I can make a skirt in 20 minutes....

And so can you...   Do you have daughters, granddaughters, nieces, neighbor girls?  I started making these quick skirts early last month...  My granddaughters love them...


I am sure there are numerous tutorials out there that show how to make a quick gathered skirt.  This is how I do it...

You will need

Prewashed fabric for skirt (amount will depend on measurements of child)
piece of cardboard or card stock
Matching thread
1 inch wide Non Roll Elastic
pins
rotary cutter
cutting mat
sewing machine

 

The first  thing we need to do is figure out how big your skirt needs to be..  Measure the waist and length of the child. Add 1 inch to the waist measurement and 3 inches to the length measurement and WRITE THESE NUMBERS DOWN.. As fast as these skirts are to make you will need those numbers more than once.   Make sure you take the waist measurement at the place on the abdomen where the skirt will sit.  This might not be the natural waist.  The girls wear their skirts around their hips now..  My granddaughters wear a size 5 or 6 (depending on which granddaughter) but I make their skirts from the same measurements.  One wears hers a little lower nearer her hips. 

So for my 4 and 6 year old granddaughters I buy half yard of fabric and have some left over scraps.

Waist measurement  22 so I added 1 inch to equal 23
Skirt length is 10 so I added 3 inches to equal 13

 
Cut a piece of card stock 1 1/2 inches wide by the length of the piece of card stock.  You can also use a piece of card board from a cereal box.  You want the length to be between 10 - 12 inches.

So now we have our supplies -

Prewashed fabric
cut piece of card board or card stock
sewing notions..

Lets get started..  (fabric color will change within the photos as I made two different skirts.)

Using your rotary cutter, mat and ruler cut a rectangle that is WOF by the length measurement.

Mine is WOF x 13 inches

This fabric has a fold along the bottom of the photo...And it's a different size because this is for an older granddaughter...but that info comes later...

Take your rectangle and finish off all raw edges with a zigzag. Around all 4 sides..

 

Place your fabric on an ironing surface with long edges at top and bottom and short edges along sides. With wrong side of fabric facing you. fold the top edge of the fabric over the card stock and press. Do this along the bottom edge also..  You have now made the hem and waist line of the skirt.

 

 

Open up the folded edges and with right sides together pin the two shorter edges together.  Sew a 1/2 inch seam.

 You should now have a tube of fabric with pressed folded edges at top and bottom.  If you are using directional fabric now is the time to decide which is the top and which is the hem. 

Turn your tube of fabric right side out and stitch along the hem.  I  line up the edge of my sewing foot and move my needle to the left two notches.  Do whatever works with your machine.

Now lets work at the waist line.   At the center back seam, place a pin 1 1/2 inches down from the top edge of the skirt.  Don't pin the short folded edge.  Just use the pin to mark.

Now open up the fold and stitch the edges of the seam allowance down from the raw edge to the pin.  This will be very helpful when we are putting in the elastic. 

Now stitch the waist line just like you did the hem leaving an opening about two fingers wide just close to the back seam.  Make sure you back stitch at the beginning and end.  

Thread your elastic through the casing. Overlap the elastic 1/2 inch and stitch together.  Make sure your ends aren't twisted. Stitch the opening closed and you are finished...

This is one of the three skirts I made the same afternoon..

For my older granddaughter who has a 28 1/2 inch waist and a 15 inch length I would buy 1 yard of fabric, cut two pieces 18 inches x WOF and seam them together along one short edge.. Then follow the same directions.   This makes a nice full skirt.. but one WOF makes it kind of skimpy... 

I hope all of this makes sense..  If you have any questions just email me.

Nancy