Wednesday, July 24, 2013

If You Can Thread a Needle, You Can Sew a Skirt - Tutorial!


No joke y'all.  Sewing a maxi skirt might be the easiest sewing project you'll ever endeavor.  For reals...if you can thread a needle, you can sew this skirt!

All you need is a yard and a half to two yards of jersey knit fabric.  For this skirt, I used this fabric.  I always over-estimate how much fabric I'll need (and thus I have tons of scraps just waiting for me to use in projects) but I'd much rather have too much than not enough (especially at only $5.59 per yard, haha, since I got that fabric on sale).  If you're order from fabric.com as long as you order at least $35 worth you get free shipping as well!  Make sure you wash and dry your fabric first to pre-shrink it.

First measure your waist where you want the skirt to sit.  Divide that number by two (write it down if you don't think you'll remember it).  Add five to that number (again, write it down if you don't think you'll remember it).  Fold your fabric in half so at least the length of your second number (waist/2 + 5) is overlapping.  Since explaining math equations isn't my forte, I made you a pretty picture.  The light green is the "wrong side" of the fabric, the dark green is the "right side" (so it's folded with the "wrong side" out):
Cut along the grey, slanted line.  Make sense?

For the length, you'll want your desired skirt length plus 8.

You'll notice I didn't account for seam allowance  in these measurements.  That's because you should be using a stretchy knit fabric so it doesn't matter.

Sew along the diagonal line you just cut.  You're like 3/4 done!

Next, with the skirt still inside out, you want to fold over four inches at the waist and pin it down.  Then, using a zig-zag stitch (so the seam can stretch a bit) sew all the way around.  This is the part of the skirt you'll fold down at the waist.
Even if you don't have a "right side" and "wrong side" to your fabric you don't want to skip this step.  If you do, the seam will be visible when you fold over the waist of the skirt.

Turn it right side out and you're done!!!  Seriously!  Since you used a knit fabric it won't fray so you don't even need to hem the bottom.  I told you, easiest skirt ever. (For the record, I wear mine with the seam going up the back.)


The first one of these I made I used 100% cotton fabric and underestimated how much it would shrink so I didn't have enough fabric to make it a full, maxi length skirt.  So, I made it a high-low hemline!  Same process, but once I made it, I put it on and marked the shortest point I would want it to be in the front then just cut out the front.

These skirts are GREAT for pregnancy, since they're stretchy, or for any time really!  So, what are you waiting for?  Go sew some maxi skirts!!


 I love this picture...fun fact: since The Sailor doesn't really know how to use our DSLR (on manual at least). I have to do all the settings and hand the camera to him.  When I want more "artsy" shots (like this one with the sun shining through the tree) I have to get all the settings right, frame the shot, then have him come stand exactly where I was standing and explain to him what needs to be where in the picture.  I'm hoping he'll start catching on since it's quite a process!

4 comments:

  1. I don't get the first slanted cut. Explain? Or I can just have you cut it for me. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I don't get the first slanted cut. Explain? Or I can just have you cut it for me. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I do not understand the slant either- I wonder if it was because of the direction of the pattern

    ReplyDelete

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