It’s Sew Simple- Skirt Tutorial

Got a sewing machine lying around, but don’t know where to begin? Well, as one who despises patterns, (and has a short crafting attention span) I have found many quick and simple sewing projects. So check out this simple skirt tutorial. Note: The fabric I chose was see-through so I added another layer of fabric underneath. You may discount the extra layer or add a contrasting fabric to your skirt for extra fullness and a cute accent.

1. Find a fabric you love in about ¾ to 1 yard length. (Hint: Check out the remnant section of your favorite craft store for major discounts. I got this adorable yellow fabric for about $1.50)
2. Lay your fabric out on a flat surface. Your fabric will come folded in half, so hold the fabric with the fold at the top. Now cut along the fold line.
3. Next, turn your fabric right sides together, and sew along one edge, leaving a ½ inch seam allowance. Trim
4. Now you need to create the bottom hem of the skirt. Depending on the size of the person who will be wearing the skirt, you may want to cut a bit off the length of the skirt. A rule of thumb is: Cut the fabric length 4 inches longer than your desired skirt length. To Since I dislike using pins when I sew, I fold up about ¾ inch from the bottom of the fabric and iron it well. This allows the fabric to stay in place while you sew to create a nice straight hem.

5. Now that you have your hem finished, you will create a gather across the top of the fabric. To do this, adjust your stitch length and width to its highest setting (mine is 5) and stitch across the top of the fabric, about ½ inch from the edge. Now pull one thread from one end of your stitch and allow this to pull (or gather) your fabric together at the top. Gather the fabric to about 2/3 its original length.

6. Next, fold your fabric in half with right sides facing each other and sew together leaving ½ inch seam allowance. Trim
7. Finally, measure the skirt’s wearer around the waist. Add one inch to the measurement and cut. To attach elastic and finish your skirt, find the seam at the side of the skirt. Now take the elastic and make a loop leaving ½ inch overlapping at the ends. Place the overlapping section of elastic over the skirt seam about 1 ¼ inch from the top of the fabric. Sew from the top to the bottom of your elastic. For the elastic casing, fold the top of the fabric over the elastic and sew underneath the elastic around the entire circumference of the skirt. You will probably be stitching over the stitch you sewed for your gather.
8. Yea! Your skirt is now complete!

Let me know if you have any questions or if you try this project I'd love to hear how it turns out!

Thanks for reading!
Sarah