Art Gallery Fabrics - The Creative Blog

A little variety in our sewing projects never hurt anybody, which is why today we’ll be infusing our DIY repertoire with a pinch of fashion. Our last few tutorials have added much functionality to the day-to-day of our readers and makers, but let’s cut through the wonderful theme of function while keeping with our DIY style; pretty, simple and quick.

This is a skirt with a timeless, straight silhouette. We’ve added an edgy, contrasting block near the hem to round off a look that’s down-to-earth contemporary.

So let’s get started!

1. Measure your hip and add 2”. This will be your fabric’s crosswise measurement. We’ll be using our mannequin’s measurements, so our crosswise is 33 ½”.
2. The length of your skirt depends on your preference. Just measure from your waist down to your desired length and add 3 ½”. We chose 22” as our length for a total of 25 ½”.
   Note: The total length includes the added block of contrasting fabric near the hem.
3. Lastly, measure your waist, then cut a piece of elastic with this measurement. Ours is 27”.

We started with a yard of Squared Elements in Watermelon and a long quarter of Squared Elements in Shadow. After measuring and cutting, these were our final components:

1. (1)  33½” x 20 rectangle of Watermelon (Squared Elements collection)
2. (1)  33½” x 3¾”  rectangle of Shadow (Squared Elements collection)
3. (1)  33½” x 4½”  rectangle of Watermelon (Squared Elements collection)
4. 27” x ½” wide elastic  

^{Note: Remember to sew all right sides together with a ¼”of seam allowance.} 

Let's get sewing. First, sew piece 1 to piece 2 crosswise, then sew piece 2 to piece 3. Based on our own measurements, we ended up with a 33½” x 25½” rectangle. 

And for the last few steps:

1. Fold your rectangle in half, lengthwise (right side of the fabric should be inside) and sew the edge to close it down.

2. For the seam, fold the top 1½” in and sew ¼” from the edge all the way around.

3. Now, sew ¾” from the seam we just did, leaving the back seam open so we can insert our waist elastic.

4. Next, use a safety pin to insert the waist elastic through the opening. When both ends meet, hand sew them together and close the opening with the same method.

5. Lastly, sew your hem 2” from the edge and we are done.  

Feel inspired to play around with different fabrics! And if you're feeling adventurous, an embellishment with a flower or two near the hem will add interest and dimension to the silhoutte. Let us know how you played around with your skirt and where you plan on wearing it to. 

Thanks for reading and keep stitching!

Lorena

*EDIT: Thanks the good eye of one our viewers, we'd like to note it's recommended that you add 2" to your hip measurments to avoid too snug a fit on your skirt.