Super Full Ultra Twirly Stripwork

~ Okey Dokey...Double Layer Stripwork twirl skirt. (I wiil try to take and add pictures the next time I make one!)

~ You first need to determine the length you want your skirt. Let's say we want our skirt 14" long. Your yoke (waistband) is 4" (you'll fold it in half lengthwise to make a 2" waistband), your ruffle is 4 (2" finished) and your stripwork strips will be 10 inches long.

~ I make my waistbands 1 1/2 the actual waist measurement. For a 22" waist the waist band would be 33 inches wide. (So the cutting measurement for our skirt would be 33"X4")

~ The width of your strips is really personal preference, and I usually make my strips a little smaller for the samller sizes.

~ We'll make our strips 4"X10. Choose 4 coordinating fabrics, and cut out 6 strips for each pattern. You'll have 24 strips. After I cut my fabrics I layer my strips in the order I want to sew them. Your top layer when all sewn toether will be around 84" long. Cut 2 pieces of your underskirt fabric 10"X42".

~ For ruffles, I double the skirt measurement, so you would need 4 4"X42" (or 2"X42" if you want to hem your ruffle)

~ Your cut pieces (for a 14" inch skirt with a 22" waist)

Waistband - 33"X4"

Stripwork layer - 24 4"X10" strips

Underskirt - 2 pieces 42"X10

Ruffle - 4 pieces 4"X42"

*** Putting it together ***

~ Waistband ~

Fold your waistband in half lengthwise and press. Sew the side seam (right sides together). Press seam to one side. Sew a casing 1" from the top of the waistband for the casing - leave a 2 inch opening near the seam for the elastic to go in. Set aside.

~ Outer Stripwork Layer ~

Sew yours strips together (long way don't forget to finish or serge all of your seams.) When all of you strips are sewn together, PRESS ALL THE SEAMS IN THE SAME DIRCTION. I topstitch each of my strips, but that's optional.

You can either turn your hem under, use bias tape or add a ruffle to finish the hem on your top layer. I like to use a contrasting/coordinating bias tape. (You'll need 2 packages of bias tape) Set aside.

~ Take your underskirt fabric - right sides together - and sew one of the side seams. Check and make sure you top layer, and underskirt layer are the same width and length. Trim it up if you need to. Sew the second side seam of your underskirt after you check the measurement. Sew the side seam on the top stripwork layer too. (Don't forget to press that last seam on the top layer.)

~ RUFFLE ~

Sew your strips together (end to end, right sides together) and THEN press your looooong ruffle strip in half. By doing it this way, the seams will be on the inside of the ruffle and hidden.

I use a ruffler to ruffle, I run a basting stitch to keep the fabric in place then I ruffle the strip.

Pin and sew your finished ruffle to the right side of the bottom of your underskirt fabric, press the seam to the underskirt and topstitch.

~ GATHERING THE SKIRT ~

I gather my underskirt and stripwork layer together at the same time. Place the underskirt under the top layer, and pin the 2 layers in place. Run your basting stitches ( I run 2 on this skirt) along the top of the skirt. Pull to gather to fit your waist band (33 inches) I only use the lowest basting stitch to gather - the other one is just to keep the layers together.

Take your waist band and pin it (right sides together!!) to your 2 skirt layers - I like my seam to be a side seam. Sew and attatch so your basting stitches don't show (Don't forget to adjust your machine's setting so it's not another basting stitch!!) Finish for serge the seam. Press the seam up towards the top of your waistband, and topstitch.

Insert your elastic (I usually cut my elastic for the waistband 2 inches shorter than the waist measurement), close the seam, and VIOLA!! You have a double layer stripwork skirt!!