Pleated Mini Skirt DIY

This was the first fabric I saw upon entering B&J Fabrics while shopping in NYC. It was sitting on their inspiration all, and I simply neeeeeeded it in my life. I am talking desperate need here people.  To which my daughter promptly replied, “You don’t need it Momma, you want it.” Dang kids, they listen so well. Ha! I simply knew that this brocade / tweed would make a perfect mini skirt for late Summer / early Fall.  And now that I am home, and have completed the skirt I had envisioned in my head, I am even more in love. I mean – it is just perfect. The fully body, the pleats, the geometric pattern and pops of bright color. Everything about this is fabulous.

I love that it also proves that you do not need neoprene-like fabric to make a nice, full pleated mini skirt that bells out at the sides. It can indeed be accomplished with a tweed, or even a wool like fabric. Something with a heavy weight, that still breaths from the nice, loose weave. The key to sewing this skirt is to use super small stitches. This eliminates the fabric threads pulling loose from constant wear. (A lesson I learned when sewing a wool mini skirt last year, and the threads started to pull loose upon wearing).

Pleated Mini Skirt DIY.

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MATERIALS NEEDED:

• 1 – 1.5 yds tweed fabric
• Invisible zipper
• Measuring tape
• Basic sewing essentials

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INSTRUCTIONS:

Step One – Determine the length you would like for your skirt to be, and cut (2) panels of fabric that length from selvage to selvage.  Fold (1) panel of fabric in half, matching up the selvage ends. From the fold, measure out 2″ and mark with a pin on both sides.  Measure 4″ from that mark, and pin both sides. Repeat, continuing to measure 4″ from the previous pin until you reach the selvage end. Repeat for both fabric panels.

Step Two – To make the pleats, bring (2) consecutive pins together, folding and flattening the fabric in between evenly underneath. Pin fabric pleat in place, and repeat for next set of consecutive pins. Baste stitch the top edge of your skirt 1/4″ away from the edge to secure pleats in place. Measure your waist circumference, and add 2″ to that measurement, divide that number by 2. For example, my waist is 32″ = (32 + 2 = 34) / 2 = 17.  Measure the new width of your skirt with the pleats, you want the width to be half your waist measurement (17 as per my example). Cut off excess fabric evenly from either side. Repeat for both fabric skirt panels.

Step Three – Place front and back skirt panel right sides together. Pin and sew ONE side edge. Finish seam.

Step Four – Measure your waist circumference, and add 1″ to that measurement. For example, my waist is 32″ = (32 + 1 = 33). Cut (1) rectangle of fabric your new waist measurement (33 as per my example) x 4″L.  This will be your waistband. Place your waistband right sides together with the top of your skirt. Pin, sew, and finish seams. At this time, finish the raw side seams of the open side of your skirt as well, as well as the top raw edge of your waistband.

Step Five – Sew invisible zipper into the open side seam of your skirt, with the plastic nub of the top of your zipper, starting mid waistband. Once zipper is installed, finish sewing skirt side seam. Hem skirt.

Step Six – Fold waistband down toward the wrong side, enclosing all waistband seams and top of zipper. Pin around and sew or whipstitch.

And you are finished!

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It may seem tricky at first, especially if you are a beginner seamstress. But please trust me when I say, it gets easier. As an advanced seamstress this skirt took me between 1 – 2 hours to sew, and it is perfection. The tricky part is always the zipper, but once you master zippers – you will be hard pressed to go back to buttons / buttonholes.

As for a link to the fabric at B & J Fabrics. I searched and searched and searched, apparently they do not have this fabric listed on their website as of now. But it was on the trend board as soon as you walked in. I hope you have better luck than I did upon looking for it on-line. 

Thanks so much for stopping by, and until next time…

Happy Sewing!

 

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