DIY Pleated Chambray Maxi Skirt

I've been wanting to make a maxi skirt for a few months now. I go to get dressed in the morning and imagine my outfit based around a maxi skirt and then realize that I don't have one! I wanted it to be a neutral, casual fabric that I could wear most any day. I had about a yard and half of chambray left over from these shorts that was perfect for this. The fabric is lightweight and has great drape.

DIY Outfit – Pleated Floral Maxi Skirt

Today's outfit inspiration combines two of my current obsessions – maxi skirts and wild floral prints. It's very 70s bohemian but the pleats give it polish and the hyper bright colors make it very modern. The pleated skirt has always been one of go to DIY's. They're so easy to make and so very classic. I even have a tutorial and worksheet so that you can make your own pleated skirt.

Fall Sewing No. 4 Teal Pencil Skirt

Last week I took a little detour from my full throttle sewing pace to bring you a knitting project. But don't worry I'm still working on my Fall sewing projects. Today I have number 4 on my list, the teal pencil skirt, to share with you. I did hit a few bumps in the road but I'm pleased with the final result.

Fall Sewing No. 2 – Refashioned Skirt

My favorite thing about refashioning garments is how much time it can save. I mean who doesn't love saving time, right? This skirt started out as a 1980s-era dress with large pearl-like buttons all the way up the front. I had plans to make the dress into a skirt over a year ago but never finished. Lately, I've been trying to clean up my closets and finish abandoned projects. When I pulled this one out of the bin, I had a flash of inspiration that I could add a black knit waistband and finish this one off.

Summer Sewing No. 4 – Twisted Skirt

I have another Summer Sewing project done. Yay! This twisted skirt is number 4 on my Summer Sewing list. I have started on the shorts (which will need a lot of fitting) and the floral dress (which just has so many pieces!!) but I needed something I could finish in one day last weekend so I decided to whip out this skirt. It's another striped garment, the third and final in the bunch. I must like stripes quite a lot!

How to DIY a Bright Floral Dress

One of the best things about being a DIY'er is that we can look at something really expensive and know that we can create it ourselves for much less money. Today's inspiration is a Floral Silk Shantung Dress by BOSS Black available at Saks for $595. That's way out of my budget but the it wouldn't be too hard to knock off this lovely dress for about $30. Totally affordable and you can make it exactly to your measurements for a perfect fit.

Spring Wardrobe - No. 6 Long Pleated Skirt

Here is the final piece of my Spring Wardrobe. You might remember this striped skirt from my inspiration moodboard. I loved the length and color of that striped skirt. It's kind of cool when you can identify the direct inspiration for something, isn't it? The length seems just perfect for Spring, not too short so you'll stay warm but still floaty and fun. It can be worn with boots or strappy sandals, depending on the weather – perfect for fickle Spring temperatures.

Spring Wardrobe – No. 4 Pencil Skirt

Here's number 4 in my handmade Spring Wardrobe, a simple navy pencil skirt, one of those wardrobe staples that everyone needs and, if you're drawn to colorful things like I am, is so often overlooked. This is a piece that can be worn with practically anything but I think it will primarily be worn to work. So, a little boring but a solid workhorse nonetheless.

Refashion Skirt with Godets

This lovely fabric started out as a dress more years ago than I care to recall. I love the fabric SO much but the colors just don't flatter my skin tone. Thus, the dress was relegated to the work in progress box, with the intention of making it into a skirt.

Initially, I wanted to make the English Garden skirt from the Twinkle Sews book (see my review here), but the pattern proved too challenging. I still wanted to add godets to the skirt so I used the excellent godet instructions from the book High Fashion Sewing Secrets by Claire B Shaeffer. 

For the waistband, I cut a piece of elastic the circumference that I wanted the finished waistband to have. I folded the top edge to the inside, inserted the elastic and used a triple zig zag stitch to stitch it all in place.

Refashion – Mullet Skirt

I bought this knit dress at the thrift store the other night and did a quick (45 minutes!) refashion to make a mullet skirt. The bodice of the dress was too small for me but the skirt had a lot of fabric. I started by cutting off the bodice. Then trimmed away the front of the skirt. From the trimmings, I cut a waistband. Using the same technique that I used for my knit stripe skirt, I added elastic and serged the waistband onto the skirt. Then I hemmed the edge and finito! I'm very pleased with the outcome of this refashion. It only cost $5.99, was quick to make and is easy to wear.

Friday Faves – March 30

 

Font: Abraham Lincoln from Lost Type Co-op

Mullet Skirt DIYs

1. Mullet Skirt (Fishtail Hem) DIY from Tasha Delrae

2. DIY tutorial: Mullet Skirt from Fake Leather

3. DIY: Maxi to Mullet from Agel Alcantara

4. DIY Fishtail Skirt from A Pair and a Spare

Also check out this mullet skirt diy from Diary of a Third World Fashionista.

Tutorial – How to Make a Pleated Skirt DIY

Here is a downloadable pdf update to my Pleated Skirt Tutorial. Click here or the image below to download the pdf.

Friday Faves – March 23

Some favorite skirt patterns

1. Draped Skirt Pattern from PatternRunway

2. Beignet from Colette Patterns

3. Vogue V1296 from Vogue Patterns

4. Front Pleat Skirt from BurdaStyle

Ombre Pleated Skirt

I inherited this pleated fabric "work in progress". I don't know what the final product was supposed to be but the ombre fabric was lovely, pinned into cascading pleats. What better way to use it than in a pleated skirt?

I used my "Easy Pleated Skirt" method to draft the pattern.

Friday Faves – March 16

 Font: Paris from My Fonts

This week I'm loving peplum skirts. Peplums are very on trend this year and I've always loved a peplum. Peplums are both unusual and totally traditional. Plus, isn't peplum a really fun word?

1. Peplum Skirt Tutorial from Welcome to the Good Life
2. Peplum Skirt DIY from A Pair and A Square
3. Peplum Skirt DIY from P.S. I made this
4. Ruffled Peplum Skirt DIY from Adventures in Sewing

Also, check out this detachable peplum. I think this could be done as a diy pretty easily.

Wondering how to pull off this look yourself? Check out these tips from Lucky Mag or these from Court and Hudson.

Looking for a peplum skirt sewing pattern? Consider New Look 6003.

Tutorial – Button Front Skirt

I'm currently working on a button front skirt. I was hoping to be finished by now but have been very busy working my entry for the VintageModern Design Challenge on BurdaStyle. I really love the dress I made and will blog about it eventually. In the meantime, you can check it out here.

Meanwhile, here's a basic tutorial on how to alter a basic center back zip skirt pattern to have a center front button placket.

Monday Moodboard – Button Front Skirts

Some button front skirt inspiration...

(1) Milly Belted Kaddie Skirt at ShopBop

(2) Mulberry Pleated Denim Skirt at Net-a-Porter

(3) Dice Notation Skirt at Anthropologie

(4) Michael Kors Button Skirt at Neiman Marcus

(5) Current/Elliot The Dorothy Skirt at ShopBop

And, if you are so inclined...
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Knit Stripe Skirt

This skirt was inspired by a photo I saw in a magazine of the Striped Raffia Skirt by Burberry Prorsum (available for purchase here). As soon as I saw the photo I was reminded of a beige and black striped double-knit that I inherited from my grandmother.

I used the skirt pattern from Sew U Home Stretch by Wendy Mullin. It is a really great easy pattern to use. There are just 3 seams (each side and the waistband) plus the hem. I actually used this pattern once before and before I took any pictures, lost the skirt. (I'm still wondering where it could have gone.)

 The skirt is very comfortable to wear and can work with a shirt tucked in as well.

Refashion Pleated Floral Skirt

Believe it or not this is a dress that I wore to my eighth grade graduation. I love the floral pattern just as much now as I did then. The bright, rainbow colors and myriad of flowers are enchanting. The top no longer fit but the gathered skirt had plenty of fabric for a skirt.

There is a very similar skirt for sale on shopbop, the Milly Bianca Birch Tree Print Skirt that I looked at for inspiration. To do this refashion, I first cut off the bodice. Then I cut a waistband from the skirt and applied interfacing.

To make the button plackets, I cut down the center front, interfaced about an inch and a half strip then folded it in and stitched in place. Next I attached the waistband and made the buttonholes. It was a fun project to make and a great way to re-purpose a dress that no longer fit.