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SEW A SKIRT WITH TWO EASY PIECES:
From Sew Beautiful magazine Issue 144.
Turn a dress pattern into a great
fashion skirt. This pattern and
method is so easy you can even make
it without a pattern. Learn how in
this step-by-step tutorial.
DOUBLE LAYER SKIRT FROM
THE “NATALIE” PATTERN
(shown on page 64 in
Sew Beautiful Issue #144)
MATERIALS LIST
“Natalie” pattern from the Sew Beautiful
pattern collection (size 14 shown).
Black cotton sateen shown (determine
yardage - finished length of skirt x 3)
Floral cotton print for piping trim
Piping cord for ruffle seams and center
front panel seams.
3/4 inch elastic for waistband
DMC Cotton Embroidery Floss to match
print fabric shown is #322 (DK DK Baby
Blue) and #597 (Turquoise)
Wing needle for tucks
Stitch n Ditch tear away stabilizer
Tapestry needle for floss running stitch
White wash-away marking pen
The Natalie Skirt
By Janet Gilbert
Follow along as Janet shares how to make a double layered elastic-waist with a center panel. Ruffles and topstitched tucks add easy economical embellishment with a
splash of color. Janet used the “Natalie” dress pattern from the Sew Beautiful pattern
collection from Martha Pullen Company.
This article is a free tutorial in conjunction with the article “Skirting Around,” a pictorial featuring six skirt designs you can make yourself from the Sew Beautiful Fall
Issue #144. An A-line skirt pattern is the featured free skirt pattern included on the
free pattern pullout section of this issue. Pattern instructions include two ways to
style it – with or without godets.
© 2012 Sew Beautiful Magazine • www.SewBeautifulmag.com PREPARATION
1. Trace the front panel of the “Natalie” pattern. Cut the
pattern on waistline marking. You can also make your own
front panel from a straight rectangle or create one with a
slight angle on each side as shown.
2. To accommodate a ruffle hem, remove 2-inches from your
desired finished length.
3. Cut out 2 front panels. Set one aside as a front lining.
4. The elastic skirt sides and back require two rectangles cut
or torn from 60-inch fabric. For a smaller sized skirt, two
45 inch wide pieces could be used.
5. The length of the bottom layer is equal to the side seam of
the front panel + 3/4 inch allowed for tucks.
6. For the double layer affect on the side/back skirt, make
the length of the top layer five inches shorter than the
bottom layer and 3 to 4 inches for smaller sizes.
7. Ruffle is gathered at a 2 to 1 ratio and is finished with a
narrow hem. For a 2-inch finished ruffle cut five, 3-3/4inch to 3-1/2-inch wide fabric strips from selvage to
selvage.
CONSTRUCTION
Wing Needle Folded Tucks
(Side/Back Elastic skirt)
1. To create the tucks on the bottom edge of both side/back
skirt layers, measure 2 inches from the bottom raw edge
and mark the first line using a white wash away marking
pen on the right side of the fabric.
2. Mark second tuck line 1 inch about first and third tuck
line 1 inch above second, making tuck lines spaced 1 inch
apart.
3. Working a single tuck at a time, starting from the bottom
and working upward, fold the skirt on the bottom line
and pin.
4. Stitch 1/8-inch from fold edge using a wing needle and a
modified machine Pinstitch.
• On my Bernina, I set the pinstitch to a length of 3 and a width of 0. This gave me the desired stitch without the side stitch.
• I used Stitch n Ditch tear away stabilizer
behind my fabric when I stitched. I cut the stabilizer into long 1-inch strips.
• Tucks could also just be stitch with a straight stitch and a regular machine needle.
5. Repeat these steps to complete the rest of the tucks.
6. For a touch of color, weave three strands of DMC
embroidery floss through the pinstitch holes with a
tapestry needle. I used DMC Floss #322 (DK DK Baby
Blue) and #597 (Turquoise). The holes created by the
pinstitch create perfectly spaced running stitches.
7. Repeat these steps to complete the tucks along the bottom
edge of the bottom skirt layer. Set bottom layer aside
8. Make self-made piping by covering cording with bias
strips of floral fabric. Pin and stitch to the bottom edge
of the top skirt layer only. To reduce bulk, grade the seam
allowance of the piping.
9. Set aside skirt layers to prepare ruffles.
PREPARE RUFFLES
1. Join ruffle strips end to end to create one very long strip.
2. Narrow hem strip with a rolled hem foot.
3. Use a ruffle foot to gather entire strip, or run two rows of
gathering stitches that run the length of each section. Pull
bobbin threads to gather strip.
4. Cut strips to fit per instructions.
SKIRT ASSEMBLY
1. Cut a ruffle strip to fit width of top skirt layer and stitch
to bottom, piped edge with right sides together (push
back gathers to flatten each end of ruffle approximately
1/2 inch for seam allowance). Finish seam and press up.
Top stitch 1/8 inch from seam line.
2. Pin the right side of the shorter, top skirt to the wrong
side of the longer, bottom skirt and stitch the waist seam
1/2 inch.
3. Flip top skirt to the front, enclosing seam between layers
and press seam.
4. Top stitch 1/8 inch from the seam edge, then stitch
1-inch from the edge to create a casing for the elastic.
5. Insert 3/4 inch elastic through the casing. Stitch elastic
ends to secure within side seam allowances.
6. Baste stitch layers of skirt together at each end. These are
the seams that will join the center panel (fig 1).
Front
side
Back
Front
side
Elastic
Baste Seams
Baste
seams
Tucks
Tucks
Piping
Layer 2
FIGURE 1
7. Prepare the front panel: Fuse a 1-1/2 inch strip of fusible
interfacing cut the width of the center panel to the wrong
side at the waistline.
8. Stitching from the bottom up, sew self-made piping to
each side of the front skirt panel. To reduce bulk, grade
the inside seam of the piping. Finish the seam with a
serger or a zig-zag stitch.
9. Stitch the lining panel to the front skirt panel across top
edge. Trim seam allowance to 1/4 inch and press. Under
stitch the lining seam to keep it from rolling (fig. 2).
© 2012 Sew Beautiful Magazine • www.SewBeautifulmag.com Wrong
Side
Center
Panel
Lining
Fuse
interfacing
Piping
on RS
Wrong
Side
Center
Front
Panel
Piping
on RS
FIGURE 2
10. Separate the lining from the center front panel. Pin
double layered skirt to center panel with right sides
together. Align top edge of elastic waist to center panel/
lining seam. Stitch together with a 1/2 seam allowance.
Press seams toward center.
11. Before stitching lining in place, stitch piping and a twoinch ruffle around the bottom of the entire skirt with a
1/2 seam allowance. Press seam up. Top stitch 1/8 inch
from seam line (fig. 3).
Fold
seam
back
Fold
seam
back
Seam
Fold
seam
back
Front
Panel
FIGURE 3
12. Press under side seam allowances and bottom edge 1/2
inch on skirt lining. Fold lining to inside of skirt and
enclose seams. Hand slip stitch the lining along each side
and across bottom seam to finish skirt.
© 2012 Sew Beautiful Magazine • www.SewBeautifulmag.com