Thrift Store Refab: Mushroom Skirt

On my latest trip to my new favorite thrift store, I saw this hanging on a rack and immediately knew I had to have it. Even if I didn't know what it was. I mean, look at that vintage pattern!!  How could I just leave it there??  Plus, it was 49 cents and 50% off. So, less than a quarter. Seriously. 

Once I got it home, I figured out that it is actually a curtain. I could work with that. After much deliberation, I decided to turn it into a skirt. So I started by removing the curtain rod pocket and hemmed that edge of the fabric to match the other side. 

Next, I folded the fabric in half width wise and cut it to make the front and back. 

I love it already. The fabric is pretty thin so I knew I needed to line this bad boy.  Unless I wanted everyone to see my underwear.  And I do not, so a lining is in order. I had some plain white fabric in my stash. I laid the white fabric out, put my pieces on top, and cut out around them. That way I knew my lining and outer skirt were the same size. 

Next, I put the right sides of the skirt together and sewed the side seams.  Repeat this for the lining, too. 

Now to attach the lining to the skirt.  I started by putting the right sides of the skirt and lining together and then pinned them in place. Then, I sewed them together. Easy!!

Now I needed to figure out how to get it to fit me and close at the top. I thought about a zipper, but we all know how I feel about that. Plus, I didn't want to lose any of this amazing pattern!! Solution?  An elastic waist. Its difficult to see in the picture, but I sewed a pocket at the top to put the elastic in leaving a one inch opening (in order to insert the elastic).  

I used a 3/4" elastic for this. As for how much, I measured my waist where I wanted the skirt to sit and then took that number x .75.  That would provide the stretch I would need. The easiest way for me to put in elastic is to attach a safety pin to one end and then work it through the pocket I made.  Once I got it through, I sewed both ends of the elastic together and closed up the opening.  

It looked good, but I felt like it was still missing something.  I rifled through my stash and found some vintage eyelette edging I got at an auction at least 5 years ago.  I pinned it to the inside bottom edge of the outer skirt and sewed it in place.  Whirrrrrr!!  Now, it was finished!!!

 

Perfect!!  So, I spent a quarter on the curtain, maybe 10 cents on the edging, and a dollar total for the little scrap of elastic and white fabric I had.  Not too bad!!

Total cost: $1.35