CIRCLE SKIRT SEW EASY



Mylee modeling her new outfit -
"Grandma I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!"
She is 13 today!



Really when I say it is a very easy fast project, it is TRUE!  This striped double knit has been in my stash for decades.  The stripes work well with the circle skirt because you don't have to decide if you want the stipes to go "up"  "down" or "sideways" in the skirt.  It just flows into a pattern that is pleasing to the eye. 
You can use any kind of material for the skirt part. 
BUT the waistband HAS to be DOUBLE KNIT.

MAKE A PATTERN
This circle is 24 inches from the center, or 48" diameter.  This is to fit Mylee who is 13, and about 5'5" tall. 
For your pattern, measure from waist to knee and subtract a few inches which will be added in the waistband. 

(Remember how you learned to make a circle in 5th grade with a string tied to your pencil? 
Yes it was really something worth learning after all!)

But you will only cut out HALF the circle because you will place it on a fold.
Then, you cut out a circle (or half a circle) in the middle with a 12" diameter for the waistband.  (for this size)

I used a roll of wrapping paper for my pattern, or you can use tissue....I don't run to the store to buy anything for my projects because I have collected junk piles over the years.

LAY OUT YOUR MATERIAL the wide way, or long way, (not selvage to selvage). 

Place the pattern on the fold so when it is cut out it is all one piece

Unfold and it's all one piece









WAISTBAND
Take the waist measurement and subtract 5 inches. 
Cut the waistband about 15 inches long. 
(Mylee's waist is 27" so I cut it out at 22")
Make sure the "Stretchy-ist" direction of the fabric is the part that will go around the waist. 
(Double knit will pull easier one direction than the other.)



Fold the waistband in half lengthwise

 

Make sure it pulls this way, not the long way.

sew seam along the long way
I use a "stretch stitch" the whole time. 
It is like a small zig zag and gives the fabric room to pull without breaking the stithes out when you pull on the fabric

Fold it in half lengthwise so the raw edges are lined up flush at the bottom





Mark four equal parts of the waistband and the skirt with pins. 
The waistband is going to be much smaller than the skirt

Stretch the waistband and pin the four places to the four places on the skirt

Don't worry that it doesn't have more pins, you really just pull as you sew.  The pins are your guidelines

Sew with a stretch stitch and pull the waistband as you sew it into place.  I use my hand to pull at the top too

Don't be afraid to do some tugging! 
Just make sure all your tugging is on the material and not on your needle!

It looks like this when you are done. 
The tugging and stretching makes the skirt gather up.

Yes it is really that easy!

You can wear it turned down at the waist or up. 

This is how I hemmed it because this fabric is never going to fray. 
Don't fuss about the hem, just turn it under and sew a straight stitch. 
Sewing around a circle is kind of tricky, but don't be a perfectionist, the twirl factor hides bunches of mistakes!

Nothing girls like more than to TWIRL









YOGA SKIRT TUTORIAL

Yoga Skirt with ruffles - easy to make!
This is a size 12 girls
Start with some double knit fabric.  It is called "double" knit because it stretches both ways.  However, you will find that one way stretches better than the other way.  Selvage to Selvage will have the best stretch. 
That is the direction that you want around the waist, instead of up and down.  You know, so when you pull it up over your hips it will go over your hips!

CUTTING
Measure waist to knee.  This is the measurement of the large block rectange.  
Cut the entire width of the fabric selvage to selvage.
Cut four strips for the ruffles. 
You will sew two together for the first ruffle and two together for the second ruffle.  (Ruffles generally need to be measured out double the length of what they are being attached to.) 

Waistband
This double knit is the kind that you use for T-shirt binding.  It stretches a real lot. 
You will find the side that stretches the most, and that is the side that will be cut to your waist dimensions. 
You take the waist measurement and subtract 5 inches.
You cut the lenth 16 inches

Sew the length
Fold in half
It will look like this
The folded top is the top of the waistband
The bottom will be attached to the skirt

RUFFLES
fold over each edge and sew along the entire length of both side. 
No need to tuck under twice, it will not fray.
Do this on both ruffles

GATHERING
Gather along the top edge of each ruffle about an inch in.
I used my ruffle foot.  If you don't have a ruffle foot for your machine, do a long basting stitch and pull.
My favorite way of gathering is to do a zig-zag stitch over some dental floss because it never breaks
and pull until you have ruffles the length you want.  You can pull out the dental floss when the project is sewn in place.

SEW RUFFLE TO SKIRT
While skirt is laying FLAT pin and sew ruffle to skirt.
You can place the ruffles where ever you want, but I attach the first row to the bottom of the skirt.
The knit will not fray, so you don't have to hem the bottom

LEAVE OPENING AT EACH END
You will want to leave a flap open at each end so the ruffle won't get caught when you sew the skirt together

SEW SKIRT CENTER SEAM
Turn it right sides together and sew a seam down the center, being careful not to catch the ruffles

Now sew the ruffles together RST
Attach them to the skirt so they look like one piece all the way around the skirt

ATTACH THE WAISTBAND TO THE WAIST
before I pinned the waistband, I did a little running basting stitch around the waist and pulled just a little.  Most of the bulk will be gathered in as you pull the waistband to fit around the opening of the skirt

PIN IN FOUR EQUAL PARTS
It is NOT going to fit yet.  The skirt should be WAY BIGGER than the waistband
PULL the waistband as you sew to match the skirt between the pins



THERE IS A LOT OF PULL THERE
I used my stretch stitch to sew them together
If you don't have a stretch stitch use a small zig zag




FINISHED

Tomorrow instructions for the "Circle Skirt"

RIBBON FLOWERS ON A TEE

I needed a fast little gift for my granddaughter who will be an official teenager this week!  Another embellished tee-shirt is a fun little project and the girls love them.

Ribbon flowers are easy, just take about 9 or 10 inches of ribbon.  Cut and sew together.  I used my serger, but you can do it by hand too.  Sew a basting stitch along the outside edge and pull tight! 

I actually used a piece of material 3 inches wide and hemmed both sides so it wouldn't fray.



Sew to a piece of netting.  You don't want to sew to the shirt because it will ITCH on your skin!
Put a little square of stablizer on the back of the netting.  Now you are going to sew your button on the front



Sew the button on in the center through the netting and stableizer.

Place the netting in place on the Tee-Shirt and secure with pins
Sew with an ELASTIC STITCH close to the flowers, gently lifting them as you sew





I used a pink stitch to hem so the flower wouldn't get lost. 

Now I am going to add the pink ribbon flowers to another project

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MYLEE


Next - tutorial on how to make the skirt

UGLY FABRIC QUILT and OTHER RAGS



Finally got the "UGLY FABRIC QUILT" done.  I will still have to quilt it.

 



LOVE doing rags for babies.

usually do 6" squares 9x 9

Just random placement

Babies love how cozy they are.  I don't put any batting in the middle of the sqaures because I just think it makes the blanket too heavy for a baby.

sometimes you can do a pattern if you want

This one I made queen size out of old shirts, homespun, and leftover flannel scraps.  This one I did put batting in the center of each square to make it more comfy.  I gave it to my brother for Christmas.