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How to Make an Adult Skirt

Skirts are some of the most versatile pieces of clothing that someone can have in their wardrobe. They can be simple or extremely complex and come in an sort of fabric. They don't necessarily have to be complex; in fact, a simple pull-on skirt can be made with a minimal number of materials and with a little sewing knowledge.

Things You'll Need

Tape measure
Pen or pencil
Paper
1 1/2 to 2 1/2 yards cotton fabric (amount to be determined by measurements)
Yardstick
Scissors
Pins
Sewing machine
Thread
Safety pin
2 to 3 yards coordinating 1-inch grosgrain ribbon

Instructions

Cutting Out the Fabric
- 1
  Measure your waist, hips and the length to your knees.
- 2
  The most important measurement for this simple skirt is the larger measurement. Generally the hips are larger, but some people have a larger waist, so for ease of construction just choose the larger measurement as your starting point. For a nice, flowy skirt that is not too baggy, add 10 to 12 inches to this measurement.
- 3
  Lay the fabric out on a flat surface, either on a table or on the floor.
- 4
  Mark the length you would like your skirt to be (the length measured plus 3 inches), by placing the yardstick along the length of the fabric and marking with pins.
- 5
  Place a pin at the full measurement (of the hips or waist) to mark where you are going to cut.
- 6
  Cut the fabric, using your pin markings as your guide.
Constructing the Skirt
- 7
  Fold the fabric in half (wrong sides together) to form the circumference of the skirt. Pin the raw edges down the length of the skirt.
- 8
  Sew down the length of the skirt with the sewing machine following manufacturers instructions, using a 1/2-inch seam.
- 9
  Either end of the sewn tube can be designated as top or bottom. So choose one and fold in 1/2 inch. Fold this in another 1/2-inch and pin all the way around. Sew a 1/4-inch seam all around the pinned edge. This is now the bottom hem of the skirt.
- 10
  On the top of the skirt, fold in 1/2-inch and then fold in 1 1/2-inch and pin all around.
- 11
  Place the top of the skirt on the sewing machine near the seam. Starting about 1 inch from this seam, start sewing all around the pinned edge, stopping about 1 inch before the seam. This is the top edge of the skirt.
- 12
  Take the length of ribbon and on one end hook the safety pin securely. Feed the safety pin into the open channel you have just sewn on the top of the skirt.
- 13
  Gently push the safety pinned ribbon all the way around until it comes out the opening again. Pull the ribbon through so that there are two equal lengths of ribbon hanging out the opening.
- 14
  Step into the skirt, and using the ribbon, pull up and gather the skirt around your waist, adjusting the fullness. If the ribbon is too long, trim with scissors.

Sewing