Let the lesson begin!
Let me start by saying that anything I create I do so off the top of my head - not from books or other tutorials - so there will be techniques and things I do that will probably be technically very wrong. I do hope to attend a dress-making class in the future, but until then this section is entirely written from a complete novice/idiots point of view!
01 The Tools
Measure your waist and cut a piece of elastic that size plus an extra inch to allow the ends to be overlapped and sewn together. Depending on the material you choose and the fullness required, buy the necessary amount of fabric. In this instance I opted for silk taffeta which is very thin. I also bought less than the last skirt since it was expensive - I knew it wouldn't be as full but for the purposes of the tutorial it didn't matter. For the thick material on the last skirt, I bought 2 metres to fit into 25" of elastic. In this case I bought 1.5metres.
02 Decide The Length
Determine the length you want the
finished article to be, and cut the length about 4" longer. You can
always make something shorter but you can't make it longer! Once you have cut
the length, overlock the edges to stop fraying. I also utilise the
selvedge edge for the waistband - it saves time overlocking the other long edge.
Sew both ends of the material together, creating a tube. Iron the fold nice and flat.
04 The Waistband
Firstly measure the thickness of your
elastic and iron a hem wide enough to allow you to thread it through. I
advise getting as close to the width of the elastic as you can since a
too wide hem means the elastic gets twisted easier. Sew the waistband
but leave a gap in the stitching about an inch so that you can thread the elastic into
the waistband. You can stitch up the gap afterwards.
05 The Bottom Hem
Since you now have the amount worked out
for the waistband, you are free to take up the bottom hem which will be
the remainder of the material in excess of your finished length.
06 Completing The Waistband
Now thread the elastic through the gap in the stitching. Attach a safety pin to the end of the elastic to give you something to pull. You
will be pushing all the material into the waist-sized length of
elastic. If you are using the thick material, this can be quite hard!
Keep pushing until the elastic ends meet and sew them. Sew up the gap
where you threaded the elastic through.
07 The Finished Skirt
The skirt is now complete! Just make sure all your hems and seams are
pressed as that will give a more professional looking finish.
I picked the fabric because I loved the colours most of all. I also decided to make it a few inches longer this time, so I could wear it on it's own. It also works with the skirt I made previously as the colour and fabrics match beautifully.
Good Luck!
Queen Michelle
