I love this Cricket Clover fabric by Heather Ross. It's part of the Briar Rose collection from 2013. You can still find it. When I bought it, I wasn't sure what I would use if for so I only bought a half yard. Then I decided to make mini skirts for my girls but I needed enough fabric for two skirts so I added a band at the top for one and a different band at the bottom for the other to make it work. Overall, the size 3 (the skirt with the pink on the top) is 1/2" shorter in length and has a 1" smaller waistband than the size 5 (the skirt with the pink on the bottom). My measuring is very rough because I made these quickly and I can't stress this enough... I am not a seamstress with real skills. I wing it. Always.
As a side note, these skirts still fit my girls, a year later, so the size 3 is working for 4 and the size 5 is working for 6, almost 7. I figure, if it's too short, put on some leggings or shorties underneath and it's all good.
SUPPLIES
- Looking only at the size 3 skirt with the top band of pink:
(A) Fabric for the large portion - (Cricket Clover) 9"H x 44"W
(B) Fabric for the shorter portion - (pink) 5.5"H x 44"W
Pins
Iron & Board
Sewing Machine & Thread
Elastic (3/4") & 2 Large Safety Pins
PROCESS
1. Wash and dry your fabrics. Iron and lay out flat. *My fabric shrunk a bit so it was more like 42" after washing (instead of 44").
2. Cut the (A) half yard of clover fabric in half down the long length so you have two 9"x44" pieces. I was making two skirts so with a 1/2 yard of fabric and only one skirt, you could make it much fuller and have two side seams. I only had one side seam and utilized 1 piece per skirt. The more you have, the more fullness in the skirt.
3. Cut the (B) shorter portion of fabric to be the same long length but only about 5.5" in height.
4. Back up (A) and (B) along the long side and pin. (see top photo)
5. Stitch those two together about 1/2" from the edge.
6. Fold over and press the (B) fabric on one long end about 1.5" pin.
7. Stitch about 1.25" from the folded edge on the (B) fabric. This will be for the elastic.
8. Press the sewn seam connecting (A) and (B). Then go back and top stitch along that seam so it lays flat. (see second and third photos)
9. Roll fold and iron a hem at the bottom of (B) fabric. Top stitch 1/4" in from the edge.
10. Insert a large safety pin into your elastic piece and feed it through the elastic seam. Pull it so that the waste band is about 18" (size 3-4) or 20" (size 5-6). At your end point, safety pin that end to the fabric to hold it in place. Make sure the starting pin is connected to the fabric as well. Leave a few inches of elastic on both ends hanging out just incase you need to loosen it.
11. Back up the long strip so that you create one large hoop and pin the end side (see bottom photo).
12. Using just one safety pin, pin all of the waistband into place. Make sure your pin is going through all layers of elastic and fabric.
13. Stitch the end seam about 1/2" in from the edge. Make sure you stitch over the elastic a couple of times. And cut the excess elastic. *My girls don't like to feel their seams etc. so I actually stitched a smooth ribbon over this edge... again, a fine example of me winging it. I know there's a real way to insert elastic and have it hidden, but I need to figure that out.
14. Turn the skirt inside out and Press the seam open.
15. Flip the skirt back out so that the print is on the outside and top stitch the seam so that it stays open in place. On for each side of the open seam.
Once this was finished I added a little pocket to the front of each skirt in the coordinating (B) fabric.
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