I cut about 10 inches off the bottom off this skirt. There wasn't quite enough fabric for a full top (especially after it partially evaporated after a glancing blow with a hot iron. Viscose. Oops.) However, the Maryy pattern from Burdastyle was just right.

Obviously when I say 'just right' I mean, 'just right with some minor modifications'. The elastic at the back of the skirt made it difficult to attach a back bodice and so I brought the straps right round to the sides. The buttons and pleats are all original features.

I didn't think I would love it quite so much. It's super cute.

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Here's a potential contender for my 'black and silver' outfit. I haven't decided yet whether it's suitable. You can see I'm wearing the silver belt I made previously.

The original skirt was knee-length. I removed the pockets and turned it round so that the zip is now at the front and the waistband is under the arms. I made sleeves using sheer fabric from Ikea (meant to be used as curtains) and some viscose lining from an old jacket (hopefully more on the jacket later).

I used a pattern from the Burdastyle Nov 09 issue for the top and sleeves. There's something really elegant about the shoulders and the cuff detail. I wasn't sure about having 12 buttons on each cuff (sounded a bit too time-consuming) so I just used some black velcro. Not as classy, but it's black on black so doesn't show.

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This belt is the first piece in an outfit I'm making for a family gathering. The theme is black and silver. The fabric is some kind of rubbery synthetic from a slightly flared knee length skirt. The bow is made from the matching polyester lining

I've always wanted a wide Obi-style belt. I based the design on instructions given by Weekend Designer here but (as always) adapted them to fit the constraints of the reclaimed materials (and my own artistic whim).

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Here's a sketch of the original skirt.

I fell in love with the fabric - a soft green corduroy with black embroidery and sequin detail. It was about a size 20 and so there was lots of extra material to play around with. Originally from M&S but I bought it from Oxfam for around £4.

There are 3 main pieces to the dress. Areas cut away from the fabric are shown in red below. (Click on diagram to enlarge.)

I used the excess fabric to create the top piece of the dress (C). It joins the skirt (B) at the back and then comes up over the shoulders and joins to the bust piece (A) at the front. I also reused the zipper in the side seam and the original lining on the inside.

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