Two Panel Skirt
Supplies:
Non-stretch material (satin from hobby lobby $2.99/yard)
Non-roll elastic (JoAnn’s - $.88/yard)
Thread
First, measure around the widest part of your hips. You need purchase fabric that is at least as wide as this measurement plus 2-4 inches (so if your hips measure 48” you need to purchase fabric that is at least 52” wide). Next, have someone help you measure from where you want the skirt to sit on your hips to where you want the skirt to hit at the bottom (ankle, top of foot, floor). I recommend taking two measurements, one in the front and one in the back as they may not be the same. Add 3-4 inches to this number and you have how long a piece of fabric you need to purchase. So if your skirt length is 36” you need to purchase 40” of fabric (or as close as the fabric store will let you).
Next measure across the front of your body between where you want the slits to sit on your legs (I like hip bone to hip bone). Add 1 inch to this number and you have how wide your front panel needs to be. You should be able to just cut your fabric into two strips, one wide and one narrow if you didn’t purchase extra fabric to make anything else. If you purchased extra fabric you will need to cut the panels off at the front and back skirt lengths (plus 3-4 inches). Now hem the side edges of your two strips of fabric (I use a small rolled/shirt tail hem).
Next make a casing at the top of both strips for the elastic to run through. I use a ¾” non-roll elastic, so I make my casing 1” including the sewn area. Make sure you create a small rolled hem on the inside of the casing so you don’t have any raw edges. Use a safety pin to feed your elastic through both the front and back panel casings. Try the skirt on and pull the elastic as tight as you think it needs to be. Leave 1-2” overlap and pin it, cut off the excess. Sew back and forth across the overlapped portion of elastic to make sure you have a good joint.
Now, hand sew around the place where the two casings meet up, don’t go through the elastic, you are just joining the edges of your fabric to cover the elastic. If you want you can also do the same thing down the leg slits for more modesty, just make sure you don’t go past the knees or you will have trouble walking.
Last step – have someone mark the bottom hem all the way around, cut off any excess and create a rolled hem all the way around the bottom of your skirt – you are done!
Non-stretch material (satin from hobby lobby $2.99/yard)
Non-roll elastic (JoAnn’s - $.88/yard)
Thread
First, measure around the widest part of your hips. You need purchase fabric that is at least as wide as this measurement plus 2-4 inches (so if your hips measure 48” you need to purchase fabric that is at least 52” wide). Next, have someone help you measure from where you want the skirt to sit on your hips to where you want the skirt to hit at the bottom (ankle, top of foot, floor). I recommend taking two measurements, one in the front and one in the back as they may not be the same. Add 3-4 inches to this number and you have how long a piece of fabric you need to purchase. So if your skirt length is 36” you need to purchase 40” of fabric (or as close as the fabric store will let you).
Next measure across the front of your body between where you want the slits to sit on your legs (I like hip bone to hip bone). Add 1 inch to this number and you have how wide your front panel needs to be. You should be able to just cut your fabric into two strips, one wide and one narrow if you didn’t purchase extra fabric to make anything else. If you purchased extra fabric you will need to cut the panels off at the front and back skirt lengths (plus 3-4 inches). Now hem the side edges of your two strips of fabric (I use a small rolled/shirt tail hem).
Next make a casing at the top of both strips for the elastic to run through. I use a ¾” non-roll elastic, so I make my casing 1” including the sewn area. Make sure you create a small rolled hem on the inside of the casing so you don’t have any raw edges. Use a safety pin to feed your elastic through both the front and back panel casings. Try the skirt on and pull the elastic as tight as you think it needs to be. Leave 1-2” overlap and pin it, cut off the excess. Sew back and forth across the overlapped portion of elastic to make sure you have a good joint.
Now, hand sew around the place where the two casings meet up, don’t go through the elastic, you are just joining the edges of your fabric to cover the elastic. If you want you can also do the same thing down the leg slits for more modesty, just make sure you don’t go past the knees or you will have trouble walking.
Last step – have someone mark the bottom hem all the way around, cut off any excess and create a rolled hem all the way around the bottom of your skirt – you are done!
