Zero Waste Skirt
Super simple skirt that you sew in no time, but which still gives a lot of expression in terms of style! The skirt is sporty and versatile, very easy to make and requires little material.
The design is inspired by technical hiking clothing with a nod to the 90s. It can be styled with everything from a simple, sporty singlet to an oversized men's shirt, and goes just as well with sneakers as with strappy sandals.
What you need
150 x 100 cm fabric – Light weight fabric such as poplin is perfect!
90 cm and 150 cm elastic cord
3 cord stoppers
The skirt fits size a XS-XL. I have let the width of the roll of fabric determine the circumference of the skirt, but you can easily make a wider skirt by joining fabric.
Instructions
1
Fold the fabric in half so that the short sides meet. Sew the short sides together so that you get a cylinder, this seam can be sewn with a French seam.
2
Fold the skirt in half, wrong sides together, so that the top and bottom meet and press the folded edge. Sew a seam 2 cm in from the folded edge so that you get a fold in the middle of the skirt. (Tip: If you make the fold into a channel and place it higher up on the skirt, you can add an elastic cord inside the channel and use the skirt as a strapless dress!)
3
Press a 3 cm hem at the top of the skirt and a 2 cm hem at the bottom of the skirt.
4
Mark the centre front of the skirt at the top, and mark the centre of each side of the skirt at the bottom.
5
Sew a buttonhole on each of the marks you have made in the sides and two buttonholes next to each other at the top of the skirt - this will be the holes which you thread the cords at the end.
6
Once the buttonholes are sewn, you can sew the pattern to the bottom and top of the skirt – At the top, sew two seams, one to secure the pattern and one 2 cm above, so that you have a channel for the cord and 1 cm of "ruched edge" at the top.
7
Now you can thread the cords - The shortest cord should be at the top and first be threaded through both holes in the cord stopper, then through the channel and tied. The second string is threaded through both holes of the cord stopper, through half the channel so that you thread cord stopper number two at the next buttonhole, then complete the threading of the channel and finally tie the cord. Distribute the cord knots some distance away from the cord stoppers and hide them inside the channels.
Finito – The skirt is finished! If you want pockets on the skirt, you can add pockets on the outside as I have done. Or you can move the seam that I have placed in the center back to the side, and add a side seam on the opposite side, then the skirt can have pockets on the sides.
Want to make the skirt?
We've put together a sewing kit with everything you need to make an identical skirt to the one shown here. In the kit, you get organic poplin fabric in olive green, organic cotton thread, elastic cord in natural rubber and cord stoppers made from recycled fishing nets from Japan.