Gypsy skirt tutorial

Would you like to make this gypsy skirt? You can. It's so easy, it can be your very first sewing project. Ready? here we go.

The skirt consists of a waistband, made out of stretchy knit fabric. You only need a little bit of this so you can cut up an old t-shirt. This body of the skirt is made up of 6 panels, narrow at the top and wider at the bottom.

Gather your tools.

The first part of making this skirt involves...err...a bit of math. It is the most important and the hardest part of making the skirt, but I promise you once it's done the rest of the skirt will be a breeze.

There are 3 body measurements you will need to take - waist, hip (largest), and distance from hip bone to the skirt length required.

First let's do the calculation for the waistband. For the width, subtract 3.5" from the waist measurement, then divide by 2 (2 pieces front and back). For the length, use 10" for adults. Children you can reduce as you see fit. Mia's was 6" long.

For example if your waist measurement is 28.5" - 3.5" = 25". Then 25/2 = 12" will be the width.

Cut two pieces of the waistband using the width and length you have calculated. Make sure that the stretch of the fabric is along the width. It doesn't matter if the fabric doesn't have any stretch lengthwise.

Next calculate for the 6 panels of the skirt. For the narrow width of the panel, start with the hip measurement. Add 2 inches of ease (1.5" for children) and divide by 6 (panels). Then add the seam allowance of 0.25" times 2. The wider bottom panel width will be twice the narrow one.

for example with a largest hip measurement of 38.5" + 2" = 40.5". then 40.5" divide by 6 = 6.75". Add seams 6.75 + 0.25 + 0.25 = 7.25" is the narrow width. The wide bottom width is 7.25 x 2 = 14.5".

for the length of the panels, add a 0.5" seam allowance and hem allowance of 1" to the distance from hip bone to required length. For example if the required length is 31", 31" + 0.5 + 1" = 32.5" = length of panels.

Cut the body of the skirt as pictured, using the measurements that you have calculated. Narrow at the top and wide at the bottom, symmetrical.

Sew the sides of the waistband. I used a serger but it doesn't matter, knit doesn't fray.

Pin the side seams of the skirt panels.

Sew the seams. Again I used a serger but if you don't have one you can sew the seam and then zigzag sew the edges to secure it.

Sew all but one of the side seams. See picture above.

Press the seams to one side.

Topstitch next to the seams, catching the pressed edges on the wrong side.

Then sew the last seam, press and topstitch. Now it's already looking like a skirt.

Fold down the waistband halfway along it's length, with the rightside out.

I don't have a photo of this step - divide the waistband to six sections along the width. Turn the skirt inside out, put the waistband inside the skirt and pin the raw edges to the 6 seams of the skirt. It will make more sense in the next photos.

Sew the waistband to the skirt, using 1/2 inch seam allowance, stretching the waistband to fit. Depending on the fabric you use this step can be a bit tricky because the knit fabric might roll up onto itself making it difficult to sew this seam, but it's ok, just continue sewing.

The resulting seam could be a bit messy like this.

But you can serge the edges and then it's cleaner. Turn the skirt out and press this seam with the seam facing downwards towards the bottom of the skirt.

Press the bottom of the skirt inwards by 1/2 inch twice. Sew the hem.

Your skirt is ready!

Now off you go!