Long Maxi Skirt + a Train

I bought this fabric well over a year ago. It jumped right into my cart--It is so not my norm in a pattern.  I saw a long maxi skirt/dress pinned and thought "Oh, I have the perfect fabric for that!" I intended to make it just like the tutorial, but didn't have quite enough fabric. So....

Introducing My Long Maxi Skirt + a Train

The back has a train-like effect--which is my favorite part! You can't tell by the photos, but it isn't sewn all the way down, it has a slit that goes about a foot up.

Wear it low with heels....

Wear it high-folded over, with flats. I like it with a wide belt when I wear it like this...

How to: *Note: please read through and look at the pictures before starting. I just started going without a plan, so you may read through and think of a better way to do it--totally fine with me :)

1. Fold your fabric in half--trim it up. I used a stretchy cotton-no fraying= no hems :)

2. Cut off a 6 inch section-making sure one short end is your folded edge. 

3. Decide how much of the waistband you will need for your waist. Give room for seam allowance and remember if your fabric is stretchy as mine is you will need it smaller than you think. I pretended and put it around me how I would want it to fit and then marked it there. Cut off the excess.

3. Fold your strip in half long ways and center it on your skirt portion. Line it up with the edge of your skirt rectangle of fabric. You should have pattern up on both pieces with the folded edge aiming at the bottom on your fabric. In other words the part that opens should line up with the shorter edge of the rectangle. Think the waist is smaller around than the length of your skirt. Use a tight zigzag stitch {or a serger- I have one but haven't mastered it} and sew the 2 pieces together. 

4. Once you flip up the waistband, it should look like the pic in step 5.

5. Sew ONLY the waistband edges together!! Right sides together. Ignore the part of the skirt that flaps out and doesn't have a waistband connected to it! See below

6. To make the train part: Lay your skirt out-like the above photo, with the new waist seam on the edge, like the picture. Looking at it now your should have what looks super awkward. You have the waist part of a skirt with flappy edges that are not connected to anything and you're thinking I screwed this up! You didn't. Stay with me and breathe :) AND get some pins out! 

7. Starting where your waist band is sewn together pin down at an angle toward the bottom of the skirt. Like the angle you can see in step 5 where I have the flaps open.  Leave an opening at the bottom also shown folded over above-if you choose not to it will be difficult to walk in, unless you started with more fabric than I did thus an overall wider skirt. 

8. Sew down this edge with the wrong sides together. Where your waist seam is and your new stitch connect is an odd spot (if you're a sewer you probably have a way better solution for this, but I will tell how it worked for me.) I just kindof made a pucker.. by folding down the top edges just a hair. You will have a little hole where the waistband and skirt meet ignore it and sew straight down your pin-line, back stitch at the bottom.

9. K Let's fix that hole! Flip it inside out and sew the pucker from the reverse meeting your previous stitch line. 

10. Now that pucker's ugly and you have a wimpy train. Take your left over piece of waistband and line it up with the skirt's waistband. I put mine slightly off center so that the flaps hang differently.

11. Sew this part on just above the pucker, right along your waistband/skirt seam. I did a one inch stitch and went back and forth a few times. 

YOU DID IT!! Try it on!!! 

If any parts are too long just trim it off. I rounded the bottom corners a little bit so I wouldn't step on them. I get compliments on this skirt every time I wear it and because its such a colorful pattern you can really mix and match with your top!

Total Cost: $3

--ZZB

P.S. This was even confusing to write, so please leave me comments to help with my tutorial skills and answer any of your questions :)