Friday, November 12, 2010

summer revisited, part 2


I have had this skirt in my closet for several years now and it is still one of my favorites.  I bought it at a local boutique a few years back and I love how versatile it is.   I have dressed it up for mass or thrown it on with sneakers and a t-shirt for running errands.  I have always wanted to replicate it and this summer I finally made a couple similar to this to have as my go-to at the beach.  Once I started looking closely at how it was made, I couldn't believe I hadn't tried to copy it sooner.  It is four identical panels, straight stitched down the seams, simply folded over with a straight stitch and elastic at the waist and serged around the bottom.  I made mine slightly different, but it literally took me 5 minutes.


The 5-minute skirt How-To:
I cut four identical panels 24 inches by 12 1/2 inches (this was roughly what the other skirt appeared to be).  This skirt ends up being a size 4 to 6 and hits a little below the knee, so adjust accordingly.


I serged all four pieces together to make the skirt.  If you don't have a serger, the skirt I was copying simply straight stitched the pieces together and didn't even finish the edges.  Don't you love that the raw, frayed look is in fashion?  Then, I folded over the top a little more than half an inch and serged all around, leaving an opening to run the elastic through and then finished serging.


Finally, I serged around the entire bottom of the skirt and was done.


And there you have it.  5 minutes and a whole skirt.  I have spent more time taking pictures and writing this post than it took me to make that skirt from start to finish.


The original skirt had the two middle seams on the inside and the two side seams exposed, but I serged all of mine on the same side.  I wore it both with the seams in and out...  looked cute either way.  And there you have my beach uniform...


So, I realize its not really time for a fun summer skirt (unless you live in Australia!), but I thought you could find some fun Fall material and throw it together with leggings or boots and be ready to go in your cute new skirt.  Or bookmark it and try it next May.  Either way, I hope you enjoy it!
Perhaps I will just have to whip up my own Fall/Winter version...

4 comments:

  1. Oh if only I could sew. I've taken 'sew' many classes and to no avail! But I lust after material, patterns and cute designs like yours.
    I love you blog, your store and I have even followed your family's blog. I too have raised a large Catholic family, starting in New Orleans, and then we moved to NC. You have done an amazing job, I delight in all their tales and yours! Feel free to follow my family if you so choose!
    PS I even did a posting about my sewing angst!
    http://sush-firstdonoharm.blogspot.com/2010/02/if-i-can-sew-you-can-sewtutorial_09.html
    I do have the 'envies'!

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  2. I love this, cute and chic at the same time, seriously, love.

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  3. This is really cute! I have made a skirt before, now i want to make that one!

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