How do you make a skirt out of a shirt?

If your shirt is too wide, cut off the excess from one side and create a new seam along that side. Turn the skirt inside out and fold down the top raw edge, 1 1/2 inches. Pin in place. Create a seam that is 1 1/4 inch from the top folded edge (which would be 1/4 inch from the bottom raw edge).
I have two examples – using a girl’s shirt to make a little girl’s skirt, and using a man’s shirt to make a woman’s skirt. This is what the girl’s version looks like: And here’s the women’s version: First things first: this will only work with a knit (stretchy) shirt.
The refashioned skirt You can literally make skirt out of anything- an old bedsheet, a pillowcase, your man’s shirt- waste not, want not! The party skirt It doesn’t matter if you’re five or fifty-five – every girl needs a tutu! Other useful resources
Lay the shirt in front of you and make sure the bottom hem along the front and the back are lined up evenly. You will be using the shirt hem as your new skirt hem.

How to hem a shirt to make a skirt?

Cut the excess fabric off using fabric scissors, using the line you drew as a guide. If your skirt has a lining, cut the lining 1 inch (2.54 centimeters) shorter. Fold the hem down by ½ inch (1.27 centimeters), secure it with sewing pins, then press it with an iron.
If you don’t have a hem gauge, you can use a measuring tape or ruler instead. If you are cutting a skirt lining, cut it 1 inch (2.54 centimeters) shorter than the skirt itself. Using a sewing machine, straight stitch a line ¼ inch (0.63 centimeters) away from the cut edge. Try to use a higher thread tension for this.
Pull the needle ¼ inch (0.63 centimeters) through the hem, then use it to catch 1 to 2 threads from the skirt material again. Keep blind stitching until the hem is all sewn up. Knot the end of the thread, and snip the rest off. [3] [4] Use a thread color that closely matches your fabric.
If your skirt is too long, you can always cut it shorter to suit your style. Simply cutting the skirt is not enough, however; you have to hem your skirt as well. How you hem your skirt will depend on whether it it a regular skirt, or a circle skirt. Once you know how to hem, you will be able to give your customized clothing a professional touch.

How do you sew elastic to a serged skirt?

Sewing elastic into a garment is different from regular sewing because you need to account for the stretchiness the elastic will give the fabric. [1] There are 2 basic methods for sewing elastic. You can sew it to the garment directly or create a casing for the elastic and then insert the elastic through the casing.
Sew the side seams of the skirt using a straight stitch. Fold your rectangle of fabric in half so the short sides of the skirt touch. The wrong side of the fabric should be facing you. Then, use your sewing machine to straight stitch along the edge and leave a 1⁄4 inch (0.64 cm) seam allowance. [4]
The zigzag stitch will stretch with the elastic so the stitches don’t break. Fold the elastic over to the front and zigzag stitch it along the bottom. At this point, most of the elastic band will be behind the fabric waistline. Fold it up and over the waist so it’s resting on the right side of your skirt.
Pin the waistline of the skirt into 4 equal parts and secure the elastic. You’ll also need to insert sewing pins into the front, back, and sides of the waistline so they’re equal distances apart. Then, line up the seam of the elastic with the back pin of the waistline. Stretch the elastic so you can line them up with the waistline pins. [11]

How do you cut the edge of a skirt?

Consider using a hem gauge to measure up from the bottom of the skirt to the cutting point. This will help ensure that you are cutting an even amount off all along the hem. If you don’t have a hem gauge, you can use a measuring tape or ruler instead. If you are cutting a skirt lining, cut it 1 inch (2.54 centimeters) shorter than the skirt itself.
Hem the bottom edge of your lining by folding it up twice or by sewing it with a zigzag stitch and then folding it up once. It is much easier to hem the lining when it is not attached to the rest of the skirt. Use a thread color that matches your lining.
Fold the edges of the lining fabric under around the edges of the zipper. Then, insert a few pins on each side of the zipper to hold the fabric in place. Sew a zigzag or straight stitch along the edges of the zipper and skirt lining to secure them together. [15] Make sure that you do not sew through the skirt’s exterior layer when you do this.
If you don’t have a hem gauge, you can use a measuring tape or ruler instead. If you are cutting a skirt lining, cut it 1 inch (2.54 centimeters) shorter than the skirt itself. Using a sewing machine, straight stitch a line ¼ inch (0.63 centimeters) away from the cut edge. Try to use a higher thread tension for this.

How to sew elastics directly to fabric?

The first step in attaching elastics directly to fabric is by pinning the elastic to your fabric, keeping it flat against your head or neck until you reach your elastic thread. You will then take a single running stitch on the wrong side of the fabric, pull it tight to secure it in place. Which Is The Best Fabric For Sewing Elastic?
Another option is to sew the ends of the elastic together using a scrap piece of fabric. Line up the edges of the elastic over the scrap piece of fabric and then sew a zigzag stitch across the edges 2 or 3 times. This will eliminate any bulging that may occur from overlapping the elastic. [3]
Stretching elastic should only be done between 3 and 8%; 8% should only be used on the small parts of the garment. You need to consider one more thing, and that is putting more stitches on the side where you think the elastic is stretched more. Why won’t my sewing machine sew through elastic?
Do the folding of the fabric over the elastic to the inward direction and sew it. While sewing, make both the flexible and the fabric flat and even all the way. This way, the elastic will be covered by the fabric. Now that you fold the leftover fabric edge over the band, it’s time to sew it with your machine’s zigzag stitch.

How do you stop elastic from bulging when sewing?

The first step in attaching elastics directly to fabric is by pinning the elastic to your fabric, keeping it flat against your head or neck until you reach your elastic thread. You will then take a single running stitch on the wrong side of the fabric, pull it tight to secure it in place. Which Is The Best Fabric For Sewing Elastic?
Here’s a little trick that will prevent an elastic waistband from turning and getting twisted. Leave a little extra space in the width of the casing, and edgestitch the top edge of the waistband before you feed the elastic through.
Coat the cut ends of the elastic with liquid fabric stabilizer. Liquid fabric stabilizer is available from fabric stores and has a small squirt nozzle, which makes it easy to apply a thin line of stabilizer to a cut edge. Step 2 Overcast the ends of the elastic with a machine zigzag stitch.
Prevent fraying when making bands of elastic by overlapping the edges 1/2 inch and sewing a zigzag stitch over the edge of the elastic. Turn the elastic over and sew the overlapping edge on the other side in the same way. Solid plastic elastic will not fray, but it is not as strong as woven elastic.

How do you sew elastic with a zigzag stitch?

[2] Sew together the ends of your elastic. Overlap the ends of the elastic by about 0.25 inches (0.64 cm) to 0.5 inches (1.3 cm). Use the zigzag stitch setting on your sewing machine and sew across the overlapping elastic 2 or 3 times.
When the fabric is folded and secured how you want it to be, use your sewing machine to sew a straight stitch about 0.25 inches (0.64 cm) from the edges of the fabric. This will provide plenty of room for the elastic while also ensuring a secure casing. Make sure to avoid sewing over the area where you have marked as the opening for the casing.
When sewing with woven fabric, set your machine for a zigzag stitch at the widest setting possible, and using thick elastic thread is the best. When sewing with knit fabric, use the standard zigzag stitch and a thin elastic thread to avoid puckering or stretching out your seams on the sides of the garment.
Another option is to sew the ends of the elastic together using a scrap piece of fabric. Line up the edges of the elastic over the scrap piece of fabric and then sew a zigzag stitch across the edges 2 or 3 times. This will eliminate any bulging that may occur from overlapping the elastic. [3]

How do you attach elastic to a dress?

Depending on the type of dress you have, the approach will vary. If the dress has a waist seam, turn the article inside-out and stitch the length of elastic to the interior seam allowance (that small bit of raised seam inside the dress). For a dress without a seam, you’ll attach the elastic directly to the material.
Remember the fabric’s edge you left? It’s time to fold it around the elastic for covering. Do the folding of the fabric over the elastic to the inward direction and sew it. While sewing, make both the flexible and the fabric flat and even all the way. This way, the elastic will be covered by the fabric.
Now we are going to sew the elastic ends together. Overlap the elastic ends by 0.64cm or 0.25inches to 1.3 cm or 0.5 inches. Now sew the ends 2 to 3 times by setting the zigzag stitch on your sewing machine. In this way, the elasticity won’t be able to detach the ends.
Step 1: You need to figure out the length of elastic you’ll need to use. To do so, wrap the elastic around your waist while wearing the dress. If you’d like to tighten other places as well, measure in the same way at these areas. Then adjust until it’s comfortable and cut the elastic to that desired length.