Hey guys! Long time no bloggee I know! I'm sorry. I've just been a bit unmotivated to do anything remotely crafty! Let alone blog about it. Yesterday we threw another party for the Monster, this time it was a Monster Mash! I'll try and get photos up tonight for you! In the meantime, I thought I should post the tutorial I wrote up and guest-blogged over at The Crafty Pirate's!

I thought I'd  do a quick tutorial on how to do a simple little technique. I use this technique to finish off hems on sleeves, tees, skirts. Instead of doing a traditional hem, this one is just as easy, and looks great!




You will need::
A skirt that fits you well
A t-shirt you wanna cut up
Some contrast t-shirt fabric ((commonly known as jersey or stretchknit or plain ol' knit fabric)) or you could use the scraps from your t-shirt.

First get a skirt that fits you well! It doesn't have to stretch. This is one I made for my 31 skirts project ((that I failed epicly)), and this tutorial shows how to make it ((minus the black colour-blocking))!


Lay your skirt over your flat t-shirt and cut around it, leaving a big 1cm seam allowance ((or however large you want your seam allowance to be)) around all edges.



Now get your contrast fabric, or whatever you are using, and cut a strip for the top and one for the bottom. The Waistband is going to be twice the length of the top front of the skirt. The width is going to be however wide you want it to be, doubled, and with a seam allowance added on both sides.

The Hemband is going to be the same, but the length will be the twice the length of the bottom front of the skirt.


Now sew one sideseam on the skirt. You can overlock it if you like. Usually when I'm sewing for myself, and because my overlocker was bought in 1994 ((yes, you heard)), I don't overlock my stretchknits. They don't fray at all.


Open up your skirt. Fold the band in half and pin it to the bottom so the folded edge of the band is facing the top of the skirt and all the raw edges are at the bottom. The skirt should be rightsides up!


Stitch. When stitching stretchknits, here's a tip. The stretchknit should ALWAYS be going horizontally. Across your body. If it doesn't go that way it's going ot be mighty uncomfortable! When sewing stretchknit, if you're sewing across it ((horizontally)) use a zigzag stitch. It helps the fabric stretch at the seams. When sewing stretchknit downwards ((vertically, like sideseams)), use straight stitch. You can use Zigzag, but when the seam is opened, it makes these weird little stitch marks on the outside. Cool if you're doing like a zombie/frankenstein-stitched sort deal, but kinda weird looking if you're not!

Do the same for the top.



Then fold your band down, and topstitch ((with a zigzag)). Do the same for the top.


Woo almost there!

All you have to do now is fold it in half ((rightsides together)) so the inside of the skirt is facing out, and stitch down that last sideseam!



YOU ARE FINISHED!