DIY chiffon skirt for girls

Upon reaching a certain age (5–7 years), little girls increasingly begin to pay attention to what they are wearing, turning into real fashionistas. Inspired by cartoons about princesses, they choose dresses and skirts for everyday wear, imagining themselves in the role of Snow White or Cinderella.

Most mothers, seeing their daughters’ interest in skirts, think about how to make new clothes themselves, spending a minimum of effort and money on it. A universal option in which you can go to the garden, school or for a walk is a circle skirt made of weightless chiffon.

Features of chiffon skirts

Clothes made from soft chiffon are distinguished by their comfort and feminine appearance. In a skirt made of such material, any hooligan will feel like a real princess.

On a note! Chiffon is one of the varieties of silk, and it itself is divided into two types: stretch chiffon and classic chiffon.

Clothes made from stretch fabric, which contains elastane, are denser, opaque, and tend to stretch. Classic is lighter, does not stretch, and you definitely need to put a lining under it (if it’s a skirt) and wear underwear (if it’s a top).

Chiffon stretch is much more difficult to find, and it costs several times more, so when sewing a children's skirt it is better to use ordinary, slightly transparent fabric. The following can be used as lining material:

• organza similar in color to the base;
• interlining, which is ironed to the skirt.

DIY simple chiffon skirt for girls

It is better to sew a product that a child will wear from fabric in bright and sunny tones, especially since the variety of color palette of the material allows this. It is better to choose fabric for a skirt together with the girl for whom the item will be prepared. This way you can kill two birds with one stone - find out what exactly the child wants and involve him in the process.

Preparatory stage

Despite the fact that the circle skirt is quite simple to sew, before you start working you need to prepare a pattern, which will require accurate measurements. To calculate, take 2 measurements:

• waist circumference, which is measured at the narrowest point;
• the length of the skirt, which is measured on the side from the waist to the length of the product.

Advice! It is best to create a pattern on graph paper.

2 circles are drawn on paper - the waist line (inner circle), the bottom line - the outer circle. The radius of circles is determined as follows:

1. P1: Waist circumference (for example, 53 cm) is divided by 6.3 = 9.
2. P2: To P1 add the length of the skirt (for example, 33 cm) = 42.

Advice! It is better to round numbers in calculations to the nearest whole number.

Sewing a chiffon skirt for a girl: a step-by-step guide

Once the pattern is ready, you can begin the main sewing process. Taking into account the above calculations, for work you will need:

• a piece of chiffon fabric;
• lining fabric;
• elastic band for the belt (wide fabric);
• sewing supplies.

Step-by-step description of the process

• The first thing to do after the pieces are cut out of the fabric is to lay a basting stitch on top of the chiffon base.

Advice! An elastic thread is best suited for these purposes.

• Then the lining fabric is inserted into the piece, evenly distributing it over the outer chiffon.
• The top and lining are sewn together using a straight seam.
• The edges of the fabrics are finished with a zigzag stitch.
• The connecting seam is ironed.
• Use a basting stitch to gather the other edge of the fabric.
• The lining is folded inward and sewn with chiffon, processing the edges in the same way as for the top. This will help keep the hem in place.
• The prepared elastic band is sewn into a ring.
• Conventionally dividing the elastic into 8 parts, it is fixed along the perimeter of the top of the skirt with pins.
• After marking, the parts can be sewn together and the skirt is ready.

Advice! The finished product can be ironed with steam, which will help give the folds a neater appearance.

Tips for working with chiffon

Chiffon is a capricious fabric and those who have never worked with it before may encounter a number of problems when sewing a skirt. Advice from experienced needlewomen will help you cope with them:

• in order for the material not to crumble, it must be stabilized by starching or treating it with hairspray;
• in order not to damage the structure of the fabric, it is better not to use pins;
• since the fabric easily crumbles, it is better to avoid making cuts on it;
• When sewing chiffon on a machine, you must use the thinnest and sharpest needles;
• it is important to ensure that the material does not stretch during ironing;
• when ironing, the iron should be heated to minimum;
• The best joining seam for chiffon is considered to be the “French seam”.

Having learned the tricks of working with this fabric and getting the hang of sewing from its skirt, you can replenish your children's wardrobe, making it more interesting and varied. From leftover chiffon fabric you can make scrunchies and headbands that will be a great addition to your outfit.