One of the best parts about sewing is that you can do your own alterations. This skirt needed to be taken in at the waist and hemmed a few inches shorter. Nothing major, but a perfect example of when you need to take something to the tailor and can do it yourself. Gotta love hand-me-downs with the tags still attached!
The most important thing you will need is a seam ripper. A hem gauge is also helpful. I began by detaching the waistband from the skirt. Since I wanted to keep the zipper attached in the back, I started 1/4" from the center back seam.
The skirt originally had thick pleats all around it, so those came out as well. (I wanted to keep the fullness at the hem, so I ended up replacing the pleats with gathers up top.)
I wanted this to be a high-waisted skirt so I needed 1" taken off the waist (1/2" on either side). After I detached the waistband from the skirt (above), I took the side seams apart on the waistband as well. I measured a 1/2" on both the lining and the fabric part of the waistband and sewed two new seams. After repeating this on the second side seam, I pinned the waistband and sewed it back together...
Using embroidery thread I made a long gathering stitch all around the top of the skirt (including both the lining and the fabric). Usually you do a second row, but one row did the trick. This part is a little hard to see since the gathering stitch is in red...
I gathered the skirt to the new waist measurement and pinned it to the waistband. Since the waistband was already pressed, I slid the fabric and the lining in between the waistband and topstitched.
The fabric and the lining needed to be hemmed separately, so I sewed the lining on the machine and did the fabric by hand. Remember to pin your hem and try whatever it is you're altering with the appropriate shoes. I wanted this skirt to work with heels and flats, so I tried it on with both.
I used a vertical hemming stitch for the hem, which is invisible from the front side. You could also do this step on the sewing machine...
Bon chance!!
2 comments:
I am SO obsessed with this skirt. I have SCOURED the internet looking for it. I cannot find it anywhere- not even ebay! I can't even find something similar! So envious that you found it and get to wear it around! It's SO pretty! :)
I have also been scouring the internet for this skirt. I love it so much!! Sad I won't be able to find it myself. But I love the Honeymoon post that you included it on, and will be buying some of those items instead...
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