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2. Look for your Hip measurement on the back of the envelope.
Treat your fabric the same way you would treat your finished
skirt – wash and dry it before you cut anything out.
Illustration Legend
RIGHT
WRONG
side of fabric
side of fabric
3. Look underneath the Hip measurement – you’ll find the
Finished Skirt Hip measurement, which has extra room built
in to sit, move around and pretty much just wear the skirt.
pattern tissue
Q: How do I know how to find lengthwise grain on my fabric?
A: Look at your piece of fabric – there are two edges that look
finished and don’t come apart. These edges are called the selvages,
which are formed during fabric weaving. Lengthwise grain runs in
line with the selvages.
Finished garment
Notches are the tiny triangles that are printed in certain spots
on the pattern cutting lines. Their job is to help you line up
one piece with another when you’re putting your skirt
together. If the notches don’t line up exactly, the pieces aren’t
being put together properly.
A
B
A
SUPER EASY SKIRTS – LEARN
TO SEW THEM YOURSELF!
Fabric Scissors
Pencil
Ruler
Tape
Hand Sewing
Needle
• Felt tip marker
• Safety Pin
When you first open up the pattern tissue, you’ll see that it
comes in one big piece of paper, with the pattern shape
printed in the middle. Cutting away the extra tissue will make
the pattern piece much easier to work with. Cut just outside
the biggest cutting line, and then throw out the extra; you
won’t need it anymore. Next you’ll have to smooth out your
pattern so that it’s nice and flat.
Q: Why is each cutting line so different?
A: Cutting lines are different so you don’t confuse one size’s line
with another.
HOW TO FIND YOUR PATTERN SIZE
This pattern is based off of the hip body measurement; each
numbered size (3,4,5,6,7,8,10,12,14) is designed to fit a
certain hip measurement. Follow these simple steps to pick
the pattern size you’ll need to make:
1. Have a parent or friend take a tape measure and measure
your hips at the biggest point. This is your Hip measurement.
TIP: Once you pick the size you’re going to make, take a felttip marker in a bright color and trace along the cutting line for
that size – it’ll be easier to follow along and you’ll be 100%
sure you cut the line you meant to!
The arrow printed on the pattern piece is the grain line.
Grain lines are printed on patterns to show where on the
fabric each piece should be placed. Most of the time the
arrow should line up with the lengthwise grain of the fabric.
Q: Why do I need to smooth out the pattern, and how do I do it?
A: If the pattern is wrinkled, the shape of the piece gets distorted,
and then won’t be the exact shape you need to make perfect skirt.
Get it nice and smooth by taking a warm, dry iron and ironing the
tissue – make sure that you have supervision before using an iron!
TIP: Make sure that there is no water in the tank of the iron,
and that the dial on the iron isn’t set to give off steam –
pattern tissue doesn’t hold up well when wet!
© Copyright 2009—Simplicity Pattern Co., Inc. / Printed in U.S.A. / Simplicity is a registered trademark of Simplicity Pattern Co., Inc.
Q:What’s the point of pre-washing the fabric?
A: Many fabrics, especially cottons, tend to shrink after they’re
washed and dried by machine. If you make your skirt first and then
put them through the laundry, you could wind up with a shrunken
skirt that doesn’t fit. Pre-washing the fabric at the beginning avoids
any unpleasant surprises later!
After the fabric is washed and dried, iron out the wrinkles with
a hot iron so that it’s as smooth and flat as your pattern piece.
Again, make sure you have supervision, especially since
you’ll need a hotter iron for fabric than for the tissue paper.
Fold your fabric in half lengthwise, matching up the selvages
and the cut edges and the right sides of the fabric facing each
other.
HOW TO CUT OUT YOUR SKIRT FROM
FABRIC
1. Lay the pattern piece on the double layer of fabric, lining up
the curved grain line arrow printed on the pattern with the
lengthwise fold of the fabric. REMINDER: lengthwise grain
runs in line with the selvage. It should look like the Cutting
Layout pictured here.
TIP: Each size gets its own set of notches – just like you
marked your cutting line with a felt-tip marker, trace along
your notches the same way. This will make sure that you not
only get the right notches for your size, but that you don’t
miss any – you’ll need them all to get it right!
2
This pattern is multi-sized, which means that all of the
available sizes for either the Child’s sizes or the Girls’ sizes
are in one pattern. Since there are four or five different sizes
included, there are four or five different cutting lines, one for
each size. Look closely and you’ll see that each cutting line is
different: one is solid, one is dotted, one is dashed, etc.
5. Once you have the Finished Skirt Hip measurement that feels
good to you, follow that column up on the back of the
envelope to find the Simplicity Pattern numbered size that
goes with that measurement. This is the official size you’ll cut
and sew.
HOW TO PREP THE PATTERN
•
•
•
•
•
ABOUT THIS PATTERN
4. Take a tape measure and put it around your hips again, this
time making sure the tape measure matches the Finished
Skirt Hip measurement. See how much room there is
between the tape and your hip. Do you want a baggier skirt?
Go a measurement bigger. Do you want a skinnier skirt? Go
a measurement smaller. This is totally up to you!
TIP: Even if you want a skinnier fit, don’t pick a size that has a
Finished Hip measurement that has no room at all, or the
skirt will be way too tight to wear!
D
C
What You’ll Need:
• Tape Measure
• Fabric
• Thread
• Elastic
• Sewing Machine
• Straight Pins
• Iron
HOW TO PREP THE FABRIC
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2. Using straight pins, pin the pattern to the fabric – stick the pin
all the way through all thicknesses, pattern tissue and two
fabric layers. Bring the pin point back up through all layers; this
will keep the layers together. Start pinning at the middle of
each side and work your way to the corners, smoothing the
tissue as you go to avoid bubbles and wrinkles.
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4. Cut out all of the highlighted notches.
Cut out the entire notch / triangle shape, it will be easier to
match them up.
To get a skirt front and a skirt back out of fabric, you’ll have to
unpin the cut out tissue from the fabric and re-use it.
Follow steps 1 through 4 with the rest of the fabric to get the
other skirt piece, you’ll need.
2. With RIGHT sides together, pin front to back at side seams.
Match the cut edges and the notches as you pin.
FOR SKIRT VIEW B, C, D
4. Unpin the pattern tissue from the cut out fabric shapes. You’ll
notice you have two of same fabric shapes; one is your front
and the other is for your back.
HOW TO SEW YOUR SKIRT
5. With RIGHT sides together, pin front to back at side seams.
Match the cut edges and the notches as you pin.
FOR SKIRT VIEW A
1. Unpin the pattern tissue from the cut out fabric shapes.
You’ll notice you have two of same fabric shapes; one is your
front and the other is your back.
Q: How should I place each pin, and how far apart should they be?
A: Place each pin just inside the cutting line you’ll be using, with
each pin in line with the printed line – this will keep them out of the
way during cutting. Pins are best placed about 2” to 2 1/2” apart,
with pins closer together where you have curves or corners.
3. Cut out the pattern shape, cutting along the highlighted cutting
line. Use sharp scissors and position them so that the pattern
shape is on the side that you’re cutting, and the fabric you’re
cutting away is on the other side of the scissors.
For example, if you cut with your right hand, the pattern should
be on the right side of your scissors, and the extra fabric on the
left; if you use left handed scissors, the opposite will be the
case.
TIP: Make sure that you keep your fabric as flat as possible
while cutting out the pattern shape. It may be tempting to pick
it up, but don’t! The weight of the fabric drags it down, and the
cutting line will shift out of shape. You’ll wind up cutting along a
line that isn’t accurate and a shape that isn’t exact, which will
make it really hard to get a good finished result.
© Copyright 2009—Simplicity Pattern Co., Inc. / Printed in U.S.A. / Simplicity is a registered trademark of Simplicity Pattern Co., Inc.
3. Stitch the side seams of the skirt, stitching 5/8” away from the
cut edge. This 5/8” is the seam allowance.
Using a hot iron, press the stitching to set the stitches.
Then open the seam allowance and press the seam open.
This keeps the seam flat and even.
6. Stitch the side seams of the skirt, stitching 5/8” away from the
cut edge. This 5/8” is the seam allowance.
Using a hot iron, press the stitching to set the stitches.
Then open the seam allowance and press the seam open.
This keeps the seam flat and even.
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7. FOR VIEW D-You have four different colors of novelty ribbon.
Transfer the placement lines for trim to the RIGHT side of skirt
using a washout pencil or water erasable pen.
Turn skirt RIGHT side out. Starting at a placement line for trim
nearest one side seam, on OUTSIDE, pin one edge of one
color ribbon along placement line for trim. Stitch close to both
long edges of ribbon. Pin ribbon along remaining placement
line for trim alternating the colors.
Stitch close to both long edges of ribbon.
HOW TO MAKE YOUR WAISTLINE CASING
FOR ALL SKIRTS
1. Now is the time to make what’s called the waistline casing.
Hold the skirt so that the waistline opening is at the top.
Q: What is a waistline casing?
A: A waistline casing is an attached channel or tube that runs along
the waist and holds the elastic in place.
4. Sew the casing closed by stitching close to the lower folded
edge, as close as you can while still sewing through all of the
fabric layers. Start at the side seam and work your way
around, leaving a 2” opening. You’ll need this opening to slide
the elastic into the casing channel you’ve just made.
6. Pin a large safety pin to one end of the elastic. This will help
you keep track of the elastic end and make it easier to thread
it through the casing.
5. Take a piece of elastic and wrap it around your waist until it fits
comfortably, not too tight, not too loose. Add 1” to this length
before cutting the elastic. This is now the piece of elastic that
will be threaded through the waistline casing and ultimately
keep the skirt up.
7. Insert the safety pin through the opening you left in the casing
and work it through the casing, all the way around. When you
pull the safety pin back out through the same opening, with
both elastic ends sticking out. Make sure that the ends are
showing at least 2” before taking off the safety pin.
2. Change the stitch setting on your sewing machine to the
longest stitch setting. When stitches are long, they’re easy to
pull out; this is called machine basting. Machine baste the
side seam allowances about halfway through the seam
allowance, as shown here. After the basting is done, change
the machine stitch setting back to the regular sewing stitch
length.
2
8. Turn skirt back to WRONG side. Using a hot iron, press the
stitching of the ribbon to set the stitches.
Q: Why do I need to machine baste these seam allowances down?
A: When you thread the elastic through the finished waistline
casing, the elastic may get caught up in the seam allowances if
they’re left loose. Basting them down keeps them out of the way.
3. Fold the upper edge of the waistline down 1/4” and press the
fold with a hot iron to hold it in place. Then fold down the
upper edge again, this time folding down 1”. Press this fold
with a hot iron. You’ll notice that by folding the waistline edge
this way, you have a clean edge (the first fold) and the basic
casing (the second fold), all ready to sew closed.
© Copyright 2009—Simplicity Pattern Co., Inc. / Printed in U.S.A. / Simplicity is a registered trademark of Simplicity Pattern Co., Inc.
Q: Why is the skirt fabric all crunched around the elastic?
Shouldn’t they be the same size?
A: No, the elastic should be smaller than the skirt waistline.
These skirts are designed to fit over your hips, while the elastic fits
over your waist, which is smaller. If the elastic was the same as the
skirts waistline, your skirt would fall right down!
TIP: Before you go any further, take a marker and draw an “X”
on each end of the elastic. Make sure that you mark the ends
on the same side of the elastic. When you pull the elastic
through the casing, matching up the “X” marks will help you to
make sure the elastic isn’t twisted inside the casing.
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NOW IT’S TIME TO HEM THE SKIRTS –
YOU’RE ALMOST FINISHED!
8. Feel around the casing to make sure that the elastic isn’t twisted
inside.
If you made two “X” marks on your elastic, match them up to make
double sure. Overlap the two ends 1/2” and sew the ends together,
so the elastic is one stretchy circle; think of it as a really big rubber
band.
14. FOR VIEW B SKIRT-NOW its time to add trim to your skirt.
You will be applying three rows of ribbon of different widths.
On the OUTSIDE, pin straight edge of pom-pom trim just over
lower edge of skirt, turning under ends and having ends meet
at one side seam. By turning under ends of trim raw edges
will not show. Stitch along straight edge of trim.
NOW we are going to apply the ribbon by pinning one edge of
7/8" wide ribbon along hem stitching, turning under ends and
having ends meet at one side seam. By turning under ends of
ribbon raw edges will not show.
Stitch close to both long edges of ribbon.
Pin one edge of 5/8" wide ribbon 5/8" above UPPER edge of
first row turning under ends and having ends meet at one
side seam. Stitch close to both long edges of ribbon.
Pin one edge of 3/8" wide ribbon1/2" above UPPER edge of
second row, turning under ends and having ends meet at one
side seam. Stitch close to both long edges of ribbon.
10. Fold the lower edge of skirt up 1/4”.
Press the fold with a hot iron to hold it in place.
Fold the lower edge up again, this time folding 3/4”.
Press this fold with a hot iron to hold it in place also.
By folding it this way you now have a hem with no raw edges
showing.
11. Sew the hem in place by stitching close to the upper fold, as
close as possible while still sewing through all fabric layers.
Stitch all the way around, until you get back to where you
started. Clip the threads close to the skirt fabric.
12. Turn your now-finished skirt right side out.
9. Pull the elastic until it’s all the way inside the casing. Pull the fabric
so that the casing opening is nice and flat. Sew the opening closed
by holding it closed and stitching close to the lower fold, just like
you did when you sewed the rest of the casing. Now that the
elastic is in there, you can pull out the basting threads you put in at
the side seams.
© Copyright 2009—Simplicity Pattern Co., Inc. / Printed in U.S.A. / Simplicity is a registered trademark of Simplicity Pattern Co., Inc.
13. FOR VIEW A SKIRT-NOW its time to add trim to your skirt We
will start from the lower edge of skirt and work up.
On the OUTSIDE, pin upper edge of coin trim with 1/2" wide
twill tape along the hem stitching, turning under ends and
having ends meet at one side. By turning under ends of trim
raw edges will not show.
Stitch along straight edge of twill tape.
NOW we are going to apply the ribbon by pinning the lower
edge of 3/4" wide ribbon 1-1/2" above lower edge of skirt
turning under ends and having ends meet at one side seam.
Pin a second piece of ribbon 3" above lower edge of skirt
turning under ends and having ends meet at one side seam.
By turning under ends of ribbon raw edges will not show.
Stitch close to both long edges of ribbon.
The last thing we will do is to center the 1/4" wide novelty braid
between the two rows of ribbon, turning under ends and
having ends meet at one side seam. Stitch along center of
braid.
15. FOR VIEW C SKIRT-NOW its time to add trim to your skirt.
On the OUTSIDE, pin pre-gathered ruffle trim with ribbon
heading to skirt, placing upper edge of ribbon just over hem
stitching, turning under and lapping one end of trim over the
other. By turning under and lapping one end of trim raw
edges will not show. Stitch close to upper edge of ribbon.
Pin 1/4" wide braid 1/2" above UPPER edge of ribbon,
turning under ends and having ends meet at one side seam.
Stitch along center of braid.
Pin daisy trim 1 /2" above braid having ends meet at one side
seam. Stitch along center of trim.
NOW... apply another row of daisy trim in same manner
placing it 1 /2" above first row.
Pin 1/4" wide braid 1/2" above daisy trim having ends meet at
one side seam. Stitch along center of trim.
Go ahead and wear your skirt, knowing that you made it
yourself!