Made By A Fabricista: Maxi Skirt Resurgence

Maxi Skirts are everywhere this year! The last time maxi skirts were this popular was in the early 2000s so it's not a wonder that after an almost 20-year rest, maxi skirts of all shapes, styles, and fabrics have become popular again. What I appreciate about a maxi skirt is that it isn't just for dressy occasions. When paired with canvas sneakers and a classic t-shirt, a maxi skirt is just as casual as wearing jeans.

My appreciation of maxi-length skirts has grown since becoming the mom of a little boy. With shorter skirts, I can't crawl around on the floor during playtime or pick things up off the floor without worrying about accidentally showing my undergarments. I often end up wearing a pair of shorts underneath my skirts and dresses for peace of mind. But a maxi skirt is a stand-alone garment with no need for anything extra making it perfect for a hot summer day. With these benefits in mind, I knew it was time to add a new maxi skirt outfit to my wardrobe.

The True Bias Mave Skirt pattern contains all the ingredients for skirt greatness. An elastic waistband for flexibility, inseam pockets for holding your phone and other trinkets, and an optional lining for extra modesty. The pattern also has three recommended lengths including a maxi skirt with ruffles. What more could someone want from a skirt pattern?

It didn't take me long to find the perfect white and blue floral print rayon challis fabric on the Fabric Mart website. I ordered 2.5 yards to make the maxi skirt with ruffles version. Knowing that white rayon challis can sometimes be a bit sheer, I also ordered 2.25 yards of white polyester/cotton shirting fabric to use as a lining.

The pattern also requires that you have a scrap of fusible lightweight interfacing so I ordered 1 yard of interfacing to replenish my interfacing stash. I like to keep interfacing stocked in my sewing room so I never have to worry about running out when I need it most. In addition to the materials for the maxi skirt, I also ordered 1.5 yards of navy athletic knit fabric with 4-way stretch for a basic scoop neck t-shirt to wear with the skirt.

When my Fabric Mart order arrived I started making the Mave Skirt right away. The True Bias Mave Skirt PDF pattern came with A4, US, and A0 files. I wanted to cut out the skirt pattern using my projector so I converted the A0 pattern file into a projector file using the free PDF Stitcher software. This software allows you to darken lines and make minor changes to A0 files to format them for use with the projector. Once I had my projector file created, I cut out the skirt pieces quickly. I didn't make a muslin of this pattern because of the skirt's elastic waistband. Elastic waistbands are always super forgiving so I didn't feel a need to test the sizing first.

The skirt came together really quickly! The elastic waistband and drawstring looked like they would be complicated to assemble, but it was surprisingly simple. First, you sew button holes for the drawstring, and then you assemble the waistband pieces. Next, insert the 2" wide elastic into the waistband channel, and topstitch. The topstitching gives the waistband an almost shirred look which I love.

I also added an optional lining to the skirt using the white fabric I ordered. This made the rayon challis less sheer. The pattern provides clear instructions for inserting the skirt lining, making it a simple process.

For my scoop neck t-shirt, I used the Seamwork Orlando pattern. It isn't the first time I've made a Seamwork Orlando shirt, but in the past, I felt like the original length of the top was a little short. I prefer to have my tops a little longer so I set out to lengthen the pattern.

Instead of using my projector to cut out this shirt pattern, I printed the pattern pieces from the US pattern file. After printing, I lengthened the shirt's front and back pieces by about an inch. Now that I have the lengthed pattern pieces I can make this shirt in every color if I want to!

The Mave skirt and Orlando t-shirt are the perfect casual maxi skirt outfit combination. Both garments mix and match well with other items in my closet making them super functional for summer and fall. If you haven't jumped on the maxi skirt resurgence bandwagon, I hope I've inspired you to add a handmade maxi skirt to your sewing project list.

SHAINA | @shaina_sews

Unfortunately Fabric Mart Fabrics sell out quickly!
You can find similar fabrics by shopping the following categories: CHALLIS.

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