My Dragon Con Advice Article…
by Annie
Hey wait, I have one of those already!
Diary of a Noob: My First Dragon Con
So that's done... So, let's do a last minute sewing project, instead!
I was done. I finished all my costumes, totally done. But then I saw a friend post pictures of cute Doctor Who fabric at Joann's Fabric and I just had to get some and make something! I decided to replicate one of my favorite skirts to go with my shiny new Geek Girls Inc. tee shirt and wear it during Dragon*Con on a casual day.
by Annie
Hey wait, I have one of those already!
Diary of a Noob: My First Dragon Con
So that's done... So, let's do a last minute sewing project, instead!
I was done. I finished all my costumes, totally done. But then I saw a friend post pictures of cute Doctor Who fabric at Joann's Fabric and I just had to get some and make something! I decided to replicate one of my favorite skirts to go with my shiny new Geek Girls Inc. tee shirt and wear it during Dragon*Con on a casual day.
To make your skirt fit for your body size, the elastic will be your waist measurement minus 3. The long side of you fabric rectangle that will be the skirt body will be twice the elastic number. For the sake of example I'm going to use the numbers I used.
Cut the fabric to the length you need for your rectangle, that (waist-3 x2) number. The short side of the rectangle should be as long as you want the skirt to be, I cut mine to 17”. So I have this big 54 by 17 rectangle.
Fold fabric in half vertically with the right sides together (the side with the print). Pin and sew the rough edges together. You will end up with a big tube.
Cut the fabric to the length you need for your rectangle, that (waist-3 x2) number. The short side of the rectangle should be as long as you want the skirt to be, I cut mine to 17”. So I have this big 54 by 17 rectangle.
Fold fabric in half vertically with the right sides together (the side with the print). Pin and sew the rough edges together. You will end up with a big tube.
Next finish the edges on the top via surger (if you are cool enough to own one. Side note can I borrow it?) or via zig-zag stitch.
Take your length of elastic and sew together with a zig-zag stitch to maintain stretch. This will also be a tube.
Take your length of elastic and sew together with a zig-zag stitch to maintain stretch. This will also be a tube.
Increase the tension settings on your sewing machine, then using this setting sew a straight line straight across the top edge of your fabric just under the finished edge. Do not lock off either end. By the time I was done sewing just the line it was already almost all the way gathered. Take one of the threads from this row and gently pull and continue gathering this fabric until it is the same size as the elastic tube. Important: be sure to adjust your machine back to it's original tension setting at this point!
Line up the fabric around the elastic tube and pin together. With a zig-zag or other stretchy type stitch sew the elastic and gathered skirt part together. After it is all sew together, pull out the gathering strings as they are no longer needed to maintain the gathering. Try on the skirt and figure out where you want the hem. Fold the edge under and pin then sew to hem. |
That's it! Once you get the gathering down it's a pretty easy skirt.
I also made my little Geek Girls skirts too! Joann Fabric had such cute fabric I couldn't resist.