Basic Full Elastic Waistband Loli Skirt
Recently updated (10/16/16) to include google docs and updated instructions! Still not 100% done with it, but MUCH better.
To begin, you need to take your measurements so you can calculate how much fabric you will need for your project. IF YOU WANT TO MAKE A RUFFLE PLEASE USE THIS GOOGLE DOC FOR YOUR YARDAGE
Click to viewYou will need:
- a tailor's tape measure
- a piece of 1/4" wide elastic long enough to tie around your waist
- some paper and pencil
- and a friend (NO YOU CANNOT MEASURE YOURSELF! SEE VIDEO FOR FULL EXPLANATION).
Take measurements in undergarments if at all possible, otherwise only knit clothing is an alternative (think leggings, t-shirts, leotards, swimsuit, etc.). Do not wear shoes, socks are acceptable.
To take your waist measurement- tie the elastic around your waist, not tightly, but definitely flush to your waist. Bend at the waist from side to side a few times. This will allow the elastic to settle into your natural waist! This takes the guess work out of finding it :) Now measure your waist and write it down.
Also take down a full hip measurement. This is the widest part of your hips, typically about 8.5" below your natural waist as a good guideline. If you are very short, try 8" and if you are very tall try 9" This measurement will help you determine how full you need to make your skirt. Once you have it, subtract your natural waist measurement from your full waist and write it down.
* If you feel like your natural waist is a bit higher than you want your skirt to end up sitting, you may measure a little below the elastic. Note how many inches below your natural waist you want your skirt to sit, then measure around the 'lowered' waist, keeping your tape measure that same depth from your natural waist all the way around. Write down this measurement. You may discard your natural waist measurement at this point, but KEEP how many inches below your natural waist this is for a little later.
Now for the length of your skirt.
Measure along the side of your body, not the front! Measure from your natural waist to where you would like the skirt to hit. Usually for most lolita skirts this is either just above the knee or just below. You typically do not want a skirt to cut through the middle of the knee as it looks awkward and doesn't flatter most people's legs. * If you lowered your waist line, subtract the depth at which you lowered the waistline from this measurement!
Your measurements should be as follows:
Natural Waist: ____
*Lowered Waist: _____
* at ___ inches below natural waist
Full hip: ____
Desired Length from natural waist _____
* Length from Lowered waist _____
*Optional! If you choose to lower your waist measurement please disregard natural waist and length from natural waist from here forward.
Calculating Fabric amounts:
Now for this tutorial we will be using the "cross grain" grainline. What is a "grainline" you ask? Here is a great off site definition:
http://sewing.about.com/od/beginner1/p/fabricgrain.htm
Why the cross grain? Typically the 'weave' fibers in most fabrics are thicker and sturdier than the 'weft', so if we use the cross grain the sturdier fibers will be going horizontal on the skirt, helping to add body and fullness to it! Just what we'd want for lolita :)
Lolita skirts are made to be very full, this tutorial will give you a way to calculate a minimum amount of full-ness for a proper lolita silhouette, but keep in mind you can pretty much always go fuller if you chose.
Please see this google doc for calculating yardage: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yVzHmYI95kMgIQG11t3i5M-a2DsSGQgnSizbH42sH88/edit?usp=sharing
(IF YOU ARE DOING A RUFFLE PLEASE USE THIS DOC TO CALCULATE YOUR YARDAGE)
I prefer to go a little over for both measurements, especially when using a natural fiber such as cotton, wool, or linen. These fabrics will SHRINK! You will want to wash your fabric before we cut it out because of this, so always get a little extra. For our example I would get about 1 3/4 yards of 47" wide (minimum, most fabric widths are standard 44/45", 56", and 60". you may have to go wider on the bolt and trim off the excess for this project) on the bolt fabric.
On to the sewing! (UNDER REVISION)
Stuff you'll need
1. a very basic sewing machine (you will need to be able to straight stitch and zig-zag only for this project)
3. matching thread for your fabric
4. non roll elastic 1" wide (1" longer than your waist/lowered waist measurement)
5. and an iron and ironing board
7. A large safety pin and some straight pins.
Ok! you have your awesome fabric! you want a basic lolita skirt which will look so terribly cute your friends will all be totally envious!!! BUT! you barely sew and you are on a budget.
step 1.
WASH YOUR FABRIC! You want to wash your fabric the way you want to be able to wash your finished garment. That means if you plan on hand washing it and hanging it up for the rest of its days, hand wash your fabric and hang it up. If you plan on throwing it in your machine and tossing it in the dryer on full heat, do the same to your fabric! Generally try to follow the manufacturer's directions on fabric care though as a general basic rule (this info is usually on the end of the bolt of the fabric when you are at the store. When in doubt, double check with an employee!).
Step 2.
Most fabric you get at the stores are already folded in half more or less, take the time to now make sure the piece is carefully ironed in half so that the halves are nice and even. Now measure up from the non folded edge to your proper 'length' including seam allowances (as determined in step 4 of the google doc) and mark along the whole width of the fabric to cut. Again this mark should be nearest the fold. Once you have a nice cutting guide cut the fabric while it is folded to get your two panels.
Step 3.
now we sew! on one edge of each of your 2 pieces will be a pre-finished edge (known as the selvedge) that will not fray (simply put - NOT the edge you just cut). match both of these edges up to each other and form a seam with the right side of the fabric face to face (please refer to pictures if this is kinda confusing). You may want to pin this to keep it nicely together. Straight stitch this seam about 1/2 inch from the edge. Then zig-zag or overlock the edge to finish it. Afterwards you trim off the excess up to the zigzag stitch OR you zig zag very close to the edge as in the last picture.
step . 4
Repeat step 3. for the other seam. You should have a nice round tube of fabric now, with the selvage (non fray edge) on the top of the tube and the cut edge at the bottom.
Step 5:
now we go back to the ironing board. press your new seams to one side so that they're nice and crisp. Now along that "finished" edge that the nice fabric making companies provided for us, fold it over about 1.5 inches and press (iron) so you have a nice crisp fold that runs the entire top edge of your tube. You can do this because your tube should be so big it easily fits over the end of your ironing board.
step 6.
now go back to your sewing machine and straight stitch the folded edge about 1.25" from this fold. Remember to leave a 2" gap between where you start and finish your stitches. This is important! This little pocket you have now created is where the elastic will eventually go.
Ok.... now here is where it gets optional...
step 7.
Here we go, you are so close to being done!!! wow!
You need to, at the point, do a little fitting. hold the fabric with the elastic fold at where you intend to wear it (hip or waist) high. Do you like the length of your new skirt? We will still be taking about 1.5 inches off with finishing, and if you are going to wear a petticoat (which WILL fit under this skirt) you may want some extra length, so think about that. If you want it shorter, simple cut some off the bottom (opposite edge from the elastic fold). If you want it longer, it is best to add a ruffle so skip down to the black instructions :P
If you are not interested in ruffles at the bottom of your new skirt follow the next steps (in blue)... if you DO want ruffles skip down to the steps continued in black:
Step 8.
Go back to the ironing board and carefully fold over your fabric at the opposite side from your elastic fold. You need to make THIS fold about 1/2". Then press it. Then fold it over again at about 1" so it is doubled over. This will be your hem!
Step 9.
Go back to your machine and straight stitch along the hem fold you have made, about 3/4" from the edge. Tada! Hem completed!
Step 10.
Get your elastic ready! Cut your elastic to exactly your waist measurement. You will be feeding it through the gap in the stitching we left in the waist band earlier. The easiest way I know of to feed it through is to pin a safety pin on one end and shove the pin through the waistband. Be sure to hold onto the other end so it doesn't slip into the waistband before you can sew it together. When it finally reappears at the other end un pin the safety pin and carefully overlap the two ends about 1/2" on each side and stitch them together. Make sure the elastic isn't twisted before sewing the gap in the waistband closed. If it is, simply pull the elastic out again and re do the seam.
ENJOY!
RUFFLE Step 8.
You need to purchase extra fabric to make a ruffle... please use this google doc for calculating your yardage: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1v7SRRk3PMfFQNwgn5O29qpxUh5oKxg7M7_Pqc_xUHug/edit?usp=sharing
I recommend cutting the ruffle panels out with the hems parallel to the selvage like we cut the skirt out so that the print (if there is one) stays consistent. See step 4 of the google doc to determine the dimensions of your ruffle panels.
Pin a ruffle pannel to the bottom of your skirt... Fit your skirt again and see how long it will be with these ruffles... too long? Then trim either the skirt itself OR the ruffle. Just go with what looks best for you! Remember you will be taking of a little for the seam and hem of the ruffle.
RUFFLE Step 9.
Zig zag the short ends of the panels and THEN seam them all together so you have one really long piece of fabric. Now press the seams OPEN rather than to one side, which is why you must zig zag first, so they are not stuck together.
RUFFLE Step 10.
Finish the hem of your ruffle... you have a few choices here. If you have a rolled hem foot you can do either a zigzag or straight stitch rolled hem. Or you can use an over locked rolled hem, or you can fold, iron, and fold again at about 1/4" both times, finishing with a straight stitch.
RUFFLE Step 11.
Gather your ruffle. if you have a ruffle foot and know how to use it, get going! Other-wise hand gather. I recommend getting some fairly strong thread and loading your machine... then setting your straight stitch to the longest possible stitch and sewing down the non finished length. Make sure when you cut your threads that you leave a little more extra hanging than maybe you usually would. Now pull one of these threads from this stitch and start sliding and bunching your fabric up along it. Eventually you will end up with a ruffle. there are plenty of you tube tutorials which show this better so look there if you are totally lost.
RUFFLE Step 12:
Pin this ruffle to the bottom of your skirt (opposite from the waistband edge) with the right side to right side again just like the earlier seams and straight stitch it on, then zig zag to finish.
make sure that its nice and even all around and you haven't accidentally sewn something on backwards or something.
press the ruffle downwards (your seam will face upwards inside your skirt) fabulous!
RUFFLE Step 13.
Get your elastic ready! Cut your elastic to exactly your waist measurement. You will be feeding it through the gap in the stitching we left in the waist band earlier. The easiest way I know of to feed it through is to pin a safety pin on one end and shove the pin through the waistband. Be sure to hold onto the other end so it doesn't slip into the waistband before you can sew it together. When it finally reappears at the other end un pin the safety pin and carefully overlap the two ends about 1/2" on each side and stitch them together. Make sure the elastic isn't twisted before sewing the gap in the waistband closed. If it is, simply pull the elastic out again and re do the seam.
FUN OPTIONAL ADDITION:
Check out this great tutorial on how to add pockets to this and most other skirts! http://www.shrimpsaladcircus.com/adding-pockets-to-skirt-sewing-101/
Finished skirt examples! These have two 1/2" elastic channels in the waistband instead of just the single 1" one described in the tutorial, but the principles are completly the same:
