Scarlet's Shirred Skirt with Lace Embellishment

Tiffany and I are so excited to be a part of Project Run & Play's: Skirting the Issue series this month! Be sure to follow the button below to be taken to their website with over 40 free skirt tutorials coming in this month! You will definitely want to bookmark that page ;)

So what is the issue they are skirting, you may be asking yourself?  Here is what they say as borrowed from their blog:

"Skirting the Issue is an event that has been planned for the month of July to make and donate handmade skirts to girls in Foster Care.  We have teamed up with our local Foster Care Agency, Utah Foster Care Foundation,  in our local efforts, but we have been assured that there are plenty of local Foster Care Agencies across the nation (and world ) and that there is plenty of need for skirts!
As part of the event we have asked over 40 celebrity sewing bloggers to participate and share simple handmade skirt tutorials that we can all use to make and donate skirts to our local agencies (or mail to us if you would like to!)
We have set a goal for 100 skirts to be donated by the first week in August---and we REALLY need your help to make our goal!"

Be sure to check out this link to read more about it and see how you can help. I know Tiffany and I will be sending over our skirts!

We choose to do a shirred skirt for a few reasons: a.) this skirt is so fast and easy, with a goal like what Project Run & Play has in mind, we wanted to make a skirt that could be whipped up in a flash! b.) it's a great way to practice and/or learn shirring. Quite a few of our patterns require shirring. It's one of the easiest things you can learn to really spruce up an outfit and make it fit properly. We can't say enough good things about shirring! Really. It's awesome!

Now...onto the tutorial!

Difficulty Level: Beginner

Materials Needed:

• Fabric
• Thread
• Iron
• Scissors or Rotary Cutter and Cutting Mat
• Ruler
• Pins
• Elastic Thread (we recommend Stretch-Rite. No other brand works well)
• Cluny Lace or Grosgrain Ribbon

Amount of Fabric Required:

Size	Skirt	Lace
6-12 months	1/4  yard	1 yard
12-18 months	1/3 yard	1 yard
24 mos./2T	1/3 yard	1 yard
3T	1/3 yard	1-1/8 yards
4T	3/8 yard	1-1/8 yards
5T	3/8 yard	1-1/8 yards
6	1/2 yard	1-1/8 yards
7	1/2 yard	1-1/8 yards
8	1/2 yard	1-1/8 yards
10	1/2 yard	1-1/8 yards
12	5/8 yard	1-1/4 yards
14	5/8 yard	1-1/4 yards
16	5/8 yard	1-1/4 yards

Cutting Chart:

Size	Skirt cut 1 Length x Width	Lace cut 1 2” length x Width
6-12 months	7” x 34”	34”
12-18 months	9” x 35”	35”
24 mos./2T	10” x 36”	36”
3T	11” x 37”	37”
4T	12” x 38”	38”
5T	13” x 38”	38”
6	14” x 39”	39”
7	15” x 39”	39”
8	16” x 40”	40”
10	17” x 40”	40”
12	18” x 41”	41”
14	19” x 41”	41”
16	21” x 42”	42”

Construction:

Step 1: Take the skirt piece and  lace strip we just cut out. Pin the lace so the bottom of the lace measures 1" up from the bottom of the skirt. Once pinned in place, sew the lace on. We prefer to sew down the middle and then along the top and bottom. 

Step 2: Take the skirt piece and fold it in half widthwise with the right sides together and pin in place lining up the lace. Sew up the short side to create the side seam. We should now have a continuous loop. 

Step 3: We are now going to roll hem the top and bottom of the skirt. This is easiest if you have a serger, if you do not have a serger we are still able to do this it will just take a little longer. To do a rolled hem on a sewing machine, fold the fabric back 1/4", sew, and then fold it back an additional 1/4" and sew. It's very simple, just time consuming, but it's worth it! 

We are now going to begin shirring. We will keep our upper thread the same as what we have been using. We will then hand wind elastic thread onto an empty bobbin creating a little tension as we go. Do not make it too tight or it will not work properly. Put the bobbin in the machine. Put the stitch length to 3.5-5 (I put it the highest it goes) and move the tension to 7 (out of 10). If this is your first time, we suggest practicing on some scraps. When we start sewing go slow because sometimes the bobbin likes to flip causing it to go the wrong direction. We also strongly suggest using only Stretch-Rite elastic thread. If you require additional help learning how to shirr, there are plenty of YouTube video tutorials available online. 

Step 4: We are now able to begin shirring on the skirt. We want the elastic to be on the inside so when we sew the fabric needs to be right side out. Also, be sure to backstitch at the beginning and end of every row. We will be using the sewing machine presser foot as a guide, so with the presser foot butted up next to our rolled hem we will begin our shirring 1/2" down from the top. When we have finished our first row, start the second row 1/2" down from the first using the presser foot as a guide against the first row to keep your stitches straight. We will continue to do this for all rows until we are done! Use the chart below for the number of rows we need. It varies depending on the size we are making. 

Size	Number of Rows to Shirr
6-12 months	4
12-18 months	4
24 mos./2T	5
3T	5
4T	5
5T	5
6	5
7	6
8	6
10	6
12	7
14	7
16	7

When we have completed the shirring, hit the shirring with some steam from an iron. That will give it some extra oomph and allow it to fit properly. This is what our shirring should look like from the inside. 

We are now done in just 4 steps! Was that as easy as we said or what?!? Now try and come up with an excuse as to why you can't donate just ONE of these simple skirts to a foster child? It will make their day <3

As always if you have any questions or comments please leave them below or email us at CreateKidsCouture@gmail.com. Check out our other Free Tutorials for more skirts and fun clothing projects.

Happy Sewing!
Shannon and Tiffany