kojotutorial: the half and half skirt

We shared this sweet little half and half skirt over at delia’s last month… it is light and flow-y and just perfect for summer. So we thought we’d share it over here as well.

Before we start, I should say that I relied heavily on Dana’s skirt tutorials, just tweaked the directions for this half-and-half skirt. If you need a skirt resource, though, Dana’s your girl!

Want to make a half and half skirt, too? You’ll need-
-two rectangles of fabric, approximately 5″ x 40″ (the width will vary based on your little one’s waist measurement)
-a length of 1 inch thick elastic, waist-measurement-sized
-sewing machine and supplies

1. Measure your little one’s waist. Double the measurement and you’ll have your fabric width (though, this isn’t exact, so if it’s a little wider or a little narrower than the doubled measurement, no problem). Piper Jane’s waist is 18″, so my width was 36″. Cut out your fabric.
*Tip- If you can find fabric with a pretty selvedge edge (like my cherry fabric), you’ll only need a 3.5″-4″ bottom piece. And it makes your sewing go faster.
**Also, your finished length will depend on the size of your little one. All of these directions are based on a skinny nine-month old’s measurements (the finished length is about 7″). If you need a bigger size, adjust the length accordingly.

2. Iron your future top edge under half an inch, and then over another full inch (plus a little). This will become your elastic casing. If you didn’t find a selvedge edge, also iron your future bottom edge up half and inch and then another half inch.

3. Pin your two pieces together, right sides facing in. Sew the pieces together. Press your seam open. Line up your side edge so that the seam where the two pieces of fabric meet matches up exactly. It’s ok if your top or bottom edge are slightly off as long as that part matches. Sew along this edge, making a tube.

4. Adjust your ironed edges to match (you might need to re-iron at the seams). Sew your hem if you have one. Then sew your elastic casing, leaving about an inch to feed your elastic through.

5. Feed your elastic through your casing (it should be about the size of your little one’s waist). Overlap the two edges and zig zag stitch together a couple of times.

6. Sew your opening closed.

7. Voila! The Half and Half Skirt is perfect for playing outside…

…wrestling your big brother…

…lounging…

…swinging from ladders…

…whatever your little summer-y heart desires!

Happy summer skirt sewing, friends!