Colorblock T-Shirt Maxi Skirt

 

Some of you may already know about an email subscription you can register for from All Free Sewing which provides you with an email of lots of free sewing patterns for all kinds of cool stuff. I get one approximately each day, sometimes less. It shows you their top 10-15 or so choices so it's an easy read, you can pick and choose what to look at. I enjoy it, I've come across some neat projects. Anyway... I came across the link to a colorblock dress. When I clicked on the link, it was a prego lady wearing it - no prego lady wear needed here! - but, I thought the concept would be great as just a skirt. 

So I grabbed a few t-shirts and decided in what order I'd like to have the colors. I found an orange one that had grease stains on it, so I used what I could before the stains. (I know, I have some neat aprons and I reeeeally need to get in the habit of wearing them more!) Try to use t-shirts that are close in size so you don't have to do any adjusting. But, if you like one that's a larger size, you can always just take it in. Maxi skirts can be flowing or tigher, so depending on your preference, you can use bigger t-shirts so that it's more loose. I used my own sized t-shirts for my own fit. 

Let's begin. I didn't take pictures of the first gray section as I didn't think I was going to be doing a tutorial on this and I was really trying to get it done before I had to pick up my second grader from school. But once I got started, I thought I'd better take some pics. Basically, use a large section of t-shirt as your starting piece, adding about another 5-6" to your colorblock width so you can fold it down, like yoga pant style. If you can use the bottom piece of a t-shirt from the hem, all the way up to the armpit, and then use the bottom hem of the t-shirt as your top hem of the skirt that folds down.

 

I used a white piece from an old t-shirt. I did not measure, just eye balled an appropriate width.

I turned the gray starting piece & white piece inside out, and pinned together. I sewed a 1/4" seam allowance. This particular white shirt did not have side seams, but if you do, match them up.

 

 

Next came the orange t-shirt, I could use the piece above the stains and below the arms, so that's where I cut. Again, no measuring for width, just used what I could.

Matched up my seams to what looked like was lined up with the gray since there wasn't any with the white, and sewed a 1/4" seam allowance.

At this point, it's getting a little exciting that it's taking shape!

My last color was an aqua piece from this t-shirt. I wanted to take advantage of the hemmed bottom of this one, so I made sure this would be my bottom piece, then I wouldn't have to hem anything. At this point I tried on the skirt and had my daughter measure from the bottom of the skirt to my ankle bone, plus 1/4" for seam allowance. This would complete the skirt.

Following the other pieces, I pinned together, matching up the seams and sewed. 

And there you have your upcycled maxi skirt! (Not a fan of being the model!) and I normally would not wear these shoes, but I was getting ready for a parent advocate meeting at school so I didn't have time to chase down some flip flops or something summery!

 I may try the whole dress thing starting out with a regular t-shirt as the top like the original tutorial.