Pattern-less Skirts

The Wrap Skirt

1. Gather all of the items you will need
   • a good fabric tape measure
   • material
   • two stylish buttons
2. Measure material that is 1 and a half times your waist size then add on two more inches and as wide as you want your skirt long
3. hem the top and bottom edges
4. Fold material into thirds
5. Mark button holes one inch in from both ends
6. mark sew and cut
7. sew buttons st matching points.
8. Wear and enjoy.

1. For this skirt I will walk through a project as I do it.  I planned to make a short light weight flippy skirt for dancing, so I bought some lightweight Acetate (60% acetate 40% rayon)
2. I measured out 45 inches (one and a half times my waist size plus three inches) by 18 inches (the length of the skirt).
3. Next I measured a 30 inch (my waist size plus 2 inches) by 3 inch strip.
4. Next fold the main skirt in half and cut it into two pieces
5. Next rejoin the two pieces by folding the left hand side over 1/2 an inch and sewing it to the right stopping 7 inches from the top.
6. sew the left side if the zipper 1/2" in at the edge of the seam allowance and sew the right side on folding over just a 1/4 inch hem.
7. Now you should have your original piece with a 7 inch zipper centered in the middle and only 1 inch shorter.
   Next hem both far ends.
8. Now fold the cloth over and tack sew along the front top edge
9. Now take the long 3 inch strip and press a 1/4 inch hem at all 4 edges  then fold in half and press.
10. pin it onto the main body of the skirt starting with the left edge of the zipper and finishing with one and a half inches hanging past the right edge
11. Sew along all 4 edges of the strip sewing the seams and the top edge still leaving the inch and a half hanging over.
12. Sew 1 button hole 1/2" from the strip on the left side of the zipper.
13. match the strip on the right behind it and sew a button.
14. Now wear and enjoy.

The Box pleated skirt

1. This type of pleated skirt is often associated with cheer leaders, but  is a nice design for many other things too.

2. For this you

   • will need a piece of cloth 3 times your waist size plus 2 inches.
   • and a strip your waist size plus 2 inches by 3 inches.

3. First decide if you want hard pleats all the way down or just soft flowing pleats.

4. If you want hard pleats press then all the way down the material.  If you want soft pleats then press them only at the waist.

5. first hem the top and bottom edge.

6. next press in the pleats as shown following the solid lines one direction and the dashed lines the other.
   

7. Next press a quarter inch hem on all 4 sides of the waist belt.  Then fold in half and press.
8. Fold the right edge over 1/2 inch and press under.
9. pin the waist belt along the pleated top edge of the skirt starting at the right side keeping the half inch folded under  leaving an inch and a half hanging to the left.
10. Sew all 4 edges of the waist belt.
11. pin the two sides together with a 7" zipper as the last 7 inches stopping just bellow the waist band and the left edge (used to be right when laying flat flush with the 1/2" overlap to hide the zipper
12. Sew up the seam and the zipper, but obviously not the waist belt.
13. Sew a buttonhole !/2" from the left edge of the waist belt, lay the excess strip behind it match up a button and sew.
14. Wear and Enjoy!

The Knife Pleated skirt

1. For this material I bough a rainbow colored rayon, similar to what you see in the whimsical skirts made in india.  It is long enough to make a skirt that reaches my ankles.
2. For this you will need a piece of cloth 3 times your waist size plus 2 inches.  and a strip your waist size plus 2 inches by 3 inches.
3. First decide if you want hard pleats all the way down or just soft flowing pleats.
4. If you want hard pleats press then all the way down the material.  If you want soft pleats then press them only at the waist.
5. first hem the top and bottom edge.
6. next press in the pleats as shown following the solid lines one direction and the dashed lines the other.

7. Next press a quarter inch hem on all 4 sides of the waist belt.  Then fold in half and press.  The material was light enough that I placed a heavier cloth underneath and pressed it with a cool iron.
8. Fold the right edge over 1/2 inch and press under. I reinforced the light rayon I used with binding tape.
9. pin the waist belt along the pleated top edge of the skirt starting at the right side keeping the half inch folded under  leaving an inch and a half hanging to the left.
10. Sew all 4 edges of the waist belt.
11. pin the two sides together with a 7" zipper as the last 7 inches stopping just bellow the waist band and the left edge (used to be right when laying flat flush with the 1/2" overlap to hide the zipper. Again I used binding tape for an interface to reinforce it.
12. Sew up the seam and the zipper, but obviously not the waist belt.
13. Sew a buttonhole 1/2" from the left edge of the waist belt, lay the excess strip behind it match up a button and sew.
14. Wear and Enjoy!<

The Circle Skirt

1. First find you "magic number".
   1. Get a calculator
   2. Take your waist size and divide by 3.14.
   3. From this number subtract 1.25
   4. Round down to the nearest 1/4 or 1/8 inch.
   5. that is you magic number. write it down.
      For Example if you waist was 28 inches. 28 divide by 3.14 is 8.91 .... minus 1.25 is 7.667... round this to 7.625 or 7 5/8. This is the magic Number
2. Next draw a line 5/8" of an inch from the long edge of your material.  For reference a cloth tape measure is 5/8" wide.
3. make a point near the corner of your material.  Measure the length of your skirt plus 2 inches.. Mark it hear after drawing that line.
4. Next measure you "Magic number" further and mark.
5. Next Draw a line the length of the skirt and 2 inches further.
6. Find the point in the middle of your magic number and use a string half your magic number to mark the inside edge of the skirt piece.
7. Now take a string that runs from the middle point to the edge and male an arc for the outside of your skirt.
   You will need two of these pieces.
8. Next sew a zipper stopping 5/8 of an inch from the top in the center of one of these pieces.
9. Sew the two pieces together allowing 5/8 inch seam allowance.
10. Next sew a 5/8 inch hem at the top and a 1 inch hem at the bottom.  Be careful not to sew your zipper point closed.
11. Wear and Enjoy!