last Christmas gift today–a set of flannel pillowcases. Your previous series inspired me to make the following: a one-leg Levi apron, matching potholder, tote bag, pajamas and the pillowcases. I don’t think you actually made any of the same things, but my peeps are adults and I was using up the materials I already had–which was definitely inspired by you! They are getting store-bought gifts, too, but these are the ones I like the best!
So pretty. Your daughter will be thrilled.
wow! really stunning!! i’m getting a sewing machine for christmas (YAY) and hope i am half as resourceful as you with fabric.
Dear Brandy- The skirt is so beautiful! What a great gift to make with that fabric. Thank you for all of your great ideas and beautiful photos!
Beautiful … Makes me wish I had a granddaughter that would wear a skirt …I got tom boys for sure.
I did this once a million years ago it seems as two of the daughters wanted matching dresses. I found curtains at a yardsale and made the dresses and then made sure I kept enough to add another layer at the bottom as they grew taller and used a different color cotton fabric as to add to seams. No elastic, no buttons v neck no sleeves. Gave them a light weight sweater and a heavier sweater to wear over it when needed. The younger one was wearing the older one’s dress 5 yrs later with the added material.;)
Darling and this would look so cute under a calico open front skirt as a prairie look. I did this for my oldest when she was younger.
Beautiful and what a great upcycle!
That will be a lovely skirt. I like Holly’s idea of a matching top. I can just picture it, with white ribbons in the hair as well….
Just gorgeous! And a perfect example that sewing our own clothes doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. Fabric is all around us as a “resource” to be mined. You just have to use your imagination and see one thing as another. Good job!!
This is beautiful! I am so envious of your talent and creativity! 😀
Amazing, as always! Your daughter will love and appreciate this. I need some of your ‘vision’.
Stunning! I feel so peaceful when I read your blog! I love slowing down and having lots of time at home since I retired early, from Nursing . In order to retire early we’ve had to be frugal like we were when we first married, and it’s actually a lot of fun! I enjoy being home more than I do traveling,so I don’t mind that we aren’t world travelers like some retirees.We enjoy hiking and bicycling,reading, library dates, I love to cook and now have HOURS to spend in my kitchen. We play cards,I spend more time on friendships and church volunteering, and I use a lot of the recipes from your blog.Thanks for sharing.. I love how peaceful you make the Holiday–I try to do the same.. no hurry scurry for me!
A very beautiful skirt indeed. I just spent the past couple of days reading back through your previous posts for inspiration on saving money, stocking up, and creating beautiful things. You are truly an inspiration!
I do so agree with you Madeline.
Brandy your work is so beautiful, like other readers, I am encouraged and motivated by your blog and writing. I always feel so calm and ready to do my best after reading your posts.
Thank you.
Pam in Texas.
Brandy, this skirt is just exquisite. A dress out of this would make a great confirmation dress. I bought a remainder piece of fabric – it is beige but has eyelet lace so I’m getting ideas seeing yours.
I was wondering what range of lens you usually use on your camera? I love your photos!
I was also wondering what sort of income (not specific amounts) you get from all of the ads on the side margins.
If i start a blog, I was wondering how to get ads on the margins.
A great piece of fabric to begin with–I love it. I hate bedskirts myself. Last time I “did” our bedroom I bought matching curtains, wallpaper border, bedskirt, comforter and shams. The bedskirt and shams are folded in a bag on the closet shelf, awaiting further need. Not very suitable for clothing–really looks like curtains! Anyhow, my granddaughter is a 25 year old fashionista-on-a-budget. Unwise purchase I made–neither of us has patience for pillow shams and they spent more time on the floor than anywhere else, until I stopped using them. Live and learn. I notice that a lot of comforters and bedspreads are available at yard sales around here. Apparently people change them out quite often. This is the first time I bought everything to match–and probably the last, as I am 74 and not thinking of any re-doing any time soon. I’m sure it’s been well over ten years since I bought the ones I have. (We have been married 55 years and have never had a “new” bedroom set–first had one my parents gave us and eventually replaced that with one from my in-law’s house after they both passed away. No intentions to buy another. )
Pretty! It would be sweet with a white short sleeve top with a blue satin sash. Like the song in The Sound of Music, “girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes”. She even made clothes for the kids out of curtains. I did always love that movie…
Here is what I use for my photos: http://theprudenthomemaker.com/about/in-my-bag
There are bloggers who make a great income (thousands per month) and who write about what they do to do so. I am not one of those bloggers. I average $100 a month in income. Clearly, I don’t have enough advertising 😀 I don’t write for the purpose of making money. My target audience doesn’t have money to spend. I’d rather help people save money than spend it. I’ll recommend products I love and that help me, but I won’t recommend something just to make money. (If you want to make lots, your blog will have ads throughout the posts themselves; most people can’t see the margins on their phone or tablet).
Beautiful!
I do hope you will post a picture of your daughter wearing her new skirt. It would be lovely with either red or green for Christmas or pink or lavender at Easter.
This skirt is for every day. For church, she wears a dress. I may make her a dress from more of it as she wants a white dress, too.
Hi Brandy,
Thank you for being so candid about the income from the ads. And I appreciate even more your blog. The ads are not distracting nor overpowering. I’m not sure how one gets the ads.
I am so thrilled because the lens that I bought yesterday is one of the 2 Nikon lenses that you are using, the 18-55 mm. The one I bought is a brand new kit lens. Sometimes people who are buying cameras don’t want the kit lens so the store gives them a reduction off of the total price and then sells the kit lens separately to someone else. So I bought it for $30 U.S. I just love your photos. And your blog is so helpful and classy.
I was a bit worried about how I will buy the camera stuff and the prints because that is my month’s grocery money but tonight I found out that one of my photos is the cover photo for a community newsletter and that I won a $75 gift certificate to No Frills, a food store. So now I’m reading their flyer to see how to make the most of it! So things are working out!
Congratulations on the cover photo!
That is a beautiful skirt Brandy!
Wow, that is beautiful fabric you found, Brandy! I completely understand why you were attracted to it. What an amazing price too! I think your daughter is going to LOVE her new skirt. Very lucky little girl, indeed!!!
How wonderfully creative, with such beautiful results!
Such a beautiful skirt! Are you planning to sew a matching doll outfit for a future gift? If yes, I can’t wait to see it!
What a pretty skirt. Could make nice petticoats too.
That is about as pretty a white skirt as there ever was! She’s going to be thrilled with it.