High Waist Skirt

While the boys were at the grandparents house, I got some alone time with my sewing machine. I bought some red and white polka dot fabric a while back and have been anxious to sit down and make something with it.  Saturday, I got that chance.  I wanted to make something fun so I went to my Sewing board on Pinterest to shop.  I came across this High Waisted Skirt tutorial on This Big Oak Tree and knew I had to try it.  Here is her version.
                                               
I've done some fuller skirts (that I'll have to show you) so I didn't want as many ruffles on mine, but this was the shape I definitely wanted to try out.
Here's what you'll need:
Fabric 1-1 1/4 yard
Zipper 7-9 in long
Your usual sewing basics: pins, scissors, yard stick, matching thread

Following her pattern, I cut my fabric 22"h x 42"w  
I probably should've gone just a smidge bigger to have a little more wiggle room since the fabric doesn't stretch, but you'll just need to measure your width to get a number that works best for your body. 
Belt: I measured around just under my rib cage and got 30 so I cut my belt 7 x 31.


So you have your 22"x42" main piece and 7x31 belt piece.  Let's get started!

1. Cut your main piece.
2. Cut your belt
3. Fold in the long edges a half inch and iron down
4. Fold in the short edges a half inch and iron down.  Fold the whole belt piece in half, iron down, set aside.

1.  Fold the bottom edge up 1/2 in and iron.  Fold up again 1/2in and iron.  This is going to be your bottom hem.
2. Stitch your hem in place
3. Take your belt piece and open it to put some of the skirt inside.  Lay your zipper next to it.  Where the zipper ends, pin it.  This is where you're going to stop sewing before we add the zipper.
4.  Put the edges of your main panel together, rights sides together.  Sew your edge up to where you pinned. This creates the inside hem that goes the length of your leg.

1.  Next is creating the ruffle.  Set your machine to the longest stitch and loose tension.  Stitch the top of the skirt but do NOT backstitch.  Leave a long tail on both ends.  Then pull on each end creating a ruffle.
2.  Get your belt piece and take the ruffle and put it inside the belt.  Pin in place.  Stitch around the bottom of the belt to hold the ruffle in place.
3.  Take the open end where the zipper goes and slip it in.
4.  Stitch down each side of the zipper to secure it.

That's it.  I wish the pictures had been more detailed, but sometimes I get so excited, I forget to take them!  Here's how mine turned out.  I love it!  It sits higher than my natural waist but isn't too high.  Here's what made me super proud of it.  We went to dinner that night and I wore my skirt.  As the hostess was seating us, she complimented me on my outift (which never happens) and when I told her I made the skirt, she was shocked.  Then she even said she'd pay me to make her one!  If I was more confident, I would've taken her up on it.