Thursday, July 1, 2010

Ruffly Jean Skirt Tutorial

This is my first time doing a tutorial, so I hope it is clear and understandable. :) I wanted to make a jean skirt that hit just above my knee with a pretty sizable ruffle. I used a denim needle and heavy duty thread the same color as my skirt. I started out measuring my waist where I wanted it to sit, along with my hips, and made the hem just 3 inches wider than those measurements so that it wouldn't flare too much. I cut these on the fold so they would be even. I did not use any kind of pattern.

Next, I cut a 6 inch panel, 3 times the length of my hem (although I had to add a little bit more at the end). I hemmed the bottom of this by simply folding over and sewing. Then I matched the top of the ruffle with the bottom of the hem on the skirt, putting the right sides together and leaving the wrong sides out, and began to sew. Every inch or so I gathered some fabric and pushed it flat, creating a sort of flat triangle, then sewed over that. I did this all along the ruffle.

Finally, I added an elastic waistband (because you know I love those, easy and comfy!). I took thick elastic and measured around my waist where I wanted the skirt to sit. Next, I pinned the elastic to the top of the skirt, leaving a half inch above it for sewing. Then, I folded over the top so that the elastic is inside the waistband. I pinned just a few times along this to keep it flat. Then, as I sew the waistband together (not over the elastic so it can move), I pulled the fabric and elastic out to it's fullest extent, that way the fabric will stretch as wide as the elastic. Finally, and I'm sorry I don't have a picture for this part, I unpinned the elastic, pulled them just a bit out the waistband and sewed the ends together by hand. I also had to sew the ends of the waistband together by hand (my machine wouldn't sew through the elastic, it was too thick). Last but not least, I sewed the two ends of my skirt together, completing it.
And here it is! Very comfortable, not too tight but not too roomy. Hope you have fun making your own ruffle skirt!

2 comments:

  1. You have a lovely blog. Quite anxious to see what other things you come up with!

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