Easy Peasy Lined Skirt

I finally made a skirt! Actually, this is the second skirt I've ever made - the only item of clothing I have ever made for myself is a skirt I made when I was about 15 (I still have it!), I keep meaning to actually get on and make some clothes for myself but somehow baby/toddler clothes and house-y stuff always seems so much more achievable!

So, back to the skirt. I made this for my niece but the pattern is super simple and could be made for any size. I used some cute nautical theme fabric that I bought last year for a (failed) attempt at at a romper for her. Sorry about the photos, I took them on my phone as my camera charger has disappeared...)

Materials

Fabric

Lining fabric (if you want to line it)

Wide elastic (I used 1" elastic for a toddler, you might want wider for an adult)

Thread

Cut matching rectangles from your main and lining fabric. The width depends on how gathered you want it, for stiffer fabrics/if you're using lining you'll want it to be less gathered. I just used what I had left from my main fabric which I think was about 80cm wide (my niece's waist is 49cm so it was about 1.6x her waist). The height should be however long you want your skirt plus enough to fold over your elastic (so I added about 3 inches to mine for that) and to hem (I did a large hem so that it can be lengthened as she grows but for an adult just add a couple of cm).

Fold both rectangles right sides together (for the lining right sides together means the side that you want to be able to see on the inside). Place one on top of the other and sew down the open edge. (It's a bit hard to see in this picture sorry!)

Turn the main fabric right side out, over the lining so that you end up with a tube with the main fabric on the outside and and lining inside. This is the bit where you check you have everything in the right place!

Turn the skirt inside out and iron down a small hem on the top edge and then fold down again to create a casing for your elastic. Sew around this, leaving a small gap.

Thread your elastic through this gap and round the casing using a safety pin (or however you like). I like to do this before I cut the elastic but you can measure and cut first.

Pull the elastic tight until it is just shorter than your waist measurement and cut. Sew the ends together (I overlapped the ends and sewed at both sides of the overlap so that it can be let out as she grows). Sew up the gap.

At the bottom of the skirt, fold over the edge twice, iron and hem. I handstitched the hem but you can machine it if you prefer.

And now you should have a beautiful skirt : )