Skirt Inspiration: Beach-Ready Maxi Skirt

Today is the last day of the Skirts Challenge! We hope you enjoyed all the skirt inspiration in May!

We have a guest blogger today! Justine from Sew Country Chick graciously accepted our invitation to guest blog for us during the Skirts Challenge. This is a new-to-me blog that I'm excited I found and look forward to follow her other handmade makes!

Hello! I’m Justine and I blog about sewing at Sew Country Chick!

I live near the beach in southern California and spend lots of time there in the summertime. I wanted a wrap skirt I could put on over my bathing suit that’s also a little dressy, as I’m taking it on a honeymoon trip to Mexico with my husband for our twenty-fourth anniversary this month. Woah! Where did the time go?

I saw a tulip shaped maxi skirt online that would make a cute beach skirt. But I couldn't find a pattern. 

Urban Outfitters Skirt

I already had a pattern in my stash that would be perfect to hack, New Look 6456, a basic wrap skirt. I also had several pieces of silk charmeuse bought over the years. I’ve been sewing more solids lately, so my bold prints have been languishing in my sewing room. After sewing lots of dark colored solid pieces this past winter and spring, now was a perfect time to go a little crazy with prints! I chose to use a poly charmeuse I bought on one of my downtown LA fabric district shopping trips. 

I have several pieces of bold printed fabrics. They seemed like a great idea at the time when I bought them, but I never could figure out what to do with them. This maxi skirt is a bit of a fabric hog, and I had five yards of this print, so why not cut into it? I ended up using about three and a half yards of this 54 inch wide fabric for this skirt. 

My pattern had a straight edge and I would have to curve the hem and center front to create the tulip shape. I traced the skirt front onto two pieces of tracing paper taped together and re-drew the center front.

The pattern has a center front line which I traced, then measured up ten inches on that line, then measured up twenty inches on the side wrap extension edge. I drew the front edge curve by hand. I followed the pattern instructions for making the dress, which are very good. I sewed a narrow hem. First I serged the edge, then I flipped it over 1/4 inch and topstitched. I flipped it over one more time to enclose the serged edge and topstitched again.

The fit is good, and true to the measurements stated. I could have made a size up, as I could use a bit more room on the extensions. I cut a size 12.

I cut the back on the fold instead of cutting two pieces. My fabric was wide, the skirt fit on the fold. I wanted to avoid a seamline in the center back with this print because, well, who likes pattern matching at seams?

I really like the waistband and tie on this pattern. It was quick to make too. 

Well, that’s all I have for today! But I do have a few more projects planned for this pattern. I like the knee length version with pockets, and I may add a ruffle to another version. I hope you may feel inspired to get out some of those crazy prints you may have bought on a whim. They may be perfect for a summer maxi skirt!

Thank you Fabric Mart, for inviting me to guest post!

~Justine from Sew Country Chick

Share your me-made skirts thru May 31st and be entered to win a $50 gift certificate to Fabric Mart! Share on Facebook or Instagram using #sewcoolskirts.