How to Lengthen A Dress/Skirt

I don’t know about you, but I am seeing SO many cute dresses out there on the market! When I was in Oregon a few months back visiting Sara we found this super cute, summery dress at Old Navy. I just fell in love with it, especially the shift style of the dress. They are my favorite kind of dress since I don’t have much of a defined waist. The only problem with this dress was that is was a little too short for my liking. Standing up was an OK length, but if I tried to walk or sit down it just wasn’t working for me.

How to Lengthen a Dress

Sara and I got this great idea to just sew an extender piece to the lining of the dress and have it hang down underneath the top part of it. So I bought the dress and we went home with a plan to make it my “perfect” summer dress.

Here is the before picture.

How to Lengthen a Dress 4

Most dresses and skirts have sewed in lining or slips in them so this is the perfect opportunity to sew on an extending piece of fabric without bothering the hem of the actual dress/skirt. Plus color blocking is so in right now! Just ask Sara and her Color Block Party Skirts that are coming soon to the shop!

So if you have a dress/skirt that needs to be a tad longer here is a simply “how-to” on making that happen.

1. First you’ll need to find some fabric that will go well with your dress/skirt. I used a navy linen fabric that Sara had on hand that worked perfect with the dress!

2. Next measure the width of the lining of the dress and how much longer you want your dress. Take the width and add 1/2 inch for seam allowance and double the length you want the extender to be plus add 1/2 to that for seam allowance. Then cut out two pieces at those measurements. So for my dress, the lining was 22.5 inches wide and I wanted it to extend 5 inches in length. Therefore my 2 pieces were 23 x 10.5 inches.

3. With right sides together, sew/serge the two sides of your pieces together. Afterwards you should have a tube of fabric

4. Fold that tube of fabric in half with the seams inside and iron.

5. Lastly, sew/serge your extender piece to the lining of your dress and iron that seam.

How To Lengthen A Dress 2

How to Lengthen a Dress 3

 

Linked To:

http://lifeinvelvet.com/2014/07/thursday-style-link-party-29/

http://staceyembracingchange.com/2014/07/17/creative-inspirations-linky-party-93/

http://placeofmytaste.com/2014/07/work-wednesday-58.html

The Creative Exchange #10

http://www.thegirlcreative.com/2014/07/18/link-party-diy-inspired-10.html

http://www.delineateyourdwelling.com/2014/07/link-it-or-lump-it-party-number-47-plus.html

9 thoughts on “How to Lengthen A Dress/Skirt

  • Commented 4 years ago

    Where to acquire clip art – Dover Publications has become the most commonly known method to obtain clip art
    books with a range of subjects. There are a large number of clip art books
    provided with wonderful color art in several themes ready for virtually any form of decoupage project.

    It is mainly celebrated within the United States around
    the 4th Thursday inside month of November and around the 2nd Monday of
    October in Canada.

  • Commented 5 years ago

    Thank you for every other excellent article. The place else could anybody get that kind of information in such a perfect approach of writing?
    I have a presentation subsequent week, and I’m on the search for such information.

  • AJ
    Commented 8 years ago

    I am 5’10. I have done similarly with skirts, but I used fabric glue & a thin, cheap table runner folded lengthwise. Just lined the fabric up with the seam in the back middle & attached it directly to the underside of the skirt. Always get compliments on it!

  • Liz
    Commented 8 years ago

    Thank you for sharing. I have not sewn much for many years, but I have a great dress that is too short when I sit down (like you). Using the lining makes the project a cinch, so thanks again! I will also add the chiffon underlay to the jacket, but that will take a bit more finishing because the lining is sewn in. Good thing my Italian aunts taught me hand tailoring!!!

  • Commented 10 years ago

    Thank you for sharing! I am only 5′ and have this problem, what with girls these days wearing dresses shorter than is appropriate. I recently found some cute dresses at Goodwill and have a small amount of sewing experience that I knew I would find some remedies. Your colorblock extension is the perfect solution. I’m excited to finish my dress so I can wear it without feeling the wind where I don’t want to!

  • Commented 10 years ago

    Love how it turned out! So cute! Thanks for linking up to the Creative Exchange Link party. This weeks link party is just getting started:
    http://www.avisiontoremember.com/2014/07/the-creative-exchange-link-party.html

  • Hanna
    Commented 10 years ago

    Thanks Lyndsay! Wow, I’m only 5’4″ and have that problem so I can’t even imagine how difficult it would being that tall. I’d love to see if you ever end of trying this…especially if you found some cute things on the sales rack 😉

  • Commented 10 years ago

    Great tutorial! I often have this exact problem (I’m 5’11”). What a great solution though, and an excuse to go hit up some sale racks. Thanks!!

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.