Breezy Summer Skirt Tutorial

I have a favorite skirt. And now I have two favorite skirts.

Sewing is oh-so-liberating, no?

The best part is I am going to give a quick tutorial on how to make your own.

Please NOTE: this is not a tutorial for someone who has never made their own pattern before. However, if you have a favorite knit skirt, then I would totally suggest that you take a look at this tute and figure out how to make a new skirt patterned after the old one (whether you've done it before or not. It is SO SIMPLE when you have your own skirt to pattern a new skirt from.)

Okay, enough rambling. Here you go:

What you'll need:

• about 1.5 yds knit fabric

• coordinating thread

• disappearing pen

• yard stick (or tape measure)

• a model skirt: a knit skirt that you already own. You can do it without, if you're really awesome;) If you don't have a knit skirt, then you will need another A-line skirt so you can trace the curve of the top of the skirt.

1. Lay your folded fabric down and starting from the bottom of the folded edge measure 30" and mark it. Also, cut off the selvedge opposite the folded side.

Refer to this picture for the next three steps (pay no mind that my skirt exceeds the width of the fabric. just make you measurements to the edge of the fabric. all will be well.):

2. With your model skirt, line up the top of the skirt with the 30" mark and trace the curve of the waist line (adding 1/2 inch or about 1.5 inches if you are using a skirt that has no stretch.)

3. Using your yardstick, draw a line 23" line from the end of your waistline mark down toward the outer edge of your fabric. Just keep pivoting you ruler until you have reached 23". Mark it.

4. From the same starting point, draw another line, measuring 18 inches from waistline to outer edge.

5. Now, draw a curved line connecting the bottom of the folded edge with bottom of the 23" line (for the bottom of the skirt).

6. Cut out your drawing.

7. Now, for the waistband. Measure the width of the top of your skirt (when skirt is folded in half). Fold the already folded scrap fabric (so it is 4 layers thick) and measure the correct width along the folded edge and 2 inches deep. (unfolded, your pieces will be 4" x ??" [the width of your waistband].  whew!)

8. Take your two waistband strips, open them and sew them together using a zig zag stitch (allowing for stretch). I just used my serger.

9. Fold in half length wise(wrong sides together). Then pin and sew right sides together along the top of your skirt. again, do this with a zig zag or serger.

10. Now, with wrong sides together fold your fabric, pin and sew together along your 23" line. BUT NOT THE WAISTBAND (this makes the fun, extra "waterfall" fabric  in the from of the skirt)

11. Then, with right sides together sew the waistband closed. Your skirt is done!!

I sure hope this isn't confusing. PLEASE let me know if you have any questions at all and I will do my best to answer them. Enjoy!!

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