How to Sew Your Own Skirt
Many of the commercial sewing patterns can look quite complicated to make, especially if you are just a beginner with minimal sewing skills. Actually, you can make a basic gathered skirt quite easily, without even purchasing a pattern. By following these steps you can sew an entire summer wardrobe of cotton skirts. Then go out and splurge on brightly colored t-shirts to match, as well as a pair of sandals or two.
Instructions
-
-
1
Purchase your skirt supplies. Start with the fabric. A nice cotton solid or print fabric generally comes in a 45-inch width. If your hip measurement plus five inches is not wider than 45 inches, you will only need to be concerned with the length of the skirt. If the measurement is more than that amount, you will need to get double lengths of fabric. Decide how long you would like your skirt and add four inches. For example, if your skirt length, from the waist to the hem is to be 20 inches, you will need 2/3 of a yard of fabric (24 inches). Also, purchase matching sewing thread and one-inch wide elastic.
-
2
Wash and dry the fabric to allow for shrinkage, before starting your project.
-
-
3
Cut two panels. Divide the width measurement you came up with in half and cut two panel (each one at the half width measurement). The length of the fabric should be precut to the measurements you requested at the fabric store.
-
4
Sew the skirt side seems. With the right sides of the fabric facing, pin each side of the panels and sew a ½-inch seam.
-
5
Press the seams open with your iron and then turn ¼-inch over to the wrong side of the fabric and press, at one of the raw ends. Turn and press 1¼-inches, at the same end, and press again.
-
6
Pin, with straight pins, all around the inside edge of the turned edge and sew close to the inside edge, leaving a three-inch opening.
-
7
Cut the elastic one inch larger than your waist measurement. Attach a safety pin to one end of the elastic and using the pin as a guide. Insert it into the skirt waist opening. Using a strait pin, attach the tail of the elastic to the outside of the skirt waist so that it does not follow the safety pin and get lost in the fabric tube. Work the safety pin all the way around until you reach the other side of the opening. When the safety pin comes out the other side, pin the two elastic ends together and sew across the two pieces, several times for strength. Push the sewn elastic edges into the fabric waist tube. Hand sew the opening in the waist tube shut.
-
8
Fold the bottom of the skirt under ¼-inch and press. Fold under again at 1-inch, press and pin. Sew all the way around, close to the inside edge to form the skirt hem.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
The skirt hem may be hand sewn if you prefer.
