Keeping Up With Us Jones': EASY 3 seam Maxi Skirt

i've made quite a few maxi skirts, most of which have been made spur of the moment without a pattern and not worth doing a tutorial of because they are made so quickly (and messily). but, this one is so easy and so versatile that i figured it was worth sharing. total time from start to finish was 15 minutes.

supplies:
1 1/2 yards of a stretchy knit material (check to make sure it's not too see-through)
thread to match (i used white so that you could see the seams)
measuring tape
pins
scissors

first you need to make a tube. depending on how much gathering you want your skirt to have you can change this number but i liked to take my waist measurement, divide it in half, and add that half to your original waist measurement. for example, if your measurement was 30, you would divide that in half and get 15, then add 15 to 30 which makes 45. so your width would be 45 inches and your length would be the measurement from your hip to the floor. (with heels or without is your choice) make sure you pre-wash your material so that it will not shrink.

this image shows both the skirt and the waistband cut pieces

sew your square into a tube by placing right sides together and sewing. make sure to use a zig zag stretch stitch, or serge.

next you make your waistband. i like a thick waistband so that i can fold it over if i want the skirt to hit at my hips, or pull it up high so that it is a high waisted skirt.this is where the versatility comes into play. so, i want my waistband to be about 5 inches thick. when folded in half, that means that it needs to be 10 inches wide plus a seam allowance, and a little less than my waist measurement long. i say a little less because you want it to be tight, so treating the knit material like the way you would measure an elastic works great. you want it to equal your waist measurement when stretched. so, for example: if i had a 30 inch waist, i would cut out a 26 inch by 10 inch square. in order to make my waistband. when folded in half, and pulled tight, fit nicely. this number will totally depend on the stretchiness of your fabric. so, make sure to double check before cutting/sewing.

flip the skirt tube inside out and the waistband -which should be folded in half- right side out, stick the waistband inside the skirt tube so that the 3 edges meet together, and pin so that it will gather the way you want.

sew/serge along the seams and flip right sides out and your done. if the length needs shortening, just cut it, since its a knit it does not need hemming and i find it lays/flows better if it's not hemmed anyway. you can wear it unfolded high waisted or folded and on your hip.