Mid-Season Maxi

I love autumn - golden trees, pumpkin spiced everything and cozy layers! But I am not always ready to let go of my Summer wardrobe. Which is why this skirt is great for the transition from Summer to Autumn and even into Winter.  

Skill Level:  beginner sewer

Notions: 

• Medium to light weight fabric (for skirt) 
• Medium to light weight stretch fabric (for waist) 
• Thread 

How to Guide:  

Get out a pad of paper to keep track of your measurements! 

• Waist: Measure your natural waist. 
• Adjusted Waist: your waist measurement plus 2 inches.  
• Length: Measure the length between your natural waist to the floor (or to whatever length you desire). 
• Adjusted Length: your Length measurement plus 2 inches.  

Fold it up 

• Lay out your fabric on a hard smooth surface, right side up. 
• Fold in half, right sides together.

Cut it out 

• Keeping the fabric folded in half, measure and cut a rectangle using your adjusted waist by adjusted length. 
• You should now have two rectangles of the same size that measure your adjusted waist by adjusted length.

Sidelines 

• On a hard smooth surface, lay the two pieces right sides together.  
• Pin along each side and sew the skirt closed. 
• Finish the sides with a zig-zag or serge stitch. 

Come together 

• Using your ruffle foot, gather foot or the “old school” way, via baste stitch and hand, gather along the top edge of your skirt. 
• Once gathered it should be about your waist measurement. 
• Make sure your ruffle edge is secure and will not come undone. 

Check point – try it on! 

• The skirt should slip over your hips or head and fit snugly around your waist, with room at the bottom for the hem.  
• Make adjustments if needed. 

Waist no space 
For this skirt I added a 3 inch thick waist band, but you can go wider or thinner. 

• Waistband width: using your desired waistband thickness (say 3 inches) double this (6 inches) and add 1 inch for the seam (total of 7 inches). 
• Waistband length: your adjusted waist measurement. 
• Lay out your fabric on a hard smooth surface, wrong side up.
• Measure and cut a rectangle using your waistband width by waistband length. 
• Fold the length of the rectangle in half, right side out, and press! 

Waistband 

• Lay your unfolded waistband out on a hard smooth surface right side up. 
• Fold the width of the rectangle in half, wrong side out, and pin the end. 
• Sew the end shut.  
• Fold the waistband back along the press side so that the right side faces out. 
• Try the waistband on to make sure it is the right size.  
• Make adjustments as needed.

Come together 

• Lay your skirt out on a hard smooth surface right side out. 
• With the salvage edge of your waistband facing the same way as the top of your skirt, slide the waistband over the top (right sides together). 
• Line the seam of your waistband up with one of your side seams and pin.  
• Staring where your seams are aligned, pin your waistband along the edge of the waistline and baste together. Seam should run 1 inch from the edge.  
• Finish the edge of the inner waistband with a zig-zag or serge stitch. 

Finishing touches 

• Try on your skirt and mark or pin where you want the hem length.  
• Fold and pin along the edge using your hem marker, and press 
• Open the hem line and fold the salvage edge into the hem line. You may need to trim a little off the end to get a clean, ½ inch hem. Pin closed and press.  
• Sew your hem closed.  

Pair this skirt with a tank top & bare feet or a sweater & booties, accessorize and go!