I finally got the guts to post my first tutorial.
The skirt that I made is for size 3T. If you need any measurements for other sizes you can email me, along with any questions and I will try to help you out as much as I can. I apologize ahead of time for the long tutorial. I am visual type of girl and hope you are too! Good luck.
1. Choose your fabric. I chose two heavy cotton fabrics that compliment each other.
2. For the main part of the skirt cut 2 on fold. 21 1/4" wide x 9" high.
3. For the drop waistband cut 1 on fold. 12 1/2" wide x 5 1/2" high.
4. For the hem band cut 2 on fold. 21 1/4" wide x 6" high.
5. With right sides together, sew both sides of your drop waist band together at the edges. Then finish raw edges. I used pinking shears. You can use zigzag stitch or a serger.
6. With right sides together sew both strips of the main skirt together at the edges. Finish raw edge.
7. With right sides together sew both strips of the hem band together at the edges. Finish raw edge.
8. Fold the strip in half all the way around and press it down with an iron to make a firm crease. You should have a large circle when done. (see next photo)
9. It should look like this.
10. This is what all pieces should look like at this point. You should have 3 all together.
11. With right sides together take the hem band and line up the side seams with the side seams of the main skirt and pin all around.
12. Sew the hem band and main skirt together and finish raw edges.
13. Turn the skirt over and press the seam with an iron.
14. Gather the top of main skirt with a gathering or basting stitch. I set my basting stitch on 1. When you start your basting stitch I do a couple of back stitches to secure the thread so it doesn't pull out when you gather it and do not back stitch when your done. Make sure you have enough thread to pull on to gather the fabric. ( I think this is the hardest part)
15. Your gathered skirt should look like this.
16. With the right sides together pin the gathered part of the main skirt to the drop waist band. Make sure the seam of the waist bad in centered in the back with the 2 side seams are even on each side of the main skirt.
17. Sew the pieces together with the gathered side up. Finish raw edges.
18. This is what it should look like at this point.
19. Fold the top of the waist band over about an inch.
20. Pin all the way around the band leaving an opening for the elastic.
21. Sew all the way around the band making sure you leave the opening for the elastic.
22. I sew again around so I have two rows of stitching. I do that so it stays secure.
23. You may want to measure the waist of the child and cut the elastic an inch smaller than their waist. For the size 3t that I am making, the average waist measures about 19-20 inches.
24. Insert a large safety pin into one end of the elastic.
25. Thread the elastic with the safety pin through the opening of the waist band.
26. When it is threaded through, pull both sides of the elastic out of each end of the waistband and overlap each other and lay flat then sew the two together.
27. Push the elastic into the waistband casing, even it out and sew the opening closed.
28. I like to sew a vertical stitch on the center back seam to secure the elastic in place so it doesn't move around and twist.
ALL DONE !!!!
Congratulations. Sorry about the long long tutorial.
