Insanely Simple Skirt - Round 2

Remember the Uber-Simple Skirt? Well this month I got two more chances to play around with the basics of that pattern. So here's a look at what else you can do!

This pink skirt was commissioned without any measurements, just an existing skirt to work off of. Not too difficult, just take the measurements and transfer them to a six panel format. It took a total of two yards of fabric - not bad at all.

A look at my calculations to figure out the best way to cut the panels, and to mathematically figure out how wide the bottom could be.

Sewed up all the sides.

I checked the waist measurements and found that they were a little big, so I went and took in the tops in the front and back seams.

Next I needed to cut out the facing. I simply used the leftover fabric and layed it against the skirt waist for a pattern. I then measured down about four inches to find my bottom hem.

Hemmed the bottom of the facing and sewed the top to the skirt, right sides together. Turned and pressed.

Inserted a lapped zipper and hook on the right side.

You can barely see it here, but I stitched my artist signature into the facing. Can you make out the "EHA" ?

Finished skirt!

The whole project took me just under two hours. Granted, I have a lot of sewing experience, but even a beginner seamstress could manage this project in a couple of hours. Still uncertain? Try making a smaller version for a doll or younger sibling to get the hang of it.

My client was thrilled with the outcome and was quite happy to send me a couple of pictures of her enjoying her new skirt. Who says you can't climb trees in dresses?

I was then inspired to finish a linen skirt I'd started ages ago (by ages I mean about 7 years ago). It involved five panels instead of six, but the only real change that made was that the zipper ended up being placed in the center back seam.

As you can see, this skirt has a higher waist, is more fitted around the hips, more flared at the bottom, and is trimmed with two rows of black ribbon. None of these are terribly difficult modifications, but the result in a very different finished product.

Want a skirt like this? A really simple one like the pink skirt would run about $35, plus shipping. A more labor intensive version like the brown one would depend on just how much fitting and trim you wanted, but probably around $50. More questions? Send me an e-mail at elenatintil [at] gmail [dot] com.