A DIYcouture swirly skirt at Fabrications

Today I was back in Fabrications, for a workshop with Rosie from DIYcouture. We were learning how to make a swirly skirt - the finished item modelled here (try to focus on the skirt and not my white runners legs!).

Rosie creates books with pictures and diagrams to talk you through making clothes without using complicated patterns.

Waist height skirt

The skirt is a circle style, hanging in lots of folds and flaring out when you spin round. It would look good with a petticoat too. The bird fabric is from Fabric Rehab.

Below you can see how the skirt starts - with two semi circles of material to be joined together. You then add a waistband and a zip and a bias binding along the bottom. There were six of us in the workshop and Rosie dotted between us all, showing us what to do, helping us out and giving us tips on good fabric shops in London (like me, Rosie considers buying fabric, like buying books - 'not really spending money' - so it's good to hear her tips as to where you can get fabric for a pound a metre). Check out the Fabrications calendar for more workshops with her too - I recommend them.

Cutting out the pattern

In Fabrications Imaginarium

The final fiddly bit, adding the bias binding.

More modelling, this time it's sitting on the hips how I made it. After pinning it up, I actually quite like the on-the-waist style (which I think is more how it is meant to be) so I might do another one like that in future now I know how :)