Today’s post is all about my obsession with this skirt. This ROKSANDA ILINCIC Hot Pink and Mustard Silk Organza Full Skirt originally retails, for $830 and the sale price is $498 (photo c/o Polyvore) Both prices are out of my budget for a skirt.

So I chose the next best option make it myself.

Step 1: Supplies

5/8 of a yard of the Pink Polyester Peachskin (which is 60″ wide)

3/8 of a yard of the Mustard Gold Polyester Peachskin

Light to Medium Weight Fusible Interfacing

Pink and Mustard Gold Thread

Zipper (pink zipper regular or invisible) I used a regular zipper because I already had it on hand

Crochet Yarn (to make gathering easier)

2 hook and eyes (large ones)

Step 2: Measurements and Cutting of Fabric

Take your waist measurements

Decide how long you want the skirt to be. I wanted my skirt 25″ Long

The majority of the skirt is going to be pink so I cut my fabric 16″ long by the entire width. This includes 1/2″ seam allowance when attaching the waistband, and 1/2″ seam allowance for attaching the mustard piece.

Next cut the mustard piece 9″ this includes 1/2′ seam allowance for attaching to the pink portion of the skirt and 1/2″ hem.

Now it’s time to cut the waistband and interfacing. Take your natural waist measurement. Then add 1″ of ease + 2.5″ for the waistband to overlap by 5″ wide. The 5″ width includes 1/2 seam allowance for attaching the waistband to the skirt. For a finished 2″ waistband. So my waistband was…..(34 (waist) + 1″ (of ease) + 2.5″ (for the waistband to overlap) for a total 37.5″ long x 5″ wide.

You will have 3 strips like this (note that my waistband is not cut to waist measurement in photo…. I forgot to take the pic…lol)

Step 3: Method

1. Set the waistband portions aside for now. Take your main pink skirt piece and the mustard piece and open them up and lay the gold on top of the pink with right sides touching each other pin or clip like so.

2. Sew along the pin/clipped area with a 1/2″ seam and finish the seam with a zig-zag stitch, pinking shears or a serger/overlock machine and press your seam down towards the mustard portion. ( I use Alligator hair clip instead of pins at times because they are quick. ) Be sure to designate them only for sewing. You can get 80 for $5. (cheaper alternative than Clover Wonder Clips.)

Here is the inside of my finished seam. I also serged the mustard bottom portion and the sides…..sorry forgot to photograph this step.

3. Now take this piece and fold it in half,(be sure the gold and pink match up, so it will be even when sewn.) lay your zipper on top of the pink portion and mark or pin/clip just above the zipper stop like so.

4. Now with the zipper marked you are going to sew from the bottom to the top with a 5/8″ seam allowance. Start at the mustard portion and work your way up. Once you get to where you made the mark for the zipper you need to back stitch and then do a basting stitch the rest of the way up. To baste, simply change your tension to the highest setting, on my Janome that is 9. Basting is a loose temporary stitch. It should look like this.

Step 4: Method Continued

5. Now press the seam open to prepare to install the zipper.

Here is a view of the right side of the tube you have just sewn.

6. Ok, let’s put the zipper in face down like so. Take everything back to your sewing machine. REMEMBER to set your tension back to it’s regular setting and then put on your zipper foot. Sew each side of the zipper tape as close to the teeth as possible.

7. When you're done it will look like this. It’s time to remove the basting stitches like so.

8. When you're done removing the basting stitches it will look like this. You did it .....the zipper is in!!

9. It's time to gather the skirt.......take your crochet yarn and clip/pin 1/4″ from the top edge all the way around the skirt like so.

Step 5: Continuation

10. Take it to your sewing machine and zig-zag stitch over the string. Starting a 1/2″ away from the zipper and stopping 1/2″ before the other side of the zipper.

11. Now pull on the crochet yarn to gather to your natural waist measurement

12. Now we are going to set the skirt aside and work on the waistband. You are going to take the waistband fabric and apply the fusible interfacing to the wrong side of the fabric. The technique I use to apply interfacing is this. I lay the fabric with the wrong side facing up. Lay the fusible interfacing face down on the wrong side of the fabric. Mist the interfacing with water, take a piece of muslin and lay it on top and lay your iron on top. Work on each section like this until the entire waistband has been fused with the interfacing. Do not move the iron back and forth. Sit it on each section and rest it for 15-20 seconds and move on. One all done let the waistband completely cool. Once cool turn it over on the right side and give it a good press. This technique gives you a nice and smooth look.

To add the waistband. With the zipper open, pin the waistband piece to the very top of your skirt. It should overhang by about half an inch on one end and 1.5 inches on the other. Sew with a 1/2″ seam allowance

13. Press the waistband down, making sure that the seam allowance (on the inside) is facing upwards, towards the top of the skirt.

Now, press the top, raw edge of the waistband 1/2 inch.

14. Then fold then entire waistband toward the inside of the skirt and pin so that the previously folded edge is sitting right on top of the seam that you used to connect the band to the skirt.

15. Topstitch close to the edge.

Step 6: Final Steps

16. With your skirt waistband topstitched, it's time to add the hook and eye's according to package instructions.

17. The last thing left to do is to hem the skirt with a 1/2″.

I am really happy, how great this skirt turned out. Which is why I am excited to share this with you. The original version is $498. My DIY version cost me $20.00. I will take spending $20 over $498 any day.

Happy Sewing!!!!