tutorial: the table cloth skirt

what you will need:
a zipper and
zipper foot for your sewing machine
your favorite skirt (preferably an A-line skirt)
a table cloth (the one featured is a martha stewart table cloth found at K-Mart)


so many of you liked my other skirt i just made out of a table cloth that i was wanting to share how for all of you to make one for yourselves.
here you go:
make sure you wash your table cloth before you start this project. we don't want it shrinking on you after you've made it to fit you perfectly.


take your skirt and fold it in half like so.

fold your table cloth just enough for it to be the width of your half folded skirt.

place the skirt (the folded edge) right up against the folded edge of your fabric

either eye it or measure it but you will cut out your front panel of your skirt by outlining 1/2" bigger than your skirt you are using as your template. cut out your front panel.

next you are going to cut out one panel (of the two) for the back.

so that they are completely even, place right sides together the panel you just cut out for the back side of your skirt, and cut out your second panel for the back side of your skirt.

next you will take the two back side pieces and place them right sides together, and sew from the bottom up with a 1/2 inch seam allowance. leaving aprox 7" at the top undone (this is where your zipper will go.)

once your back skirt panel is sew (leaving the 7" opening on top) press with an iron your edges flat open and continuing all the way to the top.

measure 1"from the top and this is where your zipper top will be.
pin your zipper all along (the 6 inches that is left opened) make sure the zipper is facing away from you. and at the bottom of your opening (like 1/4" lower than your opening) place a pin sideways so you can see where you will need to cross over your zipper
also notice how i place my pins (the ones pointing up so that i can easily pull them out as i go sewing down my zipper, and the other side pointing down because i continue to sew once i cross over, in the other direction)

using a zipper foot, sew down one side (pull pins out as you go) make sure you are sort of close to the inside of your "teeth" of the zipper.

when you get to the needle that indicates where the end of your zipper is suppose to be (the blue needle i put sideways), sew over the zipper, back stitch a few times to make sure you make enough of a "barrier" so your zipper will stop.
next you want to sew up the other side still close to the zipper. when you get to the top make sure you back stitch. and cut off the extra zipper part on the bottom.

the hardest part of the skirt is now done.

you've just done a zipper.

pat yourself on the back.

i do.

every friggin time i do one of those babies.

to sew your front and back together, place right sides together pin the sides to match up. sew your sides up using a 1/2 inch seam allowance.once you've sewn the skirt sides, press your seams open on either side.

go the the top of your skirt and fold over your raw edge once, aprox a half inch


and then do it again like so. press down with iron.


sew all around the bottom.

then do the same for the top.
go to your hem area and do the same thing.

this one was made from the martha stewart christmas table cloth found on clearance at k-mart .

i'm going to make a few of these with store bought fabric as well, because they are just perfect for summer.

and fit perfectly as well.

happy skirt making!