Jersey Waistband Skirt

Ok, I admit it. I've never actually made a skirt. I know, crazy! I usually have the idea for the skirt, buy the fabric, and then give it to my mom to make :). So this was the first skirt I did totally on my own, and I'm proud of it. It seriously is an amazing feeling when someone asks you where you got your skirt and you say you made it. Yeah, it's a pretty great experience.

I have to say, of all the homemade skirts I worn, this is by far the comfiest. It has the most amazing stretchy jersey waist band, and the actual skirt is made from jersey knit too so it basically feels like your wearing sweatpants. 

So if you want to feel all those amazing feelings I just talked about for yourself,  join me in the skirt making fun. Once you start, you can't stop, Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I spent around $10 for the whole skirt plus some extra fabric, were it cost around $35 to get the same thing at lets say Downeast Basics (love that store). So let's get started. 

Materials:

- 1 yard of jersey knit fabric (I found mine on clearance at Hobby Lobby)

- scissors, rotary cutter, needle and thread, sewing machine 

**Make sire to use a zigzag stitch on EVERYTHING so that the skirt can stretch**

Steps:

Cut the fabric for your waistband:

• First you need to decide how tall you want your waistband to be. Mine is 2" tall but you can make it anywhere from 2" to around 4",  it all depends what kind of figure you have, Ect.
• once you decide your height double it (you'll see why in a second). So if I want my waistband to be 2" tall, I'm going to multiply it by two and then it will be 4. tack on an a 1 inch to that for seam allowance. So if I want my waistband to be 2", then I will cut the piece of fabric 9" tall. 
• Now you need to determine the length of the strip. This is pretty simple, just measure your waist where you want the skirt to fall. My waist is 29" so I just added another inch on for seam allowance. 
• Now pin the strip of fabric right sides together and sew down the unfolded edge 
• flip the tube inside out 

**Sorry for the bad pics**

• Now your going to take the two narrow ends of the tube and open them up. Place the short ends right sides together and sew.

• then pull the ends of the tube and whip stitch the opening closed

Time to make the body of the skirt:

• Cut fabric based on how long you want the skirt, how much you want it gathered at the top, and how big your waistband is. I used basically all the fabric I had left because I wasn't sure how long I wanted the skirt so I hemmed it last. 
• sew the fabric into a tube 
• sew two basting stitches along the top of the skirt/tube and gather the skirt so it's the same length as your waistband

Assembling the skirt:

• Fold the waistband over the gathered part of the skirt and pin it in place. Make sure not to stretch the fabric.
• Zig zag the pinned edge together. 
• rip stitch out the basting stitches.