I Don't Need no Stinkin' Pattern

Okay...here it is...the easiest skirt E.V.E.R....

I made this in less than an hour...

with no pattern...

and I even had to replace the needle on the sewing machine, re-fill the bobbin, and answer the phone a few times!

Step 1...measure the girl child...waist, hips, and length that you want the skirt...

Step 2...some math...

measurement 1-two pieces...take the larger measurement of the hips and waist...my daughters was the hips...31...divide by 2 and round up so 31 / 2= 15.5=so 16...then add 5...16+5=21...this is the length of the two smaller pieces of fabric at the top (length is totally up to you, do you want the three layers even or not...take your length measurement and divide it by 3 or whatever you want to get the look you want...and cut the fabric that width...don't forget to add about 2 inches for the waist on the top piece...

I wanted the skirt to be around 17 inches inches long but I also wanted the skirt to have a larger middle layer and the top and the bottom to be two different sizes...so I decided to have the middle one about 10 inches and then the top one about 3...plus 2 for the waist and then another 1 for seam allowances...so my top pieces were 6 x 21-cut two of these...

2nd Measurement-two pieces...the next length just add 5 inches to your last length...so 21=5=26...and I wanted this one to be 10 inches wide...plus seam allowances so cut two pieces 11x26...

3rd and final measurement-two pieces...add another 5 inches to your length measurement 26+5=31 and I wanted the length to be close to 17 inches I have 3 at the top 10 in the middle...13 is what I have so far so another 4 inches to get my desired length, plus an inch for seam allowances=5...so 2 pieces cut 31x5

okay was that totally confusing...I hope not...

now I have 6 pieces of fabric, 

2=6x21

2=11x26

2=5x31

have fun with the fabric also...choose all one type, two different patterns, or three different patterns...you could have up to 6 different fabric patterns since you have 6 panels of fabric...have fun and let the girl help you decide...these were some fabric pieces I had bought to make an apron and haven't made the apron so rather than take the girl fabric shopping (that would have been H.O.U.R.S...she has the same problem in fabric stores that her mother and grandmother have...it's genetic!), I had her "shop" in my fabric piles...

Step 3...sew the panels of the same measurements together into large circles...

okay...this is where me not reading/following patterns is going to hurt YOU...I really don't have the sewing vocab down to explain what I did...or how I did it...oh, and I was too busy changing needles and re-filling the bobbin to remember to take pictures...so sorry

on the 6x21 panels sew the 6" sides together on both ends so you end up with a 6" x 41" (you loose some inches for seam allowances) fabric circle...

sew the 11x26 panels together to have a 11x51 circle (sewing the 11" sides together)

& the 5x31 panels to have a 5 x61 circle...

Step 4...sew two basting seams around the top of the larger circles...

these are used to gather the material up so you can have some ruffles in the skirt and so the two sizes will match...you can't sew 51" to 61" so the 61" length needs to be gathered together until it measures 51"...(this is were I placed a lifeline call to the mom to remember how to gather...)...and the 51" will need be be gathered to match up with the 41"...

you grab the bottom bobbin threads and just gently pull them and your fabric will start to gather...then you can gently move the gathers deeper into the fabric...

Step 5...pin the bottom circle to the middle circle, matching up the gathered side of the 61" to meet the bottom side of the 51"...sew with back sides of the fabric together...this will give you a fun, messy look, if you don't like the look, sew with the right sides together and you will have a cleaner look)

I remembered to take a picture...

sew the middle circle to the top circle...

Step6...fold down and iron the top to make a waist band, sew it leaving an opening to slip the elastic into...measure the girl again and cut the elastic about an 1/2 inch smaller than her waist (or wherever she wants the skirt to rest)...using a safety pin thread the elastic into the waist band and sew the pieces together at the end...

sew up the opening of the waist band...and Ta Da...your skirt is finished!!!

oh...I also left the bottom un-hemmed to add to the funky style, but I did sew a line around the bottom about 1/2" up to prevent it from fraying too much...