DIY: Easy, Cute, Modest Skirt.

One thing that has been harder about mission preparations is finding cute skirts that are long enough and full enough for a biking mission. So I decided it was time I take matters into my own hands. Now, I am no expert and I did not use a pattern.

 Here are the easy steps to a cute skirt:

1) Get all the materials: Knit fabric (anything with a little stretch), elastic (I choose 1/2"), measuring tape (soft and hard), thread, and any accessory for the skirt (lace in this case).

2) Measure your waist and the length you want your skirt to be from your waist. Don't do it like I did in these pictures. That is wrong. I was just trying to be artistic. Also... feel free to admire my dolphin rug. 

3) Okay. MATH TIME! It's so simple. I promise. Waist times 2. And length you want, plus 3 ( you need extra fabric for hemming and the casing for the elastic)

4) Lay that fabric out!!! It's time to get to work. ***Be careful not to stretch the fabric because knits will cling to the floor and give you uneven edges if you cut with it stretched. ALSO VERY IMPORTANT: You want the fabric of the skirt to stretch side to side and not up and down. So lay the fabric out the right way.*** 

5) Chalk is your new best friend. Measure out the length plus 3" and mark it up. Keep measuring and make series of lines. Then connect the lines so you know where to cut.

6) Tear it up!!!! And by that, I mean cut along the line. But "tear it up" sounds a lot more adventurous.

7) Time for the real fun! SEWING! All of this can be done by hand, but, I very highly recommend a sewing machine. This one was my Nana's. It's like 50+ years old and still works like a gem.

***You might want to get thread the same color (or close to) as your fabric, although white works with anything***

8) We're going to sew casing for the elastic. So cut the elastic to the length of your waist or just slightly bigger (like half an inch bigger). The casing should be about double the thickness of your elastic (ex/ my elastic was 1/2" and casing was an inch).

9) Get your cat and---- oh wait. No that's not necessary. Sorry about that.

***Use these handy dandys to secure where you want to sew***

10) Thread the elastic through using a safety pin. Make sure not to lose the loose end.

11) Hem to the desired length. A doubled-over hem will help it lay nicer.

Sew it up! 

12) Sew the elastic together. Use a zig-zag stitch... just for fun. Okay not really, it helps it stay in place. 

13) LASTLY, sew the sides together. Good side to good side (so when you turn it inside out you don't have a seam showing).

14) Optional: Add some lace detail. This also helps hide imperfections in the hem! 

That's it! A cute skirt under $5.