Turn a Larger Skirt into a Smaller Size by Marilyn

I found this skirt on sale recently and have been looking for a colorful one that I could wear with black tops. The skirt was perfect! It was made well and from material that will hold up well.  The only problem was that it was 3 sizes too large... but it was not a bad price, so I decided to try it.

The great thing about finding something too large is that it can usually be tweaked to fit your body. (Please note this may not be the case with every item of clothing, but for something with a simple pattern it will be simpler to hem).

What You'll Need:
-Skirt
-Thread that is the same color of the skirt (and a spare bobbin to wrap with same color)
-Sewing Machine (I use a Kenmore, but Singer, Brother, any one will do just fine)
-Measuring Tape
-Sewing Pins
-Seam Ripper

So first things first is to try the skirt on (right side out) and pin the skirt while wearing it to the size you will want it to be. Pin the skirt about every few inches and once finished, make sure you will be able to walk around and sit in it at that size. (If you sew it too close, you might risk the chance of ripping it. Remember it is better to sew too lose in the beginning because you have that extra material that will forgive if the size doesn't end up perfect). 

Once your skirt is pinned, get measuring tape and measure the distance in on each side that you will want to sew.  Flip the skirt inside-out and move the pins to the same marks they were on the outside so that your skirt will be pinned on the inside instead (since this is wear you will be sewing). 

If there is a skirt lining, you will have to move the pins again to the same place under the lining. This is a simple project so we will only be sewing the main material that would show on the outside when you are wearing it. (You may be able to do the same thing with the lining if it is something that will show through when you have the skirt on, but it will just depend on the type of skirt you choose).

Once you have everything where you want it, you can begin sewing. It is custom to sew from the bottom up, but for this experiment I started at the top. For the extra piece around the waste, I actually had to use the seam ripper to open it up and sew this part in too. If you feel uncomfortable doing this, you can start by just sewing it in by the amount of inches you are wanting to take off and try it on to see how it fits.

In my case the skirt didn't look right, so I figured it couldn't hurt to try opening up the seam to the waistband to see if I could take it in also. If you are going to do this, open it as little as possible to avoid the whole skirt falling apart and tie off the ends of the string to the part that you didn't open up.

The key with the waistband is to match up the pieces so that when you flip it inside out, the seam lines match up. It may take you a few tries, but you can always (carefully) rip the seam you sewed and start over if it doesn't look right.

For the fold on the inside of the seam, try not to sew over this. Finish your line before you get to the fold so that you don't mess up the interfacing and other materials that are used to make the waistband stiff on the top.  Once you accomplish the waistband, flip it inside out and try it on to make sure everything looks okay. Once you have it how you like it, you can maybe sew the waistband back where you ripped the seam, but in my case there was no need.

If you do it carefully and slowly, everything should turn out right!

Here is the finished product! Since I chose a bright skirt, I decided to pair it with a black top. Black goes with almost anything and is a great way to compliment something bright. When choosing your skirt, try to find one that looks like it was made well and from material that is not going to fall apart or fray if you try to hem it. Take a look at the seams and think about whether the manufacturer took the time to add lining and spend time with details and shaping the skirt.

 Photos by Kaleb Nimz