If you've never sewn any clothes before, this is a good introductory dress-making project. It's easy to sew, yet you end up with an item of clothing which makes a real impact. It's also a project which can be adapted and embellished. If you would like to learn how I sew a skirt with an elasticated waistband, download my tutorial for free here. For the last 2 years, I've made Halloween outfits for my daughter. These have been centred around a skirt with an elasticated waistband, sewn from my own fabric designs. These skirts are an excellent choice for little girls, as they are so easy to put on and pull off.
Last year, my remit was to sew an outfit for a 'Bat Witch'. I cut out 3 different linocuts of bats and formed the prints into a repeat pattern with insects flying in the background for the bat fabric. I sewed the basic skirt, but embellished it with bias binding along the hem to add some definition. As you can see, I also made a simple set of wings from the same fabric.
1For this year's Halloween, my daughter requested a 'Princess Witch'. I took a skeleton linocut and used the print to create a skeleton fabric with the skeleton as a big bold motif on a purple background. I adapted the basic elasticated skirt design by adding some darts in round the top so the skeletons lie flatter. I cut up an old net skirt, and sewed a net ruffle along the bottom and added a bow to the centre. An elasticated skirt is such a fun project to make, with flexible measurements and lots of possibilities to adapt the design. If you have a go of making a skirt using my free tutorial, I would love to see what you make!