Tag Archives: how to

making a tiered skirt

An easy step-by-step tutorial on how to make a tier skirt with three layers of fabric. Learn techniques in gathering with a basting stitch and installing an elastic waistband. This project is meant to be adaptable to any sized girl or woman.
Step 1: Choose three fabrics to work with (at least 1/2 a yard) will make any sized skirt. Arrange the fabrics by layer. For sizing, measure waist, hips and length. Based on total length, (in this case I wanted the skirt to be 22 inches long) I cut the top layer 10″ wide, 2nd layer 8 inches wide, and bottom layer 9 inches wide. Based on waist size, (in this case, a 36 inch waist) I cut the 10 inch wide top layer to be 39 inches long. A bit of wiggle room and space for the hips. Add 6 inches on the width to the 2nd layer and 6 inches or more of width for the bottom layer. The layers should look like this when laid out next to each other:

Step 2: Because the widths of most fabrics (45″ to 60″) aren’t long enough accommodate the 2nd and 3rd layer to be a single piece, I cut the two longer bottom layers so they’ll have a seam on either side. The top layer is one piece and the seam will be in the center back.

Step 3: You will want to ‘stay’ or finish all of the edges of the three tiers. If you have access to a serger (above) serge all of the edges and each tier so it makes a loop. If you don’t have a serger, you can zip zag stitch around the unfinished edges.

When all edges have been serged or zig zag stitched and the ends connected to make a loop of each layer it should look like the above picture.

Step 4: To narrow up the waist of a woman’s skirt, (no need to bother for little girls) add two darts in the back, 6 inches or so out from the center back seam. Make the darts about 1 inch wide and 5 inches long. This will take away some of the need for gathering the waist and will make the elastic waist fit better and look less bunchy.

Step 5: With the right sides together, match up the dart lines and sew along your marked line.

The darts should look like this when finished, about 6 inches out on either side of the center back seam.

Turn the fabric right side out and press the darts flat with an iron.
Step 6: With the longest stitch length on your sewing machine you can set, ‘baste’ the top edges of tier 2 and 3. Begin and end in the center back of the layer. Leave the threads a few inches long so gathering will be easier, especially as you begin gathering.

Step 7: By pulling the thread on either side (but not both) of the basted stitch, gather the top of the layer, working around the looped layer to make the gathers even all the way around.

Step 8: Place the bottom of the top tier and the top of the 2nd tier layers, right sides together. Placing the center back seam of the top tier and the center back (and where you began your basting stitch) together and pin into place. Adjust gathers so the layer lengths match up and the gathers are distributed evenly all the way around the loop.
Step 9: Beginning at the center back and where your basting begins, sew the two layers together. Put the gathered edge on top as you sew so you can keep an eye on the gathers as you sew over them and control the evenness.

Turn the seam right side out and press flat. Iron with the seams facing up on the inside so you can top stitch all the inside layers together in a future step.

Step 10: To connect the 2nd layer the top of the third layer, repeat step 7- 9.

Step 11: Top stitch around the outside of both layers (above).
Step 12: Measure the waist of the girl who will be wearing the skirt and cut the elastic 3 inches shorter than waist size.

Step 13: Make the casing for the elastic by ironing over the top tier of fabric the width of the elastic and an extra 1/8 of an inch. (In the picture above, I ironed over twice so the unfinished seam in buried. This is a good idea if you didn’t serge the edge. Otherwise, you can leave the serged edge exposed and only fold the waistband over once when making the casing for the elastic.)

Step 14: Beginning at the center back (mark the center back with ribbon, a label if you like) sew closely to the edge all the way around the waist but stopping about 3 inches from sealing the casing is completely closed.

Step 15: Take your piece of elastic and using a large, easy to grab safety pin, guide the elastic through the gap you left in the casing until it makes it all the way around and back to the opening.
Step 16: Making sure the elastic is not twisted inside the casing, place one end of the elastic on top of the other end, with about 1 inch of overlap and sew the ends of the elastic together with a repeated back and forth stitch.

Step 17: Pull the sewn together elastic ends up into the casing and sew the gap closed.

Step 18: For the bottom hem, iron the hem into place (to be the skirt length you desire), double fold (pictured above) or single fold (if your edges are serged) into place and top stitch all the way around.

Step 19: If desired, sew rick rack, lace or ribbon around layers of the skirt for detail and emphasis.

Well done!

tutorial: pom-pom bows from scraps of fabric

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I’ve been waiting for this idea for so long… finally a use for all those discarded quilting (or otherwise) strips of fabric- a reuseable pom-pom bow.
And it couldn’t be easier to make. Follow these easy steps:
If using strips of fabric, find something to wind the strips around. (you can also use small scraps instead of strips and just stack them up instead of wrapping) I used a roll of paper but any sort of bottle or small can will work. The more strips of fabric you use, the fuller the pom-pom will be. Alternate the ‘right’ side of the fabric facing in and out as you add strips.
You want a pretty fat stack by the time you’re finished wrapping layers. My pom-pom ended up being very full (from the layers you see above and below).
Slide the layers of fabric off roll and hold then in place in the middle, wherever you decide that will be. I made the middle right where my thumb was and where I started wrapping each layer.
Tie the middle off tightly with a small piece of fabric, string or medium gauge wire. Make it as tight as you can.
With sharp scissors, snip all of the loops, a few layers at a time.
Once all the loops have been snipped, your pom-pom should now look like this (above). At this point you can trim the longer outer layers to match the shorter inside layers or wait until the pom-pom has been shaped.
Hold the pom-pom on it’s side and with both hands (one on either side) begin to pull the layers out of the middle with equal force on either side.
Separate a bit in all areas and sides first, then go back and separate the individual fabric layers until you have a nice round shape. Loose pieces of fabric will fall out here and there, don’t worry, they’re the pieces that didn’t quite wrap with perfect length. Trim the lengths to even up the look of the pom-pom.
And there you are- a pom-pom bow made from junk, leftovers, stuff you were going to throw away.

For variety add ribbon, tulle, rick rack in with the layers or even glitter. You could make them in any size- decorate a room, a party, use them instead of bean bags, as an indoor soccer ball on rainy days… and the list goes on.
We had some spray glitter laying around from a previous project and a bit of sparkle really added to the charm (hard to see, very subtle but elegant).

I dare you to make pom-poms until every scrap of fabric you have is gone, It will happen sooner than you think!

tutorial: felt heart magnets

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For Valentine’s Day or any day you want to share some love!

You will need:
Various colors of felt, use up small scraps if you have them.
Scissors
Glue gun
Sequins
Beads
Magnets

Start with a bag of various colored scraps of felt or purchase squares of felt, in colors you love from your local fabric or craft store.

As I cut up hearts, I found it was easier to cut out the smallest heart first then use it as a guide when cutting the other colors of felt to go behind it.

After about an hour or so of cutting, I had used up lots of tiny scraps of felt and had quite a few heart stacks. Experiment with various color combinations.

You can glue on the sequins but I think it’s a lot easier to sew them on- less messy glue gun web and burned fingers but, if you’re skilled with the hot glue gun it’s definitely an option here. When stacking sequins, use a bead at the top to hold all the sequins in place. Bring the needle up through the sequins and bead then past the bead and back through the sequins and felt.

On a few of the hearts, I tacked down the edges with a thread or embroidery floss whip stitch. I like the embroidered look but couldn’t help still adding a little sparkle every time.

Magnets (like the one’s pictured here) can be purchased at craft store (maybe even hardware stores too) in various sizes and strengths. Make sure you get the strongest magnets, nobody like precious papers and pictures falling off the fridge when you breeze past.