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How to Make a Skirt out of a Pile of Scraps: No Pattern Needed!

Jennifer Stern, contributor

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I inserted some tiny trim under the seam allowances, then I topstitched them down using silver metallic thread and a zigzag stitch.

Jen Stern

Here is my ribbon skirt—four gores cut on the bias created lots of scraps to work with. (I started with 2 yards of 60-inch-wide organic cotton fabric.)

Jen Stern

Here's my heap of scraps—too good to go to waste!

Jen Stern

I inserted some tiny trim under the seam allowances, then I topstitched them down using silver metallic thread and a zigzag stitch.

Photo: Jen Stern

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Whenever you cut something out on the bias, you end up with a lot of large scraps. Use them up to make this easy-fit skirt! I was working with some pricey organic cotton to make a four-gore bias skirt. After I cut out all the pieces, I put them aside so I could make my "little strippy skirt" later.

The "pattern" for this strippy skirt is a rectangle of fusible interfacing that's 7 inches wide and as long as your widest hip measurement. All you have to do is sew darts along the rectangle to make the top edge equal your waist measurement (while keeping the bottom edge the same). If you don't think you have enough fabric to make enough strips to fit across your shaped interfacing, you can cut some strips out of a coordinating fabric—that looks great, too!

Here's what you'll need:

• A rectangle of fusible interfacing that's 7 inches wide and as long as your widest hip measurement (plus an inch for seam allowances)
• Scraps from which to cut out enough strips to cover the shaped interfacing (If you're not sure that you'll have enough, pick out a coordinating fabric from which you can cut more strips. This skirt looks great made from different fabrics, too.)
• A piece of fabric large enough to cut out a facing to finish the waistline (use the shaped facing as a pattern piece for the facing)
• Decorative thread to sew and topstitch with
• Optional trim to insert into the seam allowances and Fray Check
• 7-inch invisible zipper
• Thread to match fabric
• Wash-away marker to mark hem

After you cut out the rectangle of interfacing, determine the difference between your hip and waist measurement. I have a thick waist, plus I like my skirts to hang a little low, so the difference between my hip and waist measurements was 3 inches. To make the top edge of the interfacing 3 inches smaller than the bottom edge, I made five 3/8-inch darts along the rectangle (two in the front, two in the back, and one where the side seam would be). If you have a larger difference, simply sew more darts, evenly spaced, across the rectangle. Don't make any one dart larger than 1/2 inch; that way you'll end up with a nice, smooth, curved shape to your interfacing.

Use a pencil to draw each dart, then fold the interfacing down the center of the dart. Start sewing at the waist, gradually sewing closer to the fold as you stitch toward the hip side of the interfacing.

Iron the scraps of fabric if necessary, and cut them into wedge-shaped strips. The narrow end should be 2-1/2 inches to 3-1/2 inches wide and the opposite end should be about an inch wider.

Alternate the narrow and wide ends to get the most strips out of your scraps. (For example, I just cut a strip with the narrow end at the left of this photo; the next strip I'll cut will have the wide end long the left edge.)

Piece together smaller scraps to get even more strips cut.

Keep in mind how long you would like your skirt to be. Try not to cut strips that are shorter than that.

After you've cut all your strips, lay them next to each other on a large work surface. (Make sure you overlap each strip to account for seam allowances.) Position the shaped interfacing over the strips to make sure you have enough. Trim the ends of the strips that stick out past the waistline side of the interfacing.

By trimming the top ends of the strips, you'll be able to match them up as you sew the strips together.

Sew the strips together in the order that they are positioned next to each other. Start at the left end and work to the right. I am sewing my strips together using a narrow zigzag at a 1/4-inch seam allowance. If you want some sparkle, put decorative or metallic thread in the needle. Position strips wrong sides together so that the seam allowances will be on the right side of the skirt. (If you prefer, you can place strips right sides together so that the seam allowances will be on the wrong side of the skirt.)

I used silver metallic thread for a little sparkle.

After you sew all your strips, either pin it onto your dress form or wrap it around you to check for fit. You can adjust the fit by taking in some of the seams to make it smaller or adding strips to make it bigger.

The wedge-shaped strips will give the skirt a nice shape.

Use the shaped interfacing to cut out the facing to finish the waistline.

I cut my facing out of Bemberg Rayon lining.

Fuse the interfacing to the wrong side of the skirt along the waistline.

Trim the raw edge of the waistline if it's uneven.

Measure the distance between the waistline and the end of the shortest strip. Mark each strip that same measurement.

Straightstitch along the marked hem. Because my strips are on the bias, I may leave the hem raw to fray. 

Make sure that the seam allowances are all lying flat as you sew across the hem.

Trim the excess fabric away from the hem. I left 1/2 inch to fray (or to turn up a narrow hem...the jury is still out).

If you want to add some trim, insert it under the seam allowances and pin in place. I used some oyster-colored French lace.

A dot of Fray Check will keep the trim from raveling where you cut it.

I decided to tuck random-lengthed pieces of trim radiating up from the hem. To hold the trim in place, topstitch along the raw edge of the seam allowance. Depending on how "unfinished" you want your seams to look, you can leave them loose above the trim, or topstitch the entire edge down as I did.

To embellish my skirt, I inserted different lengths of trim upward from the hem.

Insert an invisible zipper. Click here for a great how-to if you need some help.

Turn the bottom edge of the lining under 1/4 inch and sew it in place to finish the edge. Position the facing right sides together with the skirt along the waistline.

Make sure that the ends of the facing extend to the raw edges of the side seams. Sew along the waistline using a 1/2-inch seam allowance.

To encourage the lining to stay on the inside of the skirt while you're wearing it, understitch the lining. Start and stop stitching 2 inches from each end. Flip the facing back down over the right side of the skirt. Put the zipper foot on your machine and stitch the facing to the zipper. Clip the corners and turn the facing to the wrong side of the skirt.

To understitch, stitch through the lining and all the seam allowances. Sew a scant 1/4 inch away from the edge of the skirt.  Gently hold the skirt and lining away from each other as you stitch.

I'm so excited that I got two skirts out of that fabric!

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Comments (7)

mmuschka writes: Delightful and absolutely Brilliant!! Thank you for taking the time for such a thorough how-to!!! Having tutored under perhaps the most scrap-saving, frugal,stylish & beloved grandmother - I can, with great assurance, say she would have been impressed! Needless to say, she passed her frugal ways down to me, & I can almost see her smiling at the ideas you've given me. Thank you, again, for sharing your inspiration & the great memories it evoked!!!
Posted: 5:57 am on June 21st

babsalonia writes: What a great idea, I hope to try it soon!!!
Posted: 9:22 am on June 18th

PinkParisian writes: This darling skirt is sooooo cute. I have got to trY this. How very clever.
Your project is very inspiring. Now I have to think about how my scraps will co- ordinate as a skirt! How fun is that? Very cool! Thank you so much for this article and cute idea.
Posted: 8:34 am on June 18th

JenniferStern writes: Thanks ladies! I'd love to see what you come up with. Happy sewing.
Posted: 1:48 pm on April 23rd

MeredithP writes: This looks like great fun! I'll definitely be doing something like this. Thanks for the great tutorial.
Posted: 8:12 am on April 19th

Tifana writes: You are sooooo talented. I can't wait to try this. It perfect!
Posted: 9:58 am on April 18th

craftydame writes: this is an amazing tutorial! super detailed, and super clear!

there are lots of fun tutorials out there for simpler items (simpler to write tutorials for to!), so it's a treat to see something so detailed explained so beautifully!
Posted: 5:14 am on April 18th

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