All of us have a favorite pair of jeans that we wear regularly and these never leave our closet. After wearing for a long time, you do not like the style of the pant legs, or you do not like the way it fits in the crotch area. You can easily find one pair of pants that you do not wear but it should fit well in the waist. If you have several pants in the closet then pick the one with cool embroidery or bling on the back pockets.
You can easily add a new skirt to your wardrobe. You will need two pairs of jeans for a long jeans skirt. You will also require two pairs if you want to add wedges to the side seams to flare out the finished skirt. To convert your jeans pant into a skirt, continue to read all the directions from the beginning.
Things You Will Need To Make DIY Skirt
- Pins
- Scissors
- Iron and Ironing Board
- Seam ripper
- Sewing Machine
- Denim or Microtex needle
- Ruler of hem gauge
- Marking tool like tailor’s chalk. Fabric marker.
- Thread to match the topstitching
- 1 to 2 pairs of jeans
- All-purpose thread for the bobbin to match with the match topstitching thread.
- All-purpose thread for the bobbin to match topstitching thread.
Instructions To Make DIY Skirt
1. Ripping Out and Cutting
You will need to remove the stitches without ripping or tearing the fabric to convert your jeans into a jeans skirt.
- Keep the jeans flat on the table. Smooth from the waist down till you reach the crotch seam will no longer lay flat. With the pin, mark this point. Turn the jeans over and repeat in the same way for the center back seam and mark it with a pin where the seam begins to curve.
- With a sharp seam ripper, carefully remove the inseam stitching,
- Take out the stitch from the crotch to the pin on the front and the back of the jeans.
- Cut down the legs of the jeans and just leave off the ample length to hem.
- When the jeans are laid out flat with the back pocket side up, open out one unstitched leg on top of the opposite leg. The unstitched leg should be made smooth till the back crotch seam, and make sure it lays flat on top of the opposite side. The raw edge of the inseam should be turned on the top piece under to the wrong side and pin it in place and do not forget to pin through to the front of the jeans.
2. Fill in the Center Opening
At the center, you will find the triangular opening and this need to be filled with a piece from the trimmed-off legs.
- Cut a rough rectangular part of the denim at least an inch larger than the area you need to fill in. Do not forget to check the fabric grain. In the denim fabric cloth you can see the threads. The threads run vertically or perpendicularly to the waistband.
- The rectangular part should be inserted between the 2 unstitched leg layers so it covers the gap and extends above and below.
- The exposed raw edge of the insert (here on the right-hand side) should be turned under such that the edge of the inserted piece matches the original seam line on the underneath leg. You will be amazed to see that the rectangle will look like a triangle or wedge.
- Place pins along both leg edges.
3. Start Sewing the Insert
- With the help of thread to match the existing top stitching in the upper thread. Remember not to use top stitching thread in the bobbin as it is too thick. Remember to edge stitch along the folded edge of the insert on top you of the lower leg. Keep on sewing as you reach under the upper layer. The pins should be in place until you reach them and then remove them slowly. Be careful not to sew over the pins as it an break your needle, your thread or even your machine.
- After removing the pins on the unsewn side of the insert, lay the garment flat again to replace the pins.
4. Finishing the First Seam Allowance
- The spacing between the rows of topstitching on the original seams should be measured. In some jeans, the seam allowance is 3/8 inches.
- Trim the seam allowance from the inside of the skirt so that it is just wide enough to be caught in a second row of stitching the distance apart, just measured by you.
- To the trimmed seam allowance, apply a seam finish to make it perfect. If a heavier-weight thread is used for topstitching then switch to a lighter-weight for seam finishes.
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5. Make a Mock Flat Felled Seam
To create a mock flat felled seam, stitch the seam allowance in place by topstitching a second row of stitching. In some of the sewing machines there is a guide bars or special presser feet with a guide to help keep the stitching an even distance from the first row of stitching.
6. Top Stitching the Curved and Long Straight Edges
- Ensure that all the seams are laid flat.
- All the raw edges should be turned under along the original edge.
- Edgestitch along the edge of the curved seam and the rest flat seam with top stitching thread. The second side of the insert will thus be closed.
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7. Continue to Finish Seam Allowance
- Work on the inside of the skirt and trim the seam allowance as was done with the first seam.
- To the new seam allowances apply a new seam finish.
8. Make another Mock Flat Felled Seam
- Check that all seam allowances are pressed flat.
- On the long straight seam, sew a second row of stitching as was done on the first seam to make a mock flat felled seam.
9. Sewing the Skirt Front
- Continue from steps 1 – 8 to complete the skirt front. In case of step 1, just repeat the leg placement and pinning.
- The same process can be repeated to open the side seams and add wedge-shaped inserts to create an A-line skirt.
10. Hem the Skirt
Finally, hem the skirt to give it a final look.