How to Sew a Skirt to Fit Multiple Sizes

Wear drawstring skirts for casual and dressy occasions.

Good skirts fit comfortably around the waistline and drape around the hips without unsightly bunching. When you make skirts as gifts for loved ones or for sale, however, it can be hard to find the right-sized pattern to fit multiple people. A good way to make sure that your skirt can fit multiple sizes is with an adjustable drawstring waist. Light- to medium-weight fabrics of any kind give drawstring skirts attractive flows.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Fabric (2 yards)
• Tissue paper
• Scissors
• Sewing Pins
• Sewing Machine
• Thread
• Sewing Needles
• Drawstring cording
• Medium or large safety pin
• Two large beads (optional)

Instructions

1. Measure the circumference of your waistline and the desired length of your skirt from your waistline. Add 6 inches to your waist measurement and 4 inches to your length. Lay tissue paper on a large, flat surface and cut out a pattern piece that is your desired length plus 4 inches and one-quarter the width of your waist measurement, including the 6 additional inches.

2. Fold your fabric in half lengthwise and lay it on a flat surface. Pin your pattern piece to the fabric, with one edge of the pattern directly on the folded fabric edge. Cut out a front pattern piece. Remove the pins from the cut front piece of your skirt and set the cut piece to the side. Lay and pin the pattern on the folded edge of the remaining fabric again, and then cut out a back piece.

3. Pin the long sides of front and back together with right sides facing. Machine-stitch the entire left side from top to bottom. Machine-stitch the right side, leaving the seam open approximately 8 to 12 inches from the bottom to make a slide slit in the skirt. Backstitch over the beginning and end of each seam as you sew it to prevent unraveling.

4. Press under the raw edges of the side slit opening about 1/2 inch and machine-top-stitch-hem the edges. Fold and press the raw bottom of the skirt hem about 1/4 inch and then machine-stitch it in place. Press the hem under a second time about 1 or 2 inches. Slip-stitch the hem by hand to finish it.

5. Fold under the waist edge of your skirt about 1/4 inch. Press it with an iron and stitch it down. Fold over the waist edge again about about 1-1/2 inches to make a casing for your drawstring. Machine-stitch to close the casing. Cut two slit openings in the front center of the waist of the skirt to make an opening for your drawstring. Make small blanket stitches by hand around the edges of the slit openings to prevent fraying.

6. Cut a length of drawstring cord that is about 8 to 10 inches longer than your waist. Attach the safety pin to one end of the drawstring. Insert the pin into one of the slit openings in the drawstring casing in your skirt waist. Feed the drawstring through the casing by grasping and pushing the pin through the opening until you pull the pin out through the other hole. Knot both ends of the drawstring or sew on beads to each end to keep it from slipping back into the casing.

References

• Sew Cool, Sew Simple: Stylish Skirts; Valerie Van Arsdale Shrader
• The Illustrated Hassle-Free Make Your Own Clothes Book; Joan Wiener Bordow, Sharon Rosenberg