DIY: Recycled Couture

I really fancy the silhouette of all the new little skirts coming out. I think they're cute and flirty but not skanky. They're also perfect for summer.
Sadly, I'm broke from all the shoe shopping so I decided to make one myself and share the process with you as my first DIY blog. Everybody wins!

Here's what you'll need:

1. 1/2 or 1 inch garter
2. medium weight cotton fabric
3. same color thread, needle (if you don't have a sewing machine)
4. scissors
5. sewing machine (if you have one)
6. safety pin

Here's how you start:

1. Decide first if you want your skirt to fall on your waist or first hip.
2. Measure your waist or first hip then multiply it by 2. ex: if your waist measures 25" then that's 50"
3. Buy your fabric and tell them you need 50" or if you like recycling like me, just cut out 50" from an existing vintage skirt.
4. When using new fabric, don't forget to pre-wash. Fabric often shrinks.
5. Measure how long you want your skirt to be. Don't forget to add 2-3 inches for your waistband casing and hemline depending on how thick your garter is.
6. Fold your fabric in two, right sides facing each other, and sew together.

Make your elastic waistband casing. Don't forget to leave about an inch or two open to pass your garter through:

If you decide to use new fabric, hem the bottom edge, if not, move on to the next step. Which is, (sorry I forgot to take a pic but I guess it's easy enough to wing) attaching one end of your garter to your safety pin ( i prefer to use a big one). Thread your elastic through your waistband casing then sew both ends together using a zigzag stitch:

Sew the casing shut.

Viola! Your skirt is done. Wear with pride!

I got my fabric from my grandmother's old dress. I forgot to take a "before" pic cause I was so excited to begin! Anyway, this is how her dress looks like after I cut out most of the bottom part:

have yet to figure out what to do with the top part but I already have an idea...I'm thinking of making a drop-waist dress with strong shoulders.