How to Sew a Maxi Skirt for Summer

I first pulled out this cute striped jersey knit fabric about a year ago, when I made my striped summer t-shirt. I still love it and continue to get compliments on it!

I've been itching to sew my own maxi skirt out of the rest of the fabric and I finally got up the courage to do it! It's so funny that after all the projects I've made successfully, I still get nervous that I'll ruin it.

How to Sew a Maxi Skirt

Making your own maxi skirt might just be one of the easiest skirts you can make, especially if you make it with a knit or yoga waistband or elastic. No zipper or darts, as with my straight skirt, although another straight skirt is on my list!

Step 1: Take your measurements: Length & Waist & Hips around widest point (including backside). From those measurements, decide how flowy or clingy you want your skirt and add extra inches to the width of your fabric to compensate for seam allowance + extra fabric. You will cut a separate waistband. Note that your waistband will be stretched to fit snug.

Step 2: Cut out your fabric. I opted for 2 side seams instead of one in the back for my skirt & a 6 inch waistband (12 inches folded over to 6).

Step 3: Pin, pin, pin! Jersey knit can roll and stretch.
Step 4: Sew your seams. Using a ballpoint needle (to prevent making holes in your fabric) zig-zag stitch up the sides of your skirt and across the 2 short sides of your waistband folded over. A zig-zag stitch allows your jersey knit fabric to move & stretch with you instead of putting pressure on a straight seam.

Step 5: Attach your waistband. Mark the back and front middle, along with each side of the skirt and waistband with pins. Line up the points and pin at those points, right sides together. You will have excess fabric from the body. Stretch the waistband and body fabric together as you stitch and it will all come together. (Sorry no photo!) It's a bit of a tug-of-war with the sewing machine, but just be patient. I stretched the fabric while pulling lightly from the back, to ease it through.

Step 6: Secure wasitband and tag the back. To keep the waistband sitting flat, from the inside, fold the waistband hem up against the waistband and zig-zag stitch. I finished it off with by stitching a small piece of white jersey on the back inside of the skirt so I can tell which side is which.

And then you're done! You can hem the bottom if you want to, but I liked the look of it unhemmed. Plus, I was tired and wanted to be finished already! Ha!

I have a feeling this blue and white striped maxi skirt is going to get a lot of wear this summer!

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In case you missed it:
DIY striped summer t-shirt
All Tops & Shirt Refashions
Skirt sewing projects and/or refashions

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Sewing a straight skirt: a first!

I've made a few skirts before. Some refashioned, others freshly drafted from my brain. Mostly they have been simple cuts with easy elastic or stretchy knit waistbands.

Taking on a straight skirt sewing project was a new adventure for me. I keep telling myself to try sewing from a pattern, but my stubborn creative side says, "I don't need that!"

On one hand, sewing without a pattern is  frustratingly brutal and I feel like pulling my hair out when I don't understand how to put something together and remind myself, "Someone's already done this!". On the other hand, I end up stretching my sewing skills and brain to greater heights and I feel a big sense of accomplishment when I'm done.

Sewing a Straight Skirt

Making your own pattern

There really is no method to my madness, but if you're like me and like to torture yourself sew without a pattern, I'll give you a few of the play-by-plays.

I laid out an existing skirt I like the fit of, folded it in half and traced around it on a piece of pattern paper (I use craft paper). Since this is a straight skirt, I traced the shape of a rectangle about an inch from the outside of the skirt. Then I traced with a dotted line, the actual shape of the skirt.

That was pretty much my pattern. A big rectangle.

I also used a tape-measure and croquis to measure myself. Just because. In case it would help down the road.

I cut out one panel for the front and two panels for the back.
I trimmed as I put the pieces together and ended up cutting a panel slightly too small. Drat!
So I had to end up cutting 4 panels for the back instead of 2. Luckily I had enough fabric. Breathe.

At the point I had sewn all the panels together and put the zipper on, it started to look like a real skirt.  But it was still just a big old rectangle. If I were only Sponge Bob Square Pants.

Time to begin the process of fitting the skirt.
Enter: Darts
Aaaah! I'm not gonna lie, that scared me.

Fitting a Straight Skirt

This was the trickiest part for me.
How to get a rectangle to fit around my waist, fit comfortably, flatter my figure, and maintain balance between the front and back of the skirt, would be a challenge.

Adding Darts

I thought there were only two ways to put darts in. The right way or the wrong way. Turns out there are many different options when fitting a straight skirt. Some don't put them in at all! Gasp!

I stumbled upon this article when searching options for fitting my straight skirt. It cracked me up and made me want to slap the writer at the same time. I highlighted my favorite part. Oh please! You did NOT just tell us to exercise! If I had a pot belly (which, p.s., is such a rude way to say it) I'd be totally offended. ha!

Anywho, moving on.
If you have a flat stomach, congratulations.
If you have even a bit of a tummy, straight skirts will show it unless you create your fit to disguise it.

I ended up putting 2 darts in the front, but just slightly away from center, darted the side seams twice to create more of a curve around my hips, and added two darts in the back.

It took several fittings, sewing and pinnings, but I eventually got it to fit me close to perfectly, if I do say so myself.

And here is the end result, in all its straight skirt glory:

You can see one of the front darts here

I ended up using a hook and eye to close the waist because my zipper ended up being a touch lower than I thought it would be (I put the zip in before turning over the waistband). Still works for me!

Putting a slit in the back was so easy. I don't know why it always seemed intimidating.

This denim is light-weight with a bit of stretch, so it will be perfect for summer with a colorful t-shirt and sandals.

One skirt down, two to go!
My next two will be from blue and white seer sucker cotton and a light-weight flowy hawaiian print cotton. Still deciding on styles, but I'm thinking one will be gorded and the other maybe straight with a ruffle. One more breath before jumping in. J

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Summer Skirts

Maybe it's the out-of-the-ordinary-sunshine we had in Seattle for a few hours Monday morning that's messing with my head, but I'm ready to bypass spring and jump straight to summer!

In my mind I jump ahead to warmth-filled-bare-foot-days sipping lemonade, listening to the spray of sprinklers and childrens' carefree giggles, while the sun's rays tickle my toes. Ah, summertime.

I discovered last summer that I LOVE to wear breezy skirts. Paired with a plain or decorative tee, they are both casual and dressy enough at the same time, and oh so comfy. Slip on a pair of cute sandals and you're good to go.

Here are a couple of last summer's favorites (soon to be this summer's too).

Black peasant-style skirt and decorative tee
( I didn't sew these)

Peasant-type cotton skirt with shirred waist. SO comfy!
(Didn't sew these either)
And sorry for the goofy photo with the reflector showing in the background.

But I did sew this skirt.
"Painted" Linen Maxi skirt I refashioned from a maxi dress. Very comfy as well.

And I also wore a few others I whipped up. {See other skirts I've made.}

On to my current projects...

I bought some fabric last spring with the intention of making a few skirts.
But as you can see, it's still ready for the making.

Decorative Denim. I love the cherries.

Hawaiian Designed Cotton. Love the dreamy colors and designs. Makes me want to be back in Maui.

And a summer favorite for sure, light blue and white Seersucker cotton. 

This polka dot and flowered material, my mom gave me that day we reminisced through fabrics. I think it's rayon. I want to make a cute top out of the blue and white polka dot (there isn't enough for a skirt), and a skirt out of the blue and white flowered.

The biggest problem I have at this point is deciding which design for which fabric. All my ideas are whirling! Stop the madness!

I happen to like longer, breezy skirts, and found 5 tutorials for Maxi skirts from Sew Chic and Unique, 48 free skirt tutorials on Frugal and Thriving and a panel skirt tutorial on Adithis Amma Sews. The question is, which styles are right for me? I don't want a lot of bulk. I already have enough, thank you!

So the search for the right patterns continue. I don't want to ruin these great fabrics because I jumped the gun and didn't think it through. I don't use patterns, so the risk is a little higher to mess up royally. Luckily, and not so luckily, summer's still a ways off, so I still have time to decide.

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Easy Refashion: Strapless maxi dress to skirt

I bought this Royal blue linen strapless maxi dress from a sale rack at Old Navy last summer. I love the look of the "handpainted" colorful lines at the bottom.

Unfortunately for me and others who are 5'4" or shorter, these lovely maxi dresses may as well be made for giants. I'd have to pull it up over my head for it not to drag the ground. haha. Wish I had a picture of that.

Anywho, I bought it with the intention of refashioning it into a skirt because it was the bottom hem line that I loved so much anyway.

Sounds easy to refashion, right? Actually it was! Here's how:

The dress already came with two elastic bands. One for the halter top and one for the waist. Since from the waistband down was still atrociously long for me, I had to make a cut farther down for my new waist.

I used one of the bands of elastic already on the dress, for my new waist. The elastic bands were sewn to the dress in a couple places, so I had to unpick a few seams to separate the elastic from the dress, and cut it in another spot. Not too tricky, just a bit annoying.

Before sewing my new waistband, I took in the sides a little bit. It was quite a bit fuller farther down. This dress has a liner, so I kept it all together as one piece, making sure it didn't shift.
Next, I folded under the new waistband. Make sure to leave an open spot to thread the elastic through.

After threading the elastic through, I stitched the spot closed. I think I may still sew a couple stitches to hold the elastic in place so it won't twist.

And there it is. The finished skirt. That started as a giant strapless maxi dress.

Sorry about the wrinkles. You know how linen can be.

Ah, and that lovely water color striped hemline...reminds me of Maui's coastline...

***Have you entered the Soothing Summer Skin Giveaway yet?***

There's still time! Go here and enter!

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Sheer Skirt Overlays: A tale of 3 skirts: part 3

Are you ready for part 3 of my tale of three skirts?

As you know from yesterday's post, I finished the white underskirt and black and white polka dot tulle ruffled overlay. Today, I am on to the 3rd skirt. A creamy lace overlay, utilizing the same white underskirt from yesterday.

This really might be one of the easiest skirts I've ever sewn.

I simply took my widest hip measurement, added a few inches, laid the lace folded over evenly (keeping the decorative edge on the bottom), and cut the dimensions I wanted for two panels.

Since the lace was folded over evenly, I just snipped at the fold to reveal two matching pieces for front and back.

At this point I should have sewn one of the sides of the skirt together before sewing over the elastic casing...but I was evidently too immersed in my project to think...so I sewed the elastic casing on first, to each of the two panels.

Have you ever sewn lace on lace? I haven't. It's a little slippery as you can imagine. So what worked for me was to lay the elastic down under the casing and just keep it there while sewing right next to it as a guide (not directly on the elastic).

When I was finished, I simply slipped the elastic back out.

And it worked for me so well that I used it as a form of stability when sewing the two sides of my skirt together (right sides together)...like this:

And when I was finished with one side of the skirt, I switched it to the other. It worked like a charm. Kept the lace in place, just where I wanted it.

Here is the skirt turned right side out. It's now ready for the elastic.

I threaded the elastic through with my handy dandy extra large safety pin.
And when I had pulled the elastic all the way through, I brought the ends together (wrong sides together).
And after sewing it together, flattened it and used a zig zag stitch to secure.
I slipped it back in the lace and did a little zig zag stitch right over the top of the opening. You can barely even see it. And since I plan on not tucking anything in to this skirt, what you can see doesn't matter.

Flash back to yesterday's t-shirt-to-skirt reconstruction...

This interchangeable skirt will now go underneath this lacy skirt overlay.

one plus the other =

I love how it turned out!

Kind of has an antique feel.

I have two more skirts lined up for this summer but still need to come up with the right designs for the fabric...but for today, I have to make a visit to Remlinger Farms to check on my shop inventory and see if any of my pillows, baby bibs/burp cloth sets, or aprons have sold!

Ciao for now!

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