Creating clothing is a great way to ensure you get exactly what you want out of your outfits. If you are new to sewing and design, though, don’t be too intimidated. There are plenty of projects that don’t require an expert touch. Today, we are going to look at how you can make a modest skirt with ease.
Step 1: Choosing A Fabric
The first thing that you need to do is to choose a fabric that you want to make your skirt out of. This is where you get to be a little creative and choose the design of your skirt.
When you are buying fabric, though, you need to know how much to buy. This, of course, depends on the size of the skirt you are making. When the fabric is folded over on itself, it should be about twice the width of your waist.
Step 2: Sewing the Seam
First, remember to turn your fabric “inside out” before making any stitches on the seam. Once you do this, you are going to sew a simple, straight seam directly down where the edge where the fabric meets. Don’t sew right on the edge, though. Instead, leave about a quarter to a half-inch of space on the outer edge of the fabric.
After you sew the seam, turn back the edges and iron them flat. Then, you are going to cement them into place using a zigzag stitch.
Step 3: Creating the Upper Hem
Before we get into how to do this, you need to know that you are going to insert an elastic waistband here. So, don’t sew it completely shut. Leaving a gap of about 2 to 3 inches should be enough to get the elastic in.
The first step is to make a fold of about a quarter-inch at the upper edge of the skirt. Iron it flat and then fold the edge of the fabric down again – remember, allow enough room for the elastic. Iron your fold flat once again.
Once you have the fold ironed out, sew a straight stitch at the bottom of the hem. You can also add a zigzag stitch here for extra strength. Then, sew a straight stitch at the top of the hem – as close to the top edge as possible.
Step 4: The Elastic
Now that you have the hem sewn, you are going to insert the elastic into the skirt. You can measure out how much you need by wrapping it around your waist but add on a couple of extra inches.
To make sure that you don’t get the elastic stuck in the hem, attach it at the opening of the hem with a safety pin for now. Attach a second safety pin to the other end of the elastic to help you guide it through the hem.
Once you guide the elastic through, you can attach both ends of the elastic together with once safety pin. If you want to double-check the sizing, you can try this skirt on and adjust the elastic to a tightness that works for you. Once you do this, you can trim off the excess elastic.
You can now remove the safety pin and sew a straight seam to connect both ends of the elastic. Then you can sew the gap that you left in the hem shut. It’s important, though, to keep the elastic in place. To do this, you should add a straight, vertical seam in four places – one in the front of the skirt, one in the back, and one on either side.
Step 5: The Bottom Hem
Now, you are going to tackle the length of the skirt. To do this, try the skirt on and pin it at the length that you want it to stop at. Be careful to measure a straight line here so that you don’t end up with an uneven hem. Trim the fabric about an inch below your pins and fold the extra over. Now sew the bottom hem the same way you did the top hem.
Once you are done with the skirt, you can amp it up by adding a personal touch. For example, you can add a handmade sewing label or custom-designed online clothing tag to claim the skirt as your own.
