Festive Holiday Skirt

This long A-line skirt has a tulle-edged slip peeking out from the bottom, soft wide waistband, and back sash/bow detail. It sews up in under three hours. Perfect for a last minute holiday outfit! There will even be scraps enough to make a matching bag.

Materials
3 meters cotton or lightweight wool fabric
2 meters lining fabric for slip
2 meters tulle for slip
30 cm zipper
1/2 inch waistband elastic
thread

Measure
A: Waist - at natural waistline
B: Hips - at fullest point
C: Waist to Hips
D: Waist to Ankle
E: Stride - take a comfortable step in your party shoes and measure front toe to back heel

Click for larger image, or download a printable PDF

Cut

1. Using the illustration or printable A4 PDF as a guide, measure directly on the fabric and cut the skirt front, back, and slip.
   
2. You may choose to piece the waistband in three sections if your fabric has a directional pattern, otherwise cut it in one piece lengthwise from the side of your fabric.
   
3. Cut the tulle in half lengthwise.

Sew the Skirt

1. Sew the back seam together, basting at the point along the section where the zipper will be.
   
2. Insert the zipper (centered or invisible).
   
3. Sew the back and front of the skirt together.
   
4. Baste along the waistline.
   
5. Place a pin at the waist center front.
   
6. Fold waistband in half lengthwise and iron.
   
7. Place a pin on the waistband at the center front. From there, measure 1/2 the waist size and place pins to guide on either side of center. Also pin at the 1/4 waist measurement points; these will line up with the side seams.
   
8. Pull up the waistline basting into light, even gathers to fit the pins on the waistband.
   
9. Sew the waistband to skirt, matching pins and side seams.
   
10. Iron waistband seams up, and raw edges of waistband towards inside.
    
11. Topstitch waistband and sash from edge to edge. You may choose to mitre the ends of the sash by folding them diagonally to the inside, or leave them square.
    
12. Hem the skirt.

Sew the Slip

1. Sew the side seams together.
   
2. Hem the bottom.
   
3. Double fold the top to form a casing.
   
4. Sew casing, leaving opening.
   
5. Insert elastic into casing. Stitch closed.
   
6. Overlap the two long tulle pieces to form one 4 meter long strip but do not sew together.
   
7. Fold strip in half lengthwise.
   
8. Baste along folded edge of strip.
   
9. Try on slip. Decide where to sew the tulle so it skims the floor or hits your ankles. Mark point on slip.
   
10. Gather tulle evenly to fit around slip.
    
11. Sew tulle ruffle to slip.

Posted by kuri at December 06, 2006 02:05 PM