The one where I shmeld two things into one.

So two Friday's ago, I told I was guesting over on Mama Says Sew for her "Just Sew Week".  Here's the tutorial I came up with, in case you didn't catch it.

Hi, Mama Says Sew fans! I'm Kimberly - the "me" over at bugaboo, mini, mr & me.  My blog is glimpse inside all creative endeavors I pursue, so you'll find a little of everything there!  I especially like to share recipes, craft with my two kiddos, upcycle, and dabble in sewing.  Here are some faves:

Pixie Tutu Tut

Tissue Paper Rolled Rosette Wreath

Sock Donuts

DIY Stained Glass Tray

Super Delicious Cafe Rio Knockoff

When I'm not chasing after the natives and attempting to keep my house in one piece, you can often find me with glue gun in one hand and spray paint in the other.  Life's chaotic at best, and bugaboo, mini, mr & me is how I keep a grasp on sanity!  You can find my blog on fb as well.  Basically, I'm just an amateur crafter, sewer, scrapper, refurbisher, cook, baker, snapshotter and professional mommy who's in love with the creative process!  

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I've pinned (and repinned) about a million sweet little paper bag or bubble skirt tutorials to be made at a later date... I flip through my inspiration boards and think "Oh, it's so cute!  But it would probably take forever..."  And then I promptly make something delicious to eat instead.

But thanks to the opportunity to guest post on Mama Says Sew! I finally decided today was the day!  But instead of following the tutorials out there for one look or the other, I decided to combine both looks and create a very simple and easy to use project for the beginner sewer.  You can make a Paper Bag Bubbleskirt too!  Promise!

Ready?  Ok, here we go.  


First, find a skirt you like the shape of.  Mine's kind of a-line, and most importantly is the exact length I wanted.

Measure across the top for the waist (make sure to actually pull the elastic out tight - my hands were busy taking a picture.
Measure across the bottom to get the measurement for the flare.
Measure from top to bottom to get the length.

Now, add 1 inch to each of those measurements for seam allowance.  
I added 5 MORE inches to the length to give me lots of room for that cute ruffly paper bag top.  
I did all this math and doubling and multiplying... and then realized that I wouldn't have to if I folded the fabric right... duh.

Now, fold your fabric in fourths.  Make sure it's wrong side up.  You will measure out from the folds.  It's hard to tell in this picture: the left and bottom have folds and the top and right do not.

At the top of your fabric, measure to the width of the top of your sample skirt when stretched.  Mark with a pencil or chalk.
Move down and measure to the width of the BOTTOM of the sample skirt and mark with a pencil.
Measure down the length you need and make a mark.
Connect the two marks to get the angle.  Cut along the angle and across the bottom at the length you want.  

It was difficult to get a picture of the full piece of fabric, but when you open it all up, you'll have two matching trapezoidal pieces.  Because you used the measurements for the full skirt but folded your fabric in half before cutting, ONE piece will measure DOUBLE what the actual measurement is.  Both pieces together, all the way around will be quadruple the first waist measurement.  Does that make sense?  I think the more I explain it, the worse it gets...


Now, to cut your lining.  Choose a fabric that is lightweight and compliments the colors/patterns of the skirt material.
Fold the lining fabric in fourths, lay it down with fold on the left and bottom and no fold on the top and right - just as above.  
Keeping your skirt pieces folded in half, lay one on top lining it up at the side fold.  Cut the lining fabric using this skirt as a guide for the angle EXCEPT
you won't need to add the extra inches to account for the paper bag top.  So subtract about 4 inches or so and only cut it to that length.
You can see in the last picture there how much shorter the lining is than the skirt fabric.  

So you've got four large trapezoids now that look like they'd fit a child at least 3 times the age of the intended two year old model.  Never fear!


Take a skirt piece and a lining piece, put them right sides together and line the bottoms up exactly.  Pin across.
Using the longest stitch length on your machine, sew straight across the bottom.
Use the first row of stitches to line your needle up for a second row right next to it.
Gather both rows of basting stitches.  Make sure that they are gathered to the measurement of the bottom of the sample skirt. (For instance, my sample skirt measure 17 across the bottom.  When I cut the new skirt on the fold, it opened to 34.  When I gathered it, I made sure to gather it back down to 17.  Capish?)
Lower your stitch length to something normal.  Sew across right next to the second row of basting stitches.
Do this with both skirt pieces.

Take one skirt/lining piece and open it up.  Place it right side down on the ironing board.
(mental note: make new LESS DIRTY ironing board cover...)
Iron down a small fold all across the bottom.
Fold down about four more inches and iron.
Do this with the other piece of skirt as well.

 Smooth your lining fabric back up to where you've folded and ironed your waistline down.
Tuck the lining fabric under the fold.  There should be plenty of fabric to pull the lining up to the ironed crease at the top.  You will be pulling the skirt fabric (where it is gathered) up a bit too.
Pin all across.

Sew a straight stitch.
Measure out about an inch (depending on what size of elastic you're using) and sew another straight stitch across.
You've just sewn a casing and then stitched it almost in half.

Cut two pieces of elastic - they should measure the width of the top of the sample skirt UNSTRETCHED.  UN.  Remember that.  Not that I had issues, or anything... mine were 9 inches each.
Use a safety pin and thread your elastic piece through the BOTTOM of the casing.  When you have pulled your elastic so that the end of it is even with the edge of the skirt, pin it there so it won't pull through.  Continue threading the elastic through until the other end comes out the opposite edge of the skirt and pin that end in place as well.
So this to both skirt pieces.

Now you've got the elastic in both pieces, it's time to actually assemble a skirt!
Put the two pieces of skirt right sides together.  Pin down both sides.  Make sure that both the skirt fabric and the lining fabric is smooth and pinned together.
Sew with a straight stitch down each side.
And done!

To make the belt, I cut two piece of the lining fabric on the fold in long rectangles with pointy ends:

Then I put those pieces right sides together, sewed around the whole thing leaving a small opening, turned it right sides out, ironed it really well, then top stitched all the way around.  Basically I just made a casing with pointy ends.


And there you have it!  A super cute ruffly, foofy, bubbly, paper baggy skirt with matching belt.  

Pair it with a matching little diaper cover and you are ready to traipse.

Perfect for walks in the field. (what?  Don't you walk in the fields in skirts?)

Or for wishing on dandelions.

Or picking flowers (or weeds...)

*Be sure to check the right sidebar for all the fun parties I link to!