The one hour 2-in-1 Maxi dress or skirt tutorial

 I've been dying to make a simple maxi skirt or dress forever now, literally, I bought this sheer material 2 years ago from home fabrics for this exact reason. I'm so glad I finally got around to doing it. It turned out darling and it was so easy and quick. Took 45 quick minutes. Plus, it cost a total of $7. Oh and did I mention...you can wear it before, during, and after pregnant? Oh yes, you can! 

If any of you are wondering...I flipped the elastic under when wearing it as a dress...then cut/hemmed it when wearing it as a skirt which I covered the elastic part with a belt...in case there is any confusion. 

Supplies:

fabric (the length you want it X 2 + seam allowance)

lining (the same length as the fabric, but width only needs to be how long your stride is)

1"- 1.5" wide elastic (the size of your waist when stretched around it)

sewing machine

thread

pins

Instructions:

1. Buy the necessary materials.

2. Measure the lining wide enough so when you walk you can comfortably walk in it, make sure it is long enough that it will hit an inch or two before the fabric's bottom. Make sure to add a few inches of seam allowance. Sew the sides of the lining up to make a tube.

3. Measure the fabric to be at least twice as wide as your waist size. With this sheer polyester fabric, because it is thin, I almost quadruple the size of my waist. I just measured the length I wanted my dress/skirt, then cut two long rectangles, leaving the width to be the width of the salvage or bolt end to end. For example,  the length of both rectangles were 50" and the waist area depends on how you wide your fabric is made (anywhere from 40" - 60"+), mine was 45". Make sure to add a few inches of seam allowanceThe thicker the material, the less material you want in the waist so it isn't bulgy, so there will be less gathering.  Make the length as long as you want. Sew the side seams of the fabric up to make a tube, the side seams should be the length of the dress...how tall it is.

*Note - you may not need lining with some material. Test out the cling and how see-through it is to find out if you need lining.

4. Gather the fabric's and lining's waist band to be a bit bigger than the size of your hips.

5. Slide the lining into the fabric, line and pin up the gathered waistbands together. Sew together with a basting stitch.

6. Serge the ends to prevent fraying.

7. Wrap the elastic around your waist and comfortably stretch it around your waist, mark, cut, and sew it to the right size. Make sure it can slide over your hips.

8. Mark every fourth on the elastic and the gathered waist line of the skirt/dress.

9. Then match and pin the dress and elastic up and sew a zig zag stitch or vari-overlock stitch. Stretch the elastic as you sew, making the elastic lay flat with the gathered waist.

10. Hem the bottom of the lining and the fabric by rolling it a quarter inch once, then twice and sewing a straight stitch.
***Note - You can't change it between a maxi dress and skirt, otherwise it will be dragging quite a bit as a skirt. Unless you make the maxi dress a shorter dress then a maxi would be, then it would work for both.