Everyone has been asking how I made this skirt and so I would like to share the entire experience. It was super bowl Sunday and I needed something fun to do. On my way out of one of my favorite sewing shops, Sew to Speak, I spotted a bundle of soft Robert Kaufman pre-cut fat quarters that I just had to have for what I thought would be a patchwork skirt.

 

I opened the fabric up and spread all of it on the floor. I stared at it and took pictures of it for about an hour. For two more hours I pinned it to my dress form trying to figure out how to drape 18″ x 22″ rectangles to look like handkerchiefs. What I made was a big pin fabric nest of a mess. I reverted back to laying it out on the floor and decided to use math. I needed a 40″ waistline if I was to use elastic to fit the garment over my hips. I have 10 fat quarters. There is a 4″ difference in each rectangle. 10 fat quarters all 4″ too long equaling 40″.

Time to play! I quickly laid my first two pieces in an L shape and then continued all the way around. The 4″ overhang in the center would be my waistline.

10 fat quarters went around 2 1/2 times.

I pinned them all in place.

I wanted a rough unfinished look so I headed back to my Juki serger. If you use your serger make sure you have full spools so you do not run out.

I wanted my serger stitches close together with my differential feed on normal and my stitch length on 1 1/2. I liked the way this looked.

Before I sewed the last two sides together to make this a great big circle of squares, I serged around the waistline. It is easier to sew an open flat piece of fabric than around a circle. Just after the waistline was sewn I serged the last two side seams together. I also thought it would be faster to just go ahead and hem my skirt right now on the serger.

In less than an hour I was almost finished making the construction side of my skirt.

Boom, I just needed to add my elastic. I totally used my serger here, too. I used 2″ wide elastic the length of my waist line. I sewed the two ends of the elastic together and then marked them into fourths with pins. I marked my skirt waist band at fourths as well. I pinned it all together stretching the elastic as I sewed. If you have a drastic difference in your hip to waist it might be a good idea to gather your skirt waistline a bit with a basting stitch to get it to fit around the elastic better. I was really pulling and stretching.

Last good tip – if you serge your elastic on, try turning your cutter off, most new sergers can do this. Mine has a pull and flip feature that I love.

Can you imagine the possibilities now?

Behind the scenes~

 

Thinking about summer dresses I made in the past that I love that have sold. This is one of many I want to remake.

On my shopping local journey I have found going to others events is so much more fun than having my own. Little Shop of Stitches in Miamisburg does a lot fun community events including mini day sewing retreats. What ever your favorite local fabric shop is check out what community events they offer and enjoy.

Thank you for reading,

Tracy McElfresh

Dream It! Sew It!

Tracy McElfresh
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