I found this skirt at the Salvation Army for a great price of $3!! I LOVE any kind of abstract/tribal print so even though it is 2 sizes too large for me I grabbed it. The colors are vibrant and the fabric has a little stretch to it. Definitely not a natural fiber but I'll overlook that for this print. I did wear the skirt to work one day just to make sure I didn't want to keep it as is. Yeah, that shape is not flattering on me. I was ready to cut it up!
This is a mini skirt I bought at Cotton On a few weeks ago. I am obsessed with it and wear it every weekend. I especially love the oversized front pockets. So I drew out the skirt (yellow paper) and measured every seam length. I transfered this to a paper pattern. It was releatively simple since everything (except the pockets) is a straight line, so I didn't have to actually trace the skirt. *When I get a moment, I'll show you clearer photos of the pattern in case you want to attempt this particular skirt.*
The next step was to measure how much fabric there actually was in this skirt. Roughly 4 feet thanks to all those pleats :) I cut the waistband off, separating the outer fabric from the teal lining (that I really should use for another skirt!). I then Ironed the pleats out of my thrifted fabric.
Now that the fabric is nice and pressed, I cut out each pattern piece (2 front/backs, 4 sides, 2 pockets). I had just enough fabric and I was really hoping I didn't mess up and this point. I left the hem of the original skirt to save me some time, and it really helped figure out top and bottom once the pieces were cut out. I used a scrap of fabric as make-shift bias tape for the top of the pockets. I LOVE how this came out. Then sandwiched the pocket between the front and side front, pinning then sewing.
Here's a clearer photo of the sandwiching. Don't forget to sew the bottom of the pockets closed! Pin and sew the back to the side back pieces. Finally, sew the back to the front at the side seams. Press all seams as you're sewing, this makes for cleaner lines and less mistakes because you're not rushing through every seam. I also did a serged seam finish down each seam in case the mystery fabric decided to fray next time I washed it.
Here's the skirt in its 2D state, all sewn together. Let's take one more look at those awesome pockets! I cut a piece of 2" wide elastic (mostly because I ran out of fabric and couldn't make a waistband) that seemed like a good fit around my waist/hips/where ever I decide to wear the skirt. I measure the waistband in quarters and mark with pins. This helps when stretching and sewing as I can line up the next pin with the side seam or center-front of the skirt. Press your gathers down and you have a beautiful mini skirt with beautiful pockets and a super comfy waistband!
PS This was my 100th Post and I am so excited to have been doing this for a year! I hope you enjoy all my rambling and whining and sometimes good content! :D
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