Pinafore dress

1. Assess the garment. Hold the skirt up against yourself, so that the waistband is positioned just above your bust line. Check that its dimensions will allow for the deconstruction and reconstruction to come – if the skirt is too small to fit around your bust it will not easily convert to a dress.

2. Deconstruct the dress. Once satisfied that the skirt can be turned into a dress, turn it inside out and lay it flat. If it has an elasticated waistband, cut it off – once it’s been removed spread the gathered fabric so that it can be manipulated with more easily.

3. Create the straps. Measure in and mark a line 3cm from the top and bottom of the skirt with dressmaker’s chalk. Cut away all down the side seam through both thickness’s of fabric. This will go to form your pinafore straps and will become piece (d). You are now left with one long piece of fabric consisting of three pieces: one front, large continuous piece (a) joined to one larger back half (b), joined to one smaller back half (c).

4. Create the front of the dress. Use piece (b), the larger back piece, to form the front panel of your pinafore. Add a 3cm seam allowance to the bust to bust point measurement (1.5cm to either side) to see how wide the front panel needs to be. Mark this measurement, and your bust-towaistline measurement, onto the skirt with pins.

5. Shape the front panel. Using one of the back skirt panels, chalk out the shape of the front centre panel. Taper it in slightly at the tops, the amount will depend on your bust measurement, to allow for the upper bust curvature. Keep holding the panel up to yourself as you go to double check your accuracy.

6. Assess the shaping. Check that the panel you are cutting is symmetrical by