Refashioning a Child's Shirt to a Dress

Does your daughter have shirts with stains on the bottom? Use it to make a cute dress! This is a quick and easy project, and it's always great to reuse things. My daughter wants to be Strawberry Shortcake for Halloween, and this dress is part of her costume. Now I only need to make a hat and shoes, and her costume will be complete!

Here is what you need to make it:

• Child's shirt
• 3/4 yard fabric
• Scissors
• Thread
• Fusible Interfacing (if you are going to applique)
  

Cut the bottom off of the shirt. You can cut it anywhere you want depending on what you want your dress to look like.

I didn't take pictures of the applique process, but I'll explain it. This is a great way to cover up stains. First, cut out the shapes you want. Get some fusible interfacing (I use Heat 'n Bond Light in the purple packaging). Following manufacturer's directions, fuse the interfacing to the fabric pieces. Peel off the paper, place the pieces on the shirt, and iron them to the shirt, again following manufacturer's direcions. Once your shapes are on the shirt, sew as close to the edges as you can.

Next, get your fabric out, and cut a shape like this (cut 2). Make sure the top of the skirt piece is 1/2" wider than the shirt on both sides to allow for seam allowance. Be sure to measure your little one from where the shirt ends to where you want the dress to fall and then add 1" to the length to allow for seam allowance.

Put right sides together, and sew along the sides of the skirt with 1/2" seam allowance.

Next, put right sides of the shirt to right sides of the skirt, and pin, lining up the side seams.

Hem the bottom of the skirt. There really isn't a science to this. I just rolled over 1/2", rolled 1/2" again, and sewed, rolling as I went. You can also use the iron to fold the fabric before sewing.

You're done!