Tag Archives: skirt

Sewing project

A pretty princess skirt!

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Princess skirt ~ OTD

So this week I made a skirt. Its a belated present to my daughters’ friend. She turned 4 sometime in December, and due to the craziness, I didnt have time to make up the skirt. Of course, my eldest daughter picked out the fabric, and then she helped me where she could to make it up. I just made up how it would turn out, as I went along, and I think it turned out pretty cute.

Bottom of princess skirt ~OTD

It reminds me of a princess skirt. And as a bonus, its good enough quality that it can be worn as a normal skirt, as well as a dress up. Unfortunately, I didnt take any photos so that I could make a tutorial. Please comment if you would like a tutorial on this skirt and I will do one!

And as an aside, has anyone seen this before? I went to buy some shirring elastic for the skirt (who did I lend mine to??!) and the only ones I could find where coloured! Looks very cool, but you don’t see it because its at the back anyway!

Coloured shirring elastic

Sewing project

Scalloped skirt!

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Red scalloped skirt with pocket

And the skirt making continues…

I bought this fabric a while ago. Its actually Christmas quilting fabric, shhh! I had it all lined up for a different style of skirt, and then it just developed as I made it. I had seen pictures of scalloped skirts on Pinterest and thought they looked nice. When I saw that the pattern on the fabric was curved, it reminded me of the said skirts and so away I went. Sorry to say I didnt photograph how I did it, and I didnt follow anyones tutorial. But if you search for a tutorial, Im sure you will find one 🙂

Scalloped skirt OTD

This time I added an external pocket, just for the contrasting look, with the underneath of the scallops.

Scalloped skirt contrasting pocket OTD

All in all, I really like the skirt. The only thing I would change is the size of it around my body. I used the formula of 1.5 x largest hip measurement. It is a bit too much for my liking and I think next time I make a similar skirt, I will aim for about a 1.2 -1.3 x largest hip measurement.

Now, summer days, come at me! (Except the bad humidity, you can just tone it down a little..)

Sewing project

Simple Summer skirt!

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So Ive been cleaning up my sewing and knitting room, and I thought about putting up a blog post about that. But lets face it, its no pinterest photo! Maybe if I got all artsy and did an abstract photo with a lovely pile of folded fabric in focus and the giant piles of sorting blurred, haha!

While cleaning, Ive come across some great light patterned fabric, perfect for some Summer skirts that my wardrobe is calling for. I strictly told myself I needed to wait until I had finished restacking the fabric. And then got on Pinterest, just to “have a look”. Turns out there are a few great tutorials on making easy skirts. Also turns out, me and the kids miraculously didn’t break our ankles hopping over piles of fabric to make this said skirt last night.

OTD Easy Summer Skirt

I ended up using a very simple tutorial from Ruffles and Stuff for a 20 minute skirt. In my usual style, it took longer for tweaking the pattern. I cant stand having to carry small things like a phone, so I added a side pocket. I decided I wanted to wear the skirt on my hips, lower at the front, so i cut the skirt lower at the front so the hem will sit straighter. I also didn’t read the tutorial properly and didnt gather the fabric. I just pulled the elastic to fit it. I prefer it this way as it means the elastic can be stretched the full way when putting it on, until the fabric is straight. On the downside, it is a lot harder to do!

OTD Easy Summer Skirt pocket

A lot of my fabric is what I like to call hand-me-down. Fabric others have bought, and then given the cull. There is some that is factory seconds, and some is vintage, some from my grandmother (who passed away before I was born; I keep it for special things), and some that is just plain weird. And of course, just normal stuff too! After I had decided on the fabric and elastic I was going to use, I discovered that the hand-me-down fabric had previously been tried to make into a skirt. No matter, just a few extra predone seams. Plus some slight darting at the top, of which noone can see because its gathered!

What does your fabric stash look like? Any plans for some new skirts?

Sewing project

“Fairy princess queen ballerina…” dress up skirt using a lace curtain

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Who else hears about a pretty mermaid princess fairy who practices dancing and is going to a party tonight on her unicorn which also likes wearing a tiara? Im sure Im not alone when I hear the combination of girl words pumped out at me. Apparently, only one girls’ thing is not enough. All must be entertwined into a super- extravaganza of girliness.

Something tells me if you cant beat them, join them. So I rustled through the kids dollclothes and blankets to find something. It contains a lot of my fabric pieces that the girls gravitate towards (and coincidentally end up in their playroom). There I found a piece of what I can only imagine is a pink lace curtain. Who knows?! All I know is the kids love it.

Husband, lets put this on your study window!
Husband, lets put this on your study window!

I cut it up and made a skirt, and used the little scraps to decorate some hairties.

Fairy skirtFairy hairtie

Happy girls!

The skirt and hairties would make a nice pressie for a little girl, without much time or cost.

Im sure any lace curtain would do, certainly could be an upcycling project!

For the skirt, I made 2 rectangles and attached the sides with a straight stitch. Then I cut elastic to waist length and sewed it in a loop. I sewed a casing by folding the top of the skirt over the elastic as I sewed. I cut the triangles into the bottom of the skirt at the start, but this could be done at the end with any shape you like. You could also use the bottom of a lace curtain that already has a nice shape and pattern.

For the hairties, I cut a few little strips, folded them on themselves, put them around the hairtie, and pushed the ends through the loop.

Enjoy!

… the girls are eyeing off a piece of green shimmery fabric now.