SIMPLE HANDMADE GIFTS FOR GIRLS... part six {guest post}

There are so many fabulous and simple handmade gifts for girls out there that I thought I'd ask a few of my clever & creative blogging friends to share with you some of their ideas....


The first cab off the rank is the fabulous Lioness Lady!  Sonia and I have much in common and I always feel right at home when visiting.  I was lucky enough to win some of her gorgeous crochet bunting and it hangs in my kitchen with honor.  I have a feeling that if her little girl Matilda, got together with my little Frog - they'd have a ball!  If you don't know her, I'd highly recommend a visit!  She is going to share with us a simple handmade gift for a girl.  I'm off to go and make one right now - they're gorgeous - thanks Sonia!


SIMPLE SKIRT TUTORIAL

When I bought my bargain sewing machine at the Spotty Boxing Day sales last year, all I wanted to know how to do was make a skirt for my wee girl. Luckily I had my trusty MIL by my side to show me her way which, even though it resulted in a fabulous skirt, it involved yards of material, pleats, oodles of pins, lots of measuring and most of the day!

There must be any easier way I thought, a simplier way - and lo and behold there is.

Let me be really clear right up front and say that this is not my pattern. I am only including my pictures and directions here to show you how simple these skirts really are to make and how quick they can be. I can do one in less than an hour.  This tutorial comes from Dana at Made.   Go there and read her instructions - they are much better than mine! And she has LOADS of other tutorials as well that you need to look at.

Basically though, imagine you have a rectangle of fabric. Join the short ends and sew. Fold down the top and insert elastic for a waistband and roll up the bottom and sew for a hem and you're done!!!!  Simple right?

So, pick some pretty fabric first. I tend to guesstimate the finished length I want my skirt and then add an inch or so for the waistband and the hem. In terms of width I think the best thing you can do if you dont have the small person in front of you to measure is to look in a pattern book or google waist measurements. 

This skirt was heading to a 2 year old so I cut a length of about 30cm and made the width around 110cm. In this case I just ended up using the width of the fabric but apparently if you want a nice full skirty skirt, take the waist measurement and double it. 

Join the two short side of your rectangle of fabric, right sides together and sew. 

Press your seams nice and flat with the iron. 

Now, while there are pins in this pic below, generally when I am being quick and my rectangle of fabric is nice and straight, I do A LOT of guessing and she'll be righting! Below I have folded up the fabric about a centimetre or so and then press with the iron. 

Now roll that over another centrimetre or sew and press again. This hides away all your nasty cut edges and means no overlocking or zigzag stitching either. 

(Hello short fat sausage fingers and bad nails!)

Sew all around. 

And if you felt like being really fancy, sew all around twice.
Hem done! 

To create the waistband, roll the top down a centimetre or so and press. 

Then take your elastic and roll down the fabric again so it is slightly wider than your elastic. Look at that very careful measuring I am doing below. 

Sew your waistband at the bottom leaving a gap to thread your elastic through. You will notice I am sewing at the top too in the picture below just because I once heard that it makes your waistband sit nicer and means your elastic is less likely to get all twisty. 

Once you have threaded your elastic through, sew your two ends together and then sew your hole closed. Move your fabric around so it all looks nice and even and you should end up with something like this..... 

And here is another one I made earlier.

Team your skirt with a plain t-shirt from Target (I love the puffy sleeves on these ones and that when they are on special they only cost about $4 and that they come in bunches of colours). You can see I have prettied this one up with some yo-yo's I made from one of Emma's earlier tutes on simple handmade gifts for girls.

This little set is also heading to a sweet two year old small person. Matilda obviously found it highly amusing! 

So, what do you think, simple and easy and straightforward, yes?

Below are some linkyloos to other simple skirts you might like.

Oliver and S Lazy Days Skirt

Easy Peasy Child's Skirt

Twirly Skirt

Thanks Emma for letting me guest post in your Simple Handmade Gifts for Girls series.