How to Sew a Simple Girly Skirt

Here's a lesson in sewing a simple half-circle skirt for your favorite girly girl. I'm creating mine for a three-year old, and it's going to take a little less than a yard and a half of fabric. I will also need matching thread, a tape measure, scissors, chalk, and a drawstring that is 12 inches longer than the child's waist measure.

First, measure around the widest part of your girl's hips. Then measure how long you want the skirt to fall from her waist. I want this skirt to be about 15 inches long, since I like the length of the pink skirt I already made.


Now, take that hip measure and add an inch for the seam allowance, and then divide it by 3. My hip measure was about 17", so my magic number is 6".

Now, lay your fabric out folded in half crosswise, so that the selvedges lie on top of each other. Choose a corner on the fold, and designate that the top of the skirt. Now take your magic number, and using your tape measure, mark an arc 6 inches (or your magic number) out from that corner, in a quarter circle at the top of the fabric. Hold the tape measure in the corner, and swing it around the full arc (just like using a compass) making chalk marks periodically, then free-handedly join them into a continous line.


Now, working from the arc you have drawn, draw the bottom hem of the dress, using the number of inches you want plus an inch for seams. I wanted my skirt to be 15 inches long, so I hold the tape measure 16 inches out from the short line and again mark an arc, just like a compass, farther down the fabric. Now cut on your lines, and you will have a shape like this:


Using the leftover fabric, cut a waistband that is 1 inch longer than your hip measure, and is 2 inches wide. Working right sides together, pin the waistband to the waist of the skirt. Let half an inch of the waistband hang over the side edge of the skirt. If you've never done it before, pinning a straight piece of fabric to a curved piece will feel a little strange. Don't fret, it will all work out. Just let the straight piece curve gently for now, and match the edges carefully.


Stitch them together using a half-inch seam allowance.


Now, carefully snip into the seam allowance--almost to but not reaching the stitching--about every two or three inches. You will find that your waistband will now lie much more easily.


Time to press! Press the seam allowance of the skirt up towards the waistband. Press the little excess ends of waistband under, towards the inside of the waistband. Stich down with a zigzag stitch. Your drawstring is going to emerge here, so do a good job. Then press down the top of the waistband, so that a half inch is folded under.


Now fold the waistband over towards the inside of the skirt, aligning the pressed edge with the seam. Make sure that the casing you are creating is wide enough for your ribbon drawstring. If it's not, pick a new ribbon! Or refold the waistband with a smaller seam allowance.


Pin the folded waistband in place. Working on the wrong side of the skirt, stitch the waistband down, forming a casing (a tube through which you can thread a ribbon). Stitch all the way from one end to another, but do not stitch the short zigzagged openings closed. Reinforce the ends which might be strained by pulling on the drawstring by stitching over them several times.


Okay, you're past the hard part! Now arrange your skirt inside out, two selvedge edges together, right sides together. You're going to sew up the back seam. But DON"T sew the waistband! Remember you'll be threading ribbon in. Reinforce the top of the seam by stitching over it 2-3 times, up and down the first inch of the seam. Now press it open nicely. No need to finish the seam since you used the selvedges!


Time to press up the bottom hem. Working carefully, press up half an inch all the way around (if you can manage; nothing bad will happen if you go a little larger, but try to keep it even all the way around). Now, tuck the raw edge of the fabric in until it meets the pressed crease, and pin in place. Isn't that tidy? You're going to stitch all the way around the skirt right beside the top fold you just made, and your hem will be completed.



So close! Now thread your drawstring in. Pin one end to a safety pin that will fit in the casing, and poke that all the way around the skirt, drawing the ribbon along behind. Leave even amounts dangling out, and knot the ends so they can't be pulled in.


Decorate child with skirt and allow to twirl!