How to recover an old skirt

Today I have a fun post and tutorial for you! I recently went shopping at Joann fabrics and found the most beautiful vibrant green plaid, I instantly imagined it in a pencil skirt and matching scarf. However, I didn’t want to go through the hassle of sewing the skirt from scratch. I wondered if I could just “recover” a skirt, and the answer is YES!

I found the perfect skirt at Goodwill. It is by Halogen and a very heavy and well made skirt, but ewww that color. It couldn’t decide if it were gray or lavender with the flu. It was just not going to win any beauty contests, but at just $5 it was exactly what I was looking for since it already had the inset I was imagining.

** You can also do a no-sew option on this by following the same steps but using heavy-duty iron on adhesive tape. It may not be as durable long term but it will work.

The front and back insets were the same size, so I folded the fabric in half to have 2 pieces. I laid the skirt on the top an folded in the black part of the skirt and cut out the inset size a few inches bigger to give me room to work with.

After getting it to the exact size of the inset, I ironed the fabric and cut off the excess so it wouldn’t be bulky.

I flipped it over and pinned it butting right next to the black fabric. ** If your skirt has lining, make sure you pull it up so it’s not in the skirt, you don’t sew the fabric to it.

Here you can see sewing it exactly into the inset.

Here is the finished front before ironing

Since the back had a zipper and slit, it would be a little trickier, so I cut the inset in half.

I took a black sharpie and went around the zipper and edges just in case I didn’t get the stitch close enough in certain areas, it wouldn’t be as noticable.

Here is the finished product! This was so easy, and zero hassle with lining and zipper sewing. I know I will be doing it again.

With the excess fabric, I folded it in half to make a shawl. I can wear it in several different ways. For this outfit, I wore it more like a cape and added a fur scarf to the bottom with safety pins, it’s an easy way to dress it up without it being permanent.

Here you can see a side view of the skirt, the pictures do not do this outfit justice, it is so cute! I removed the fur collar and draped the shawl over the front and shoulder.

You can also unfold the fabric to make a longer shawl and drape it open in the front.

I will probably redo the front at some point, I didn’t even realize until looking at the photos that I need to have 2nd white stripe in the front like the back, an easy fix to remove the panel and put a new one in. Such an easy project, with the fabric and the skirt, it came in right under $20. A great price for a festive and versatile outfit.

Have the most blessed day!

Eden