Gathered Skirt With Waist Band
Gathered skirts are EASY PEASY! Easiest skirt you'll make. You'll need:
Cloth -- At least a quarter yard, and possibly
a half yard depending on the size.
Your Sewing Stuff -- Needle, thread, scissors ...
basics.
Measure around your doll's waist line. Multipy by at least two, and maybe three. It depends on how floofy you want the skirt -- more cloth = more floof. Add a few inches for good measure. This is your width.
Now, take a tape measure and measure from your doll's waist to wherever you want the skirt to fall. (Knees? Ankles? Mini skirt?) Add a half inch. This is your length.
Cut a rectangle that measures your length by your width. Also, cut yourself an unfinished waist band. (You may want to look at the waist band article.)
Hem the large rectangle. (Refer to the hems article.)
Now, gather the large rectangle. Take a needle and some thread (doesn't matter what color) and do a simple in-out-in-out basting stitch. You MUST do this part by hand -- gathering won't work on a machine. Use small stitches. When you're done, pull the thread to gather it. Gather the top of your rectangle so it's the same length as your waistband.
Place your gathered edge inside the waist band. Get it all the way in there! The farther you can shove it in, the better. Here's a picture of how it should look from the side, to give you a better idea. Pin it really well.
See how it sandwiches in?
Sew along the waist band's edge. When you finish, take it off the machine, take the pins out and tug on it. If it comes apart, repair it.
To add velcro, decide which edge you want to be the top and which you want to be the bottom. Fold the edge under twice (like when you did the pressed hem!), then pin the velcro on.
Make SURE that you have the fuzzy side of the velcro sticking up on one edge, and the scratchy side sticking up on the other! Sew a straight stitch around the velcro. (I recommend sewing off the velcro just a few stitches at the bottom edge. Look at one of your AG outfits -- the velcro doesn't go down and meet the final seam. Instead, they gave it a few stitches before the seam started.)
Once the velcro's in, take the pins out, fold the skirt with right sides together, pin it, and run a seam between the hem and a few stitches below the velcro.
Ta da!
