10.30.2012

The easiest skirt ever

Since Jilly wouldn't wear her Red Riding Hood cloak (I realize I've now mentioned this approximately 15 times, I'm not bitter or anything) I knew she needed something red to wear for Halloween.  So I came up with this skirt, and it was the easiest, fastest, most gratifying sewing project I've ever done.

I started with a shirt that came as a pajama set but I didn't really ever wear it so it had found a home in my giveaway/think of some way to use pile.  I cut it off right below the buttons, but with a different shirt you'd just need to measure how long you want your skirt to be and add 2.5 inches for the waistband.

 Fold under the top edge about 1/4 inch and press.
Fold over the top about 1 1/4 inch- enough for your elastic plus a little extra
Pinny pin pin pin. You perhaps are a more confident seamstress and don't need as many pins as I do, but I pin the heck out of everything I do.  
 Sew the casing.  Be sure to leave about a two inch opening to pull the elastic through.  Some tricks I have found to be helpful-
 1. Sew on the front of the skirt so it will look straight, 2. Wrap a rubber band around your sewing machine to use as a guide again so your seams will be straight
 Use a safety pin to pull your elastic through the casing.  Try it on your little person to make sure it fits then sew the ends together.
 Turn out the extra edges and sew them flat (I hope the pictures makes more sense than my explanation)
 Stretch out the fabric on your opening, pin, and sew it up (on the front of the skirt again)
 Spread out the gathers and you are done!  Easy, peasy right?  It took more time to write this tutorial than to make the skirt. 
Maybe, just maybe, you'll get to see a picture of Jilly in her costume tomorrow.  I'm digging around for every form of bribery that could possibly be used.  But, please don't hold your breath.

4 comments:

Emily said...

The skirt is darling!! Don't you love it when you whip something up and it just works?! So fun! Elise also wouldn't wear her costume :( I even tried 2 of them and she would have none!! I was so bummed!! Hopefully you'll have good luck with the skirt!

Lisa said...

You are amazing!!!

The Daytons said...

So cute and so fun! Are little ones just so darn stubborn sometimes:) the things they set their mind on doing or not doing. So, I was wondering what exactly you meant by wrapping the rubber band around the sewing machine to help sew straight? I just wanted to get any tips on sewing straight I could, I need all the help I can get and no worries I pin and pin and pin as well!

Allison said...

It's taken me 5 years of parenting to realize I can't make Halloween costumes how I want them. Every year has been frustrating. Finally this year I designed them about what they would wear instead of what I want them to wear. We'll see how tomorrow goes.