Quick, Easy and Cute Elastic Waist Pencil Skirt Tutorial

If you're like me and you have difficulty finding skirts that fit properly or you just like to save money or make your own clothes, then you might be interested in this tutorial for a super easy but cute pencil skirt.

 Materials Needed:

~Fabric scissors

~Pins

~Fabric*

~Elastic**

~Matching thread***

~A fabric marking pen/chalk/pencil

*This is for 60" wide fabric and if you want the skirt to extend from your waist to your knees. If you want it to be shorter, a different width of fabric could work. The fabric width needs to be the distance from where you want the top of the skirt to be to where you want the bottom of the skirt to be plus 4" times 2.

If you're using 60" wide fabric and you want your skirt to be 26" long or less, then you will need to measure the widest part of your body between the top and bottom of the skirt (probably your hips). Whatever that measurement is, add about 4" and that's how many inches of fabric you need. If you want your skirt to be longer, you will need to get that measurement twice.

As for type of fabric, it's up to you. I've used a suiting fabric, but twill and spandex work great too. If you're using a really stretchy fabric like jersey knit or some spandexes, then the elastic isn't necessary.

**For elastic, you need whatever the distance around where you want the top of the skirt to be. I've used 1" wide elastic. If you want it to be different, this will change the length of the skirt.

***Your thread should match exactly. If you serge your raw seams, you should also have matching serger thread. The closer this matches, the better, but it need not be exact.

These instructions assume that you're using 60" wide fabric and want your skirt to be about 26" long.

Lay your fabric out and cut it along the seam at the top. If you have a skirt that you already like the size and shape of, you can lay it out on top and trace the shape of it. The only difference will be that you will want the top to be the same width as the widest part of the skirt.

If you don't have a skirt you like - which would explain why you're here - then follow these instructions:

Measure and write down the measurements of the widest part of your hips as well as the distance between this widest part and where you want the top of your skirt to be. You want the distance from the top of the fabric to be this same distance plus 2". Mark where your hips will be on the fabric and draw a line straight upward from there to the top of the fabric.

What you do from here depends on what you want the skirt to look like. What I did is made the bottom of the skirt about 2" smaller than the hips. You may want it to go straight down or even flare out a bit. Remember that if this shape doesn't work, you can change it later, but it's much easier to make it smaller rather than larger once it's been sewn.

If  you want it to be smaller than what I did, you'll probably want to add a slit unless the material you're using is fairly stretchy. I intend to have a tutorial on adding a slit to a dress soon.

Once you've traced the shape of your skirt, pin it in place, cut it out, and sew along the side edges. Don't forget to fix your stitches and take out the pins before you sew over them.

Turn your skirt right-side-out and try it on. Everything above your hips should be too big, but make sure that you like everything hips and down. It will also be about 4" longer than it will be finished.

If you're not happy, make appropriate alterations.

Once you're happy with the size, serge the edges. I've just done a tight zig-zag stitch on my sewing machine instead because this skirt is just for me and I didn't feel like threading the serger. Your machine may also have an overcast stitch which is better than a zig-zag stitch. It basically does what a serger does, just way more slowly. Check your owner's manual/stitch list.

Now, you will need to attach the elastic. Turn the top edge over about 1/2" and pin it in place.

  And now sew it in place. Don't forget to pull out your pins before they go under your foot and to fix your stitch at the beginning and end. Try to end up in the same place as you started so that it looks like one continuous stitch.

It should look something like this. Make sure your seams are lying flat.

Now fold this seam over your elastic. The stitch you've already sewn should approximately line up with the edge of the elastic. Pin this fold in place.

And sew the fold in place somewhere in between the stitch you've already sewn and the edge of the fold. Be sure not to sew over the elastic. Start sewing near the elastic ends and stop sewing about 3" before you've sewn all the way around.

Don't forget to fix your stitches and remove your pins before you sew over them.

Through the hole you've left, pull the two ends of the elastic out enough for you to sew them together, laying flat on top of one another

This elastic is ribbed, which helps keep it from folding over and twisting after it's been sewn in. Keep an eye out for it.

Make sure to sew this really securely. I would suggest straight and zig-zag stitches in at least two different places to make sure it's really secure.

Try your skirt on to make sure it fits. Other than being a few inches too long, it should fit normally now. If it's too loose, then make your elastic shorter and resew it.

Once you're happy with the elastic, feed it back into the hem and sew the hole shut.

Try on the skirt. It should be about 2" longer than you want it to be. If it's too short, then there's not much you can do. You can make the hem a bit smaller, but that won't make much of a difference. The best thing to do would probably be to add some sort of trim such as lace to make it longer.

If it's too long, then just make your hem larger.

Now to hem the bottom of your skirt. Fold the edge over about 1/2" and pin in place. After that's done, fold the edge over about 1.5" and pin it in place again.

You'll typically want to press this hem in place before, and if not after, sewing it, but I've already sewn with this fabric and happen to know that it doesn't press or wrinkle at all, which I don't mind. If you're working with such a fabric, then pressing will be unnecessary.

Typically, I like to machine sew the hem in place, but my perfect thread ran out just as I got to this point. Another option is to hand sew your hem in place as seen in this pic. The hand sewing method makes the thread less visible.

The hand sewing method will look something like this when it's done.

If your machine has a blind hem stitch, that will do basically the same thing. Consult your owner's manual, if you're not sure.

And now you've got yourself a fabulous skirt! Congrats and thanks for reading my tutorial.

If you have any questions or comments or what-have-you, leave a comment in the comment section. You'll get a response and my blog will look more popular, so do it.

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Fabric Hair Bows ~ How to Make 'Em

Do you want to make fabric hair bows? Well, this is the tutorial for you.

Materials needed:

~0.25 meters/yards* of fabric**

~Matching thread (it should match fairly closely)

~Fabric scissors or a rotary cutter ensemble

~Pins

* This makes 4 bows the same size as what's in the pictures. You can do different sizes, of course. Go ahead and experiment and what-have-you.

** All of the bows in this tutorial are made from quilter's cotton, but you can also make them out of satin, lace and other fabrics. You may what to use an interfacing or layer the fabric to make it stiffer depending on the fabric you use.

As always, the first step is to cut off the selvage and make sure the edges are relatively straight. It doesn't have to be perfectly even, but do what you can. This is easier with a rotary cutter than with scissors.

It's hard to take pictures with my left hand when holding scissors with my right, so the tape measure is crooked, but yours should be straight.

Anyways, cut a 3.5" strip off from one of the ends

Just like this.

Cut that strip into 4 strips of approximately 2.5" x 3.5"

Then cut the remainder into 4 rectangles of about 9" x 10"

Take one of the smaller and one of the larger rectangles and put the rest aside for later.

Take the smaller rectangle...

and fold it in half with the longer side together.

Sew it along the long sides so that you have a tube. Don't forget to fix your stitches at the beginning and end of the stitch.

You should do a zig-zag stitch along the same edge so that the seam doesn't fray apart over time. You could easily not do the zig-zag stitch and it'd turn out just fine. I just do because I sell a lot of the stuff I make and I really like to extra make sure it never comes apart.

After you have your tube, turn it right-side-out (If this is difficult, you've done it right) and fold the raw edges together, right sides together (so that you can see the seam). Sew that edge together. Don't forget to fix your stitches and snip excess threads.

Turn your piece in-side-out and you should end up with a little tube like this. This is the cinch of your bow.

But we need to put it aside for a few minutes while we make the body of the bow.

Grab the larger rectangle.

And fold it in half. If your piece is approximately square, it doesn't matter which way you fold it. I've folded it with short sides together for this bow. You can play around with sizes and such and decided what you like best.

Now sew along the edges you've folded together. Again, I've zig-zag stitched along the edge in between the edge and the straight stitch. Don't forget to fix your stitches.

And you'll end up with a tube. Don't forget to cut your threads.

Turn your tube right-side-out so that you have a right-side-out tube.

Then find the halfway point across from the seam and mark it with a pin.

Match up the seam to where the pin is and pin the two edges together. Your seam should be in the middle. The closer it is, the more even your bow will look.

Do the same with the other side and fold the two pins together, rights side together so that you can see the seam. Make sure that the seam allowance is faced the same way so that it'll lay flat.

Then take out one of the pins and use the other to pin the two sides together.

Then sew that edge together. I'd say you should definitely zig-zag stitch this edge. Don't forget to fix your stitches.

This is what it should look like. If there's excess seam, you might want to cut it off to reduce bulkiness. Don't cut too close to the seam, though.

  

Starting from the middle, make some folds. You'll probably want to keep it symmetrical, but naturally, you're your own boss and you can do what you want. Something like this usually works out.

Then stick in two pins to keep the lovely folds you've made in place.

Now, press the folds on one edge together

Like this.

And slide your cinch on. The seam of your cinch should be on the back of the bow. Take out the pins as you get to them.

After a bit of fidgeting and scrunching, you should end up with something like this. It's quite typical to feel like you never get it perfectly straight, but you'll figure it out.

Now for the clips. Just slide it into the back of the bow in between the cinch and the bow.

I like these type of clips, just cause I do. There are lots of different kinds you can use. Alligator clips are probably the most common choice.

Once you're happy with the way your cinch is situated, you'll want to glue it in place. This brand seems to work just fine. Any fabric glue will work. Velcro glue will also work. One thing that will make it easier is if it has a longer nozzle like this. Try not to get the glue anywhere that you can see it.

I know lots of people glue the clips in place as well, but I prefer not to. They stay in just fine without it and I like giving people the option of taking the clip out if they want to.

And here's a really common way to wear your bow.

My husband took these pics and was helping me make it straight, so naturally, it's not very straight.

Sorry if this didn't make much sense. I wrote most of this during a particularly sad part of season 5 of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". If you've seen it, you'll know what I'm talking about and know that that was a bad idea.

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