How to Sew a Skirt

Excited to Design A New Garment? Learn How to Sew a Skirt

Are you super enthusiastic about discovering how to sew a skirt? 

Then we’ve got something for you!

Super Label Store is here to take you on the adventure to this girly (and Scottish) part of the fashion world. 

Let’s tackle the question of how to sew a skirt right away. 

Also, Super Label Store’s readings will accompany you in the exploration of:

• • best sewing tips and tricks, 
  • types of fabric, and 
  • types of skirts; 

If you’re curious about easy beginner sewing projects and 35 intermediate sewing projects, we’ve got you covered as well. 

Image source: My Style Diary

Keep in mind that sewing a skirt in total can take less than an hour with a bit of experience. It’s less than you need on average to cook dinner! 

It’s another reason to get your hands-on experience with how to sew this type of garment.

How to create a new easy to sew skirt project? Let’s discover it together in the paragraphs below. 

Image source: Pinterest

Sewing a skirt―all that we need to know before we start

The skirt has an incredibly long history. It was the second piece of clothing ever invented.

Sewing a skirt―a brief history

Despite being always so fresh and current, skirts have been worn since prehistoric times. 

Their form seems to be the simplest possible way to cover the bottom part of the body.  

The earliest examples were found in the Armenian cave from 3,000 BC and are hand-woven straw affairs. Back then, men and women used to wear skirts.

Yet, imagine that figurines produced c. 5700-4500 BC by the Vinča culture already show women in skirt-like garments.

Image source: Natmus

What about the miniskirt? 

When did the miniskirt enter the fashion scene, and for which reasons? 

The invention of the miniskirt dates back to 1963 (Nssg Club). 

It appeared for the very first time publicly thanks to the British designer Mary Quant. It was on the window of the historic London shop “Bazaar.” 

We also mention the tailor André Courrèges as a pioneer of this invention. 

Yet he himself, to clear out all the doubts, declared once that it was the street itself that invented the skirt.

These times are also well-known for:

• • geometric lines, 
  • bodysuits, 
  • pop art, 
  • totally white, 
  • vinyl and plastic fabrics;

The skirt quickly became a top-chosen garment in the UK and throughout the world. 

It’s said that it was for a couple of socio-political reasons : 

“The strong desire for change, the claim for rights, and the need for practical and economical clothing made this garment become the most discussed and representative of the 1900s, an era in which we can read in every modification of the miniskirt a change in the values ​​of the aesthetic sense of the society of the past”―claims Sadi Sabahu in the pages of Nssg Club.

Read more about it in the article “Demure Or Raunchy? Our Confusing Attitudes Towards Skirts” in Refinery 29. 

Image source: Nssg Club

Nowadays, the idea of wearing a skirt (be it mini, midi, or maxi) isn’t as interwoven with the political realm as it used to be.

However, it’s still super popular and worn daily by women around the world. 

How to sew a skirt―hands-on experience

Skirts are probably the best place to start your potentially long-life sewing adventure. So let’s get our creative juices flowing. 

To get us into a creative mood, By Hand London introduces a couple of ideas on how to refresh a skirt. 

This kind of sewing requires no sophisticated patterns or advanced sewing techniques. It’s a good solution for sewing a skirt for beginners.

Check the By Hand London’s ideas for the:

• • circle skirt (see also Sweet Red Poppy’s tutorial for a DIY circle skirt spoonflower),
  • gathered skirt (in two ways),
  • pleated skirt,
  • refashioned skirt―made of an old bedsheet, man’s shirt, or a pillowcase! (Have you noticed that upcycling fashion becomes more and more trendy these years?), and
  • party skirt;

Image  source: Sweet Red Poppy

We’re sure that you’ll also love the YouTube tutorial, “How to Sew a Basic Skirt | Historical – Vintage – Modern.” 

It elegantly covers three types of skirts that you may be secretly dreaming about making.

How to sew a skirt without a skirt sewing pattern? Find it out with Bungalow Quilting. 

Or, if you wish to create something more sophisticated, check “How to Sew a Perfectly Polished Pencil Skirt” with Craftsy. 

Image source: Craftsy

After this quick review of possible sewing options, let’s get to how to sew a skirt easy project. 

Easy sew skirt―introduction

We followed this Melly Sews tutorial to introduce you to the idea of sewing a skirt gently. 

First off, let’s gather the sewing tools that we need in the table below:

What you need	What for	An extra tip
sewing fabric	How long do you want your skirt to be? Who will wear it?  Measure and cut your fabric with this Melly Sews chart. Go for a piece of fabric measuring anywhere from 1/2 yard to 2 yards or more.	Keep in mind that the fabric you choose for your skirt will define its final look.
elastic	The one you need has to be 1″ wide.  When it comes to its length, you need your elastic waist band to have the same length as the waist measurement.	Measure your elastic waistband without stretching it.
sewing supplies	For this project, you’ll need to perform some basic stitching.  Be sure you’re in your sewing room (read our sewing room ideas) and have all the tools at hand.	Master sewing threads types and tips to excel at sewing your new projects.

 Any extra tips before you put yourself out there to sew a new piece of clothing?

We’re going to tackle it in the next paragraph.

Image source: Bungalow Quilting

How to sew a skirt―tips

A rule of thumb is that the fabric for a skirt needs to be one-and-a-half to two times the waist in width.

If a skirt is more than two times the waist-length in width, it will look:

• • more gathered, and 
  • fuller

than a smaller measure;

It’s good to know that you can play with measures of the sewing fabric and the types of fabric to change the style of a skirt. Consider that minor alterations can completely change the final look. 

Image source: Dazed Digital

The more sewing tips you know, the more your knit fabric and sewing supplies can play to your advantage. So keep reading to find out more exciting tricks.

To get even more of a fashion appetite, watch this video by Jess Dang. 

Discover how to make a DIY midi skirt from scratch with simple cutting with her pleasurable video. 

All in less than 30 minutes!

Choose the length you like, and don’t forget to add 2 and 1/2 inches for the waist casing and hem.

Check this measurements chart by Melly Sews for practical guidance on three skirt lengths:

1. 1. knee, 
   2. midi (mid-calf) length, and 
   3. maxi length;

Image source: Bungalow Quilting

Are skirts easy to sew?

Sewers believe that a basic gathered skirt project is one of the easiest in this industry.

On It’s Always Autumn, you’ll find 28 free skirt patterns that you can use to create your new sewing project.

Imagine that making all of them will fill your wardrobe for half of the summer!

To make a full-fledged skirt, all you have to do is:

1. 1. sew a couple of straight lines, and 
   2. add some elastic to the waist;

It sounds like an excellent idea for a beginner sewing project, doesn’t it?

It’s Always Autumn presents some gathered skirt variations with flat front waistbands. This practice is used to achieve a more polished look.

Image source: Sew Liberated

How to sew a skirt for beginners―a step-by-step guide

So, here we are, equipped with materials and tips, ready to start sewing a new unique skirt project. 

We’ll base our instructions on the information provided by Melly Sews.

Steps	Description
Fold your fabric in half (right sides together)	Match the side edges of your skirt (these are shorter edges unless you’re working on a maxi skirt in small waist size) Stitch this seam and finish it.  Check out 11 different ways to finish a seam on Peek A Boo Pages.
Fold the top edge of the fabric down 1/4″ and press it.	Then, fold it down again 1 1/4″ and press to form the waist casing.  On the bottom edge of the skirt: fold the raw edge up 1/2″ and press, fold it again 1/2″, and press to form the hem.
Stitch the casing along the bottom folded edge	Remember about our elastic from the first table? Leave about 2″ of the fabric unsewn so you can later insert the elastic inside.  Stitch the hem in place.
Feed the elastic through the waist casing	How to feed the elastic through? Use a safety pin hooked through the end of the elastic.  Try not to twist it in the process!
Further steps with the elastic	Overlap the elastic ends. Use a wide zig-zag stitch with a short stitch length to zig-zag the ends together (backstitch across your elastic as well). Pull the elastic into the waistband and sew the opening in the casing closed.

After taking these steps, you’re done! 

You’ve finished your work on the new easy sew skirt project, so you’re free to take a proud walk around the neighborhood!

Follow this in-depth research on the topic of:

• • fabrics and notions,
  • choosing your size and preparing the pattern,
  • cutting out your fabric,
  • interfacing, and
  • finishing edges

written down by Sew Liberated. 

Image  source: Sweet Red Poppy

Learn to sew with these enjoyable blogs by Super Label Store:

1. 1. How to sew a buttonhole
   2. How to tie a sewing knot

What to do when you’re done creating your new, fantastic piece of clothing? 

Super Label Store produces different types of woven labels. The brand offers customized ideas for all sorts of clients. 

Image source: Sew Liberated

It doesn’t matter if you’re: 

• • a home-based sewing enthusiast, excited about upcycling clothes or creating them from scratch, 
  • a start-up clothing brand,  
  • a professional fashion designer, or
  • an international multi-brand,

Super Label Store is here to meet your label-related needs. 

Image source: Gathered

Update or design your label project with a user-friendly configurator on the website. 

It will level up your easy sew skirt project in no time! 

What are the Super Label Store options? You can choose from:

• • woven labels,
  • care labels,
  • hang tags;

How to sew a skirt for beginners―circle skirts

A circle skirt can be:

• • full skirt, 
  • half skirt, 
  • quarter skirt, 
  • mini skirt,
  • maxi skirt; 

We can make it from stiff wax cotton or drapey viscose (or many others).

A circle skirt project requires a different approach than the one we worked on before.    

Image source: YouTube

Donlarrie Couture explains how to make the idea of a circle dress see the light of day. 

Have a look at her brilliant YouTube video tutorial below.

She shares with us some pretty handy skills regarding a circle skirt project:

1. 1. how to calculate the circle diameter,  
   2. how to fold your fabric,  
   3. how to cut and assemble the skirt; 

With her easy step-by-step skirt tutorial on a full circle skirt, the whole strategy becomes much more beginner-friendly. 

Image source: Creative Fashion Blog

Have you noticed that there is a lot of math involved in conceiving a circle skirt? 

If you’re intrigued by the equations involved in making this lady’s garment, we’re tackling it below.  

For the origins of the measurements related to sewing a skirt, read a detailed explanation by By Hand London. Otherwise, go for a simpler one by Blog.Treasurie. 

Keep in mind that you can always use this automatic calculator by By Hand London. You don’t necessarily have to understand the whole mathematical process. After all, we’re here to sew, not to study science.

Kim Dave shows how to make the circle skirt pattern using a simple calculation method here:

Frequently Asked uestions

How do I choose the right fabric for my skirt?

Selecting the perfect fabric involves considering the style, drape, weight, and occasion. Choose lightweight fabrics like chiffon for flowy styles and heavier ones like denim for structure.

Check for a stretch if needed. Keep care instructions and comfort in mind. Experiment with swatches to see how they look and feel.

Can a beginner sew a skirt?

Creating a skirt through sewing presents a straightforward do-it-yourself endeavor suitable for both novices and seasoned crafters. For those new to sewing, crafting a basic skirt entails just three fundamental seams, making it an excellent undertaking to hone foundational sewing skills.

What is seam allowance, and how do I incorporate it while sewing a wrap skirt from a free pattern?

Seam allowance refers to the extra fabric beyond the actual sewing line that allows room for joining pieces together. When using a free pattern to sew a wrap skirt, the pattern usually includes specific seam allowances.

To incorporate it, simply measure and mark the designated seam allowance along the edges of your pattern piece. When you sew the skirt piece using your sewing machine, make sure to align and stitch along these marked lines to achieve the proper fit and shape.