How to make an easy peasy A-line skirt

Shopping for the perfect skirt can drive me crazy. Here’s my beef – I’m nearing 30 and as a result I don’t always want to have to worry that when I bend over I’ll be displaying my pants. Sometimes I just want a knee length skirt – but the shops don’t seem to want to provide me with one. So, I’m a resourceful girl and instead I learnt how to make one.

Now, I am pretty lazy and don’t really get on with complicated patterns so I came up with this easy peasy tutorial to make a classic A-skirt and today I’m sharing it with you lovely readers.

You will need

• 1.5-2 metres of fabric (I’m approximately a size 12 and 1.5m was enough)
• A 10 inch zip (in this tutorial I used a 14 inch zip because it’s what I had. It worked perfectly well – totally rocking the ‘make do and mend’ attitude here)
• Fabric scissors
• Pins
• A sewing machine
• Contrasting cotton thread
• Iron/ironing board

Optional:

• Cup of tea
• A little helper (mine came in the form of my 6 month old kitten Rocky)

Step 1

Find one of your favourite skirts that fits comfortably. Trace around the skirt – leaving about an inch seam allowance (sure you could measure yourself here and use fancy maths and science, but I’m lazy and this works for me!)

In this example the skirt I used is gathered so I took account of this and made it a bit smaller (you can always fix this at the end if it’s too big – just don’t make it too small)

Step 2

Cut out two skirt pieces.

Step 3

Fold one of the skirt pieces in half and cut in two. This will be the back of your skirt which you will be putting a zip in (stop panicking it’s easy!)

Step 4

If you opted for working with a little helper – about now is the time you will regret it. They tend to get in the way by lying on everything.

Oh and chewing zips is also – not very helpful.

Step 5

Right – let’s show this zip who’s boss. Take your two halves that will make the back of the skirt and lay them flat, right sides together (this means the side that has the nice pattern on it). Place the zip on top of the skirt and mark the bottom of the zip on the skirt.

At this point you are going to need one of these bad boys

You are going to sew the bottom part of the seam – so pin it together and whizz it under the sewing machine.

Step 6

Get out your iron and iron the seam open.

Step 7

Continue to iron the seam open at the top of the skirt where you’ll be inserting the zip.

Step 8

Lay your back piece right side down (pattern facing the floor/surface). Place the zip right sided facing (put the uppy downy zippy bit facing downwards).

You now need to pin it in place. I personally prefer to pin it from the front as even though it’s fiddly it means I know exactly how far the material is from the zip. Nothing worse than a flappy bit of fabric.

Step 9

Once you’ve pinned the zip in place – use a zipper foot to sew that badboy on.

A zipper foot should have come with your sewing machine – and it means it’s easier to get around the zip. If you haven’t got one it’s still doable so don’t panic.

Step 10

You’ve just sewn a motherfucking zip bitches! Drink your tea and pet your little helper. In fact high five that kitty – this is a proud moment.

Step 11

If like me you are a messy sewer – don’t worry! Trim the seam allowance and it’ll look fine.

Step 12

Lay both the skirt front and back right sides facing (e.g. put the skirt front on the floor with the pattern facing you and stick the skirt back with the awesome zip you just sewed on top of it – pattern facing the skirt front).

Step 13

Pin both sides of the skirt and sew them up leaving about an inch seam allowance.

Step 14

If you want to do this properly – then you should iron open the seams of your newly stitched sides but I am far too lazy and never bother.

Step 15

Create the waistband by sewing a double hem. This means fold over the fabric once and then twice.

Step 16

Oooh we are nearly there! Now you need to decide how long you want your skirt to be. Best way to decide is try it on.

Double hem the skirt. I always make my skirt hems quite thick as the extra weight pulls the skirt downwards and makes it hang better. Pin in place.

Step 17

Turn inside out, cut any loose threads and iron! Woo! You’ve just made a skirt. Easy right?

If you are crap at measurements and your skirt is too big then this is no problem – you can simpy take it in. If it’s too long – again – take it up. Always better to make things too big rather than too small. Then they can be altered.

Here’s me demonstrating my handy work

And here is another I made in skull fabric

8 Comments

1. 

   Miss. N. Franchised  /  October 22, 2012, 12:42 pm Reply

   If you don’t mind washing the skirt carefully, you can weight the hem. You will need a couple of metres of chain from the DIY shop (or in true make do and mend style, old necklaces). Put it in the hem when you sew it together, and the weight of the chain will help the skirt hang down more.

2. Sewing | Pearltrees  /  October 22, 2012, 3:45 pm Reply

   [...] Craft This – How to make an easy peasy A-line skirt Shopping for the perfect skirt can drive me crazy. To create the arc, use string and pencil as a compass and measure the string length equal to the tier lengths above. [...]

3. Thirteen by 2013 - Sam Osborne Sam Osborne  /  October 24, 2012, 11:54 am Reply

   [...] to make with it. I haven’t sewn anything since I made a baseball cap at school but I found this skirt tutorial the other day that looks achievable so think I’ll give that a [...]

4. 

   Michelle Allen  /  November 1, 2012, 8:09 am Reply

   This does look easy – I think I’ll give it a go this winter!

5. 

   Angelina Masters  /  November 11, 2012, 8:45 pm Reply

   Fab tutorial, i am a little intimidated by zips for clothing but you make it look very simple. ‘A’ line skirts are my favourite and I have been saving a few lovely fabrics for exactly this – can’t wait to give it a go!

6. sewing | Pearltrees  /  November 12, 2012, 4:54 am Reply

   [...] Craft This – How to make an easy peasy A-line skirt [...]

7. 

   Michele Honi  /  February 2, 2013, 11:43 pm Reply

   I bet it’d be cute with a lil crenolin slip underneath. Thanks!

8. Sewing Bee | streetstylewales  /  April 3, 2013, 11:09 am Reply

   [...] not dust off that sewing machine and get started on an A Line skirt. There’s a great tutorial here (found via The Sewing Directory’s [...]