Summer happiness: straight skirt with layered ruffle

I love skirts in the summer, and in my dream life, I would make a skirt a week! But my skirt-making time is limited these days. Still, I had time to make this one, based on the Saturday Afternoon Skirt in my book. I actually intended to make the A-line pattern. But once I cut it out, I realized that the home dec fabric I picked out (Amy Butler’s “Trumpet Flowers”) was too heavy and didn’t look right as an A-line. It was much better suited as a straight skirt, with a full ruffle at the bottom. So, I followed the directions in my book, but instead of angling the side seams out on each side, I just made the seamline go more straight down from the hips.

For the ruffle, I used a quilter’s cotton broadcloth from Jo-Ann’s. I wanted the ruffle to be extra full, so I made it two layers (the top one is 3 inches long and the bottom is 4 inches).

To get the measurements, I measured around bottom of skirt and doubled it, to allow for gathering. I think that was about 90 inches, but since I was seaming together two complete widths of the fabric, which was more like 43 or 44 inches, the final circumference wound up being more like 86 or 87 inches, which is fine.

Some more specifics:

• Since I wanted raw edge, I ripped my pieces. To rip, you just make a little cut at the selvedge and then start ripping. It will rip straight, and it gives a really nice evenly frayed edge. (Always rip a straight line first.) I ripped four pieces across the full width: two pieces that are 3-inches by 44-inches (or whatever the width wound up being after washing) and two pieces that are 4 inches by 44 inches.
• It’s easiest to layer the pieces and take the side seams at the same time. Place each 3-inch piece on top of each 4-inch piece and stitch together at each end (right sides together, so 3-inch piece to 3-inch piece). You’re creating one big circle. 
• I wanted some stitching detail on the ruffles for a textured look, so I took a few rows of straight stitches (two rows on the top layer about one row on the bottom layer).
• Then I pinned the layers together at the top and took a gathering stitch. I started at one side seam, stopped he stitching when I got to the other side seam and then resumed on the other side of the seam. 
• Then, with right sides together, I matched the side seams on the ruffle and skirt and starting gathering. I evened out the gathers, pinned, and stitched.
• It takes a good pressing to make the ruffle lie flat. I love the finished effect and the fullness of the ruffle layers.

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