Hm. Been a while since I’ve had a tutorial for you all! I seriously had such incredible intentions of posting 2-4 tutorials a month at the start of the year…and well… life happened or something.
But really, you’ll be seeing more tutorials and projects around here — as well as patterns! {insert happy dance for all of you emailing and asking!} Some will be accompanying tutorials for free–others will be available for download on etsy and hopefully here as well…if I can figure all of that out. Sometimes it hurts this blonde head of mine to think that hard.
My sister made the cutest skirts for my niece this past Christmas, in this same sort of paperbag style, using some remnants she grabbed at the fabric store. I loved them! So one cold day this winter — haha, when hasn’t it been cold — as I was shivering and putting 50 layers on, I remembered those glorious jeans lined with flannel I had growing up. Please tell me I wasn’t the only who rocked those!
Combine flannel lined pants with getting into your sun-warmed car on a chilly spring day? In my opinion, that is magic.
What does this have to do with a skirt? I’ll explain. As soon as spring temperatures start to arrive, my desire to wear skirts goes up exponentially. But I got to thinking, what if said skirt was lined with fleece, so it provided just a little bit of cozy warmth for those cooler days.
I didn’t stop there.
What if it was reversible??
What if it was quilted!?
I would quilt everything if I could. True story.
So what’s on the agenda today? How about a quick paperbag style toddler skirt. This skirt can be altered for just about any size — including adult sizes, which I’m sure I’ll be whipping up soon! I would say to give yourself a naptime/afternoon/day– depending on your speed and embellishing!
Supplies:
- 1/2 yard, 44 inch wide cotton fabric*
- 1/2 yard, fleece or flannel
- 1 inch elastic
- fabric pen**
- scissors
- large safety pin
* you will need to use wider fabric if you’d like the same flare shape for an adult size
** these pens are my favorite
Recommended machine supplies:
I’ve had quite a few people ask for the name of this particular fabric — I too fell in love with it when I laid eyes on it! I was able to track it down and find a few places with remnants and a few yards left! Hurry hurry!
Alexander Henry Talavera Swirl in Multi // available here and here
I love so many of the prints available in the current collection as well! Adoring this,this, this, and this. This print will probably end up on a skirt for me. Or this, this, or this.
1 // Begin by cutting the cotton and fleece to the desired length of your skirt — don’t forget to add in your seam allowances. I did 3/8″ at both the top and bottom seams. Remember that this style of skirt sits a bit higher and also has 1.5″-2″ of fabric above the waist band, so measure the length accordingly! You will be left with a long tube open on each end!
2 // Trim the open ends so the edges line up. Match up the similar fabrics and pin right sides together. It will be a little awkward, but sew around the opening, leaving a gap in the fleece — I left about 4 inches. We will use this opening to feed in the elastic for the waist band. You’ll be left with a new tub, this time with nice seamed edges. I almost ended here and called it an infinity scarf, but we shall carry on!
*At the end I will show you an alternate way to create the reversible skirt if you want to free motion quilt your skirt as well.*
3 // Sew a channel for your elastic around the top of the skirt. I left a little over an inch at the top of this 18m-2t sized skirt. The channel for the elastic was just a hair over 1 inch, allowing for the inch wide elastic.
4 // Using your fabric pen, mark straight lines to be quilted. Attach the walking foot to your machine* and sew on these markings. Be sure to stay below the channel you created for the elastic! You will need to thread that through, and sewing into that channel will make it difficult!
*A walking foot allows you to sew multiple layers more smoothly — feeding both top and bottom layers together, instead of relying on the feet only. If you don’t have a walking foot, no worries! You can skip this step entirely, or use pins to hold your fabrics together as you sew!
Here is a close up of the walking foot — if you haven’t used one before, order one! You. Will. Be. Hooked. This pillow was one of the first things I made when I finally decided to try the walking foot that came with my sewing machine….and well, I don’t think I really ever took that walking foot off again!
5 // Cut elastic about 1″ longer than desired. (Example: Harlow’s waist is 19″ — elastic was cut to 20″.)
6 // Place large safety pin on the end of the elastic and thread through the channel. Be careful to hold the other end of the elastic outside of the channel. After elastic is threaded through, sew the ends together using a 1/2 seam allowance. I like to use a tiny stitch length sewn a few times over again to reinforce this seam.
7 // Hand sew the opening that was left on the fleece side, matching the seam allowances used.
You did it!
Skirt below is an example of completing the reversible paperbag skirt with no quilting embellishment.
Want to try your hand at some free motion quilting?
I am not a free motion quilter by any means — I’ve tried a few test pieces here and there, but never been happy with the results! I decided this fabric was begging to have some fun swirls and loops, and I knew that this machine might give me the space to finally do some successful free motion quilting! See how much work space it has? Bring on the quilts!
I texted Andy after I completed this skirt and told him I was completely smitten! I cannot wait to hone my free motion quilting skills now!
Alternate Instructions for Free Motion Quilted Paperbag Skirt
1 // Begin by cutting the cotton and fleece to the desired length of your skirt — don’t forget to add in your seam allowances. I did 3/8″ at both the top and bottom seams. Remember that this style of skirt sits a bit higher and also has 1.5″-2″ of fabric above the waist band, so measure the length accordingly! You will be left with a long tube open on each end!
2 // Using your fabric pen, mark your seams for the waist band channel. Or you can just use a seam guide and go, as I did above. Sew channel.
3 // Here is where we switch paths, as we want to keep the skirt in a long panel instead of closing it into the skirt shape. Using your fabric pen draw some ideas for your free motion lines. If you’re a pro, you can totally skip this step! I didn’t end up following mine very closely, but it helped me begin thinking in the motion and look I was going for! (The reason that I love these pens so much is that they disappear with an iron instantly! Hate your markings? Just iron it quickly and voila! They are all gone! You can thank my mama for finding these gems!)
4 // Remove walking foot and attach free motion quilting foot! Take a deep breath: you can do this!!
5 // Keeping your fabric as flat as possible, focus on small sections at a time. I did about 3-5 inch sections, starting at one end and working my way towards the other. It won’t be perfect! That is okay! Check your tension early on and make adjustments as needed. I chose to use pink in my bobbin for this second skirt to give the grey side a fun contrast!
See? Definitely not perfect. But I love every inch of it!
6 // Place the large safety pin at one end of the elastic and thread elastic through the channel.
7 // Isn’t it looking fun? Now we need to turn it into a skirt.
Pin the raw edges together, matching the rights sides of the cotton together. Sew from the top of the skirt to the top of the channel — backstitch and cut threads. Begin again at the bottom seam of the channel and sew to the bottom of the skirt. I used a 1/4″ seam.
8 // Sew the elastic ends together and trim. Tuck the elastic into the skirt, so it lays flat.
9 // Use a scrap piece of fabric about 1″ wide — and long enough to cover the length of your skirt. Press the raw edges under and pin in place, covering the raw seam. Sew into place on both sides of the stripe.*
10 // You did it!
Harlow has been loving her skirt! And I’m pretty jealous: I definitely need to make one in my size!
Wondering what she’s grooving to? (click here to see in your reader)
And then of course the action shot. This girl.
I hope you enjoyed the tutorial! Please let me know if you have questions — I’m here to help! Be sure to link back to me or tag me if you post photos of your skirt! I cannot wait to see!
xo
So cute – both the skirt and her! You did an awesome job quilting it!
thank you, Becky!! now i want to free motion quilt ALL THE THINGS!
I just love the Skirt you made and Great photo’s of Miss Harlow!!!
thank you, Kristen!!! miss you!