“In the Summertime, when the weather is hot,”..…. I find myself only wanting to wear simple, comfy outfits when the temperatures rise. For that reason, I love t-shirt dresses. They are perfect for pulling on over a swimsuit, lounging around the house in or even running errands around town. They are multifunctional and super comfortable. So I figured, why not refashion one of my long Maxi skirts into one? You don’t even need a pattern to do this!

How it Started…

Some of you might think this skirt looks familiar. Earlier in 2022 I refashioned a maxi skirt identical to this one into a cute peplum top. You can read about it here. I came across this one in the exact same size as the previous one for under $3. I thought it would make a dress this time.

The Inspiration!

At the beginning of the summer I made the Nona T-shirt dress and fell in love. So I decided to use that again for this maxi skirt refashion project. I actualy just grabbed one of my Nona Dresses to trace on to the skirt. Below I will show you what tht looked like.

Pin the Seams!

Before I did anything to the skirt, I matched up the side seams and pinned them in place. That way it would hopefully be the same on either side. It also helped me see if all my pieces were going to fit and helped me cut it out. 

No Pattern Needed!

You absolutely don’t have to have a pattern to do this. You can simply grab a t-shirt that fits you nicely and trace it onto the fabric, but add enough length to make it a dress. I grabbed a Nona dress I had previously made and traced it. If you decide to trace a t-shirt, just make sure you leave enough room for seam allowance. 

Clean Cutting!

Once I had it traced onto the skirt, I made sure there were no weird folds or seams preventing it from being a clean cut on the other side. Then I cut it all out. 

Sometimes it’s OK…..

Because of how it was sewn together originally by the manufacturer, I wasn’t able to really cut out a good piece for the v-neck band. The stripes are a little wonky. I figured it would be ok because of all the weird directions the stripes are going on the dress anyway. That’s just something you have to be ok with when you’re doing a refashion.

The Progression…

I sewed it together relatively fast, but took a little extra time on the v-neck. V-neck’s kind of stress me out a bit. But I found that if I staystitch the neckline first, then attach the band starting at the “V” it goes so much easier. Also this video by Melissa Mora of Melly Sews is a great aid to help you get that perfect v-neck. Skip ahead to 8:20 on the video for just the v-neck band portion. 

The V-Neck!

Here’s a real quick tutorial of how I did my v-neck. 

1. Sew the short ends together to form the V.

2. Before turning the neckband right side out, snip the center of the V like this. That will help it lay better.

3. Staystitch the front part of the v-neck and snip the center of the V up to but not through the seam. 

4. Pin the middle of the neckband to the middle of the neck at the seam first.

5. Pin the neckband all the way around.

6. Sew it on using a stretch stitch.

How it Ended….

Even though the stripes are a bit weird and don’t meet up perfectly on either side, I still love it. I even like the seam down the center of the sleeve. It’s nice and comfy to wear and great to throw on right after I get out of the shower or pool. It’s the perfect thing to have around all summer.

 

If you Need a Pattern…

 

If you find yourself needing a great t-shirt dress pattern and don’t feel like making your own, the Nona T-shirt dress is great. This is one of those closet staples that is perfectly comfortable dressed up or dressed down.

The design of this essential t-shirt dress hugs and skims in all the right places. The center back seam enhances the shaping of the dress and allows for easy adjustments. The Nona T-shirt Dress is one of those closet staples that is perfectly comfortable dressed up or dressed down. The design of this essential t-shirt dress hugs and skims in all the right places. The center back seam enhances the shaping of the dress and allows for easy adjustment.

Nona T-shirt Dress features: 

• Set in sleeves
• V neckline
• Slim fit through shoulders, bust, and sleeves
• Long, elbow, 3/4 and short sleeves
• For light- to medium-weight knit fabrics 

Sizes:

Women’s XXS-5X (bust 30-59″, 76-150cm)