T-Shirt Mini Skirt

4 Easy Steps to making a mini skirt out of old t-shirts. Why throw away when you can re-use and re-create your wardrobe. 

Materials:

1.  thread
2. a machine that can do zig-zag stitches or a babylock machine
3. a mannequin or model you can drap the fabric on
4. pins
5. needle and thread for basting

Step 1: Remove the top half of the shirt, lay flat and cut a straight line from armhole to armhole. This will be your waistline.

Step 2: Drape inside out on model/mannequin (remember to use the existing t-shirt hem as the skirt hem) . Pull fabric towards the side seams, making sure it is smooth and not too tight, but tight enough for the skirt to stay up on it's own. Pin.

 Step 3: Baste (with contrasting thread) a new seam on model/mannequin.

Step 4: Remove and use basted line as your stitch guidline. sew & voila! At this point you can make a pattern so you can recreate a perfect skirt every time. You can go further and double up the skirt so all of the ends are finished nicely, but since jersey edges roll it is not necessary.

For the pattern

Why is it important to make a pattern? If you make a pattern than you are guaranteed to have straight side seams and a grainline that follows the weave every time. If the side seams aren't straight than you skirt won't fall straight. 

Materials:

1. hip curve ruler
2. square ruler / transparent ruler
3. pencil and pencil crayon
4. craft paper
5. pins
6. glue

Step 1: Lay skirt flat on paper, you may want to pin it in place. Trace with pencil.

Step 2: Using the rulers fix traced lines to best fit. Find the Centre of the pattern, square up from hem. Fold in half, pin and cut. This will be your template for the pattern

Step 3: Take a large enough piece of paper that will fit the skirt twice. Fold in half. Trace the skirt template. Find the centre and draw grainline and add necessary info (ie: front skirt). Pin the fold paper together, and cut out.

Step 4: The second pattern piece will be your back pattern. Mark 1cm in from side seams, and cut. Find centre and draw your grainline, mark necessary info.


The nice thing about jersey is that the edges roll and create an already finished look. However if you want something even cleaner you can make a facing (copy patterns 12.5cm from waistline) or cut 2 of each pattern to create a 2-ply skirt.