-Fabric
-Zipper
-¼ inch wide elastic
-And, your basic sewing essentials.
*First, measure the part of your waist that you would like the skirt to sit.
*Then determine what you would like the width of your waistband to be.
*Cut the length of your waistband exactly as you measured it. There is no need for seam allowances, since you will be adding a zipper.
*Cut the width twice as wide as you would like it to be, plus seam allowances.
*Then fold in half lengthwise.
*For the actual skirt: cut a rectangle at least half again as long as your waistband. I made my skirt twice as long, for a little extra bubble.
*Make the length a few inches longer than you would like it to be, to compensate for the volume.
Now attatch your skirt to your waistband, obviously you have to make gathers. I find it easiest to start with a backstitch through the waistband and the skirt. Then make wide baisting stitches through ONLY the skirt portion. Make sure that the thread is exactly as long as the waistband and finnish with another backstitch through the skirt AND the waistband. Now, just even out your gathers, pin in a few places and sew.
Okay, so now install your zipper… I have no tricks here… just follow the package instructions.
Then sew the back seam of the skirt.
Now take your elastic and measure around your legs so that it is tight enough, but not too tight. Sew the ends of the elastic together.
Using your zipper foot, sew the elastic around the hem as you would sew piping (if that makes any sense at all), until you have gone all the way around your skirt. Just keep pulling the elastic to gather as you go.
Now just even everything out… and that’s it! You now have a cute, lightweight bubble skirt.
