tutorial: all-in-one skirt / french seam

one day, a few weeks back i wanted to make something quick and easy. so, after work i stopped by the fabric store and found some fabric that matched my fingernails and took it home. my goal was to create something in it's entirety that evening.

the result was the most simplistic skirt, that can be transformed into the cutest party dress. here it is as the skirt...(sorry, no party dress pictures!)


the "skirt" is just 1 piece of fabric with 1 seam to make it a circular tube, that's held up by 2 belts. one belt is sandwiched in the middle of the tube and the top layer of the fabric is folded down to hide the belt. then another belt is placed on top of everything to make it look smooth.

the actual construction was so incredibly easy it doesn't really warrant a tutorial. the 'process' only includes making 1 seam, but i thought that since this thing is going to be flipped and turned, the seam should be one that looks as pretty as it can on any side....so i went with a french seam.

so, here's what i did.

first, start with 1.75 yards of fabric...


second, fold the fabric in half matching the rough edges, and pin with WRONG sides together.


third, stitch along the edges with a short stitch length (2-3 setting) with a seam allowance of 3/8".


fourth, trim to 1/8".


fifth, press your seam edges to one side.


sixth, fold fabric on the seam, right sides together, so that the raw edges are now encased on the inside. press flat.


seventh, stitch 1/4" from the edge of the fold. press the encased seam to one side. admire your french seam!


eighth, finish your top and bottom edges of your tube. i did this by using a rolled hem on the serger.


you're done!