DIY Pinafore, Overall Skirt

I love DIY sewing projects. I am a novice, but enjoy being able to make things that I would otherwise spend more money on at the store. 

Almost everything I sew is from fabric that was gifted to me, that I found at a thrift store or remnant bin, on steep sale, or was upcycled from other clothes/materials. 

This was the first dress I made Violet a little bit ago. I used black fabric from a clearance section and some black buttons I'd found on sale. I didn't have a pattern, so I used another dress that I had for Violet (from the Target clearance section).

This piece was a huge learning experience since it was my first time sewing a dress for Violet just based off of another piece of clothing. I made some mistakes, but became more comfortable with hemming skirts and using my buttonhole footpress on my machine. 

Steps: 

1. Take a dress you already own and lay it over your fabric. 

2. Since I did not make a bodice on this dress, I simply used the skirt part of the dress as my pattern and added a 1/2 inch seam allowance all around, with added length at the top and bottom for my elastic waistband and my rolled hem. 

3. I cut the fabric, and sewed the two sides of the skirt, right sides facing together

4. I hemmed the skirt and added a casing at the top for my elastic. 

5. Using a safety pin, I threaded my elastic through. 

*What I did wrong: I should have used more elastic and cut the skirt the slightly bigger in the waist since I did not account for the skirt needing more give. The dress still fit Violet, but instead of it being for her when she was older, it fit her right away. 

6. I cut a rectangular piece for the bodice and two straps. I then added my buttons and a cute bow on the back.