Francesca DenHartog - Sew What! Skirts: 16 Simple Styles You Can Make with Fabulous Fabrics

sew what! SkiRTS

16 SiMPLE STYLES
YOU CAN MAKE
WiTH FABULOUS FABRiCS

FRANCESCA DENHARTOG & CAROLE ANN CAMP

The mission of Storey Publishing is to serve our customers by publishing practical information that encourages personal independence in harmony with the environment.

Edited by Nancy D. Wood

Art direction by Cynthia McFarland and Kent Lew

Cover design, interior design, and project styling by Carol Jessop, Black Trout Design

Text production by Jessica Armstrong and Liseann Karandisecky

Interior photographs by Kevin Kennefick

Additional skirts designed and created by Carol Jessop and Chaila Sekora of Velvet Antlers, pictured on pages

Illustrations by Christine Erikson

Technical editing by Janet DuBane

Indexed by Mary McClintock

Special thanks to Stephanie Long and Chaila Sekora for modeling the skirts, and to MASS MoCA for allowing us to use the campus for our photo shoots.

2006 by Storey Publishing

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages or reproduce illustrations in a review with appropriate credits; nor may any part of this book be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or other without written permission from the publisher.

The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. All recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of the author or Storey Publishing. The author and publisher disclaim any liability in connection with the use of this information. For additional information please contact Storey Publishing, 210 MASS MoCA Way, North Adams, MA 01247.

Storey books are available for special premium and promotional uses and for customized editions. For further information, please call 1-800-793-9396.

Printed in Hong Kong by Elegance

10 9 8 7 6 5

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

DenHartog, Francesca.

Sew what! skirts : 16 simple styles you can make with fabulous fabrics / Francesca DenHartog, Carole Ann Camp.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-58017-625-5 (hardcover : alk. paper)

1. Skirts. 2. Sewing. I. Camp, Carole Ann. II. Title.

TT540.D45 2006

646.437dc22

2006017421

The idea for this book was born out of an excitement for fabric, the need for an easy and approachable skirt formula (no patterns allowed!), and an inspiring phone conversation with Deborah Balmuth at Storey Publishing. Shortly before that fateful phone call, I had put together a three-tiered bohemian skirt, using only my waist measurement (a guarded secret) to get me started. I made the skirt in about 45 minutes.

For this book idea, I put together a collection of skirt designs using only a few parameters: no pattern, as little math as possible, and a minimal number of seams. Most have a completion time of less than two hours. Deborah and everyone at Storey Publishing embraced the concept of simple, no-pattern sewing and did wonders with fleshing out all the nuts and bolts.

Special appreciation goes to Carole Ann Camp for providing her technical writing expertise. Without her, this project would have stalled in the early stages. Thanks also to Carol Jessop and Chaila Sekora for jumping in with full enthusiasm and expanding the possibilities with some very creative skirts.

Thanks to Nancy Wood for holding it all together and enhancing every step, while keeping a firm gaze on the vision. Without Sarah Strong, our fearless seamstress who sewed many of the skirts, we would still be wrestling with the first zipper. Many thanks, as well, to all the women who tested the projects at home.

Lastly, I want to thank my women at Valley Fabrics who continue to provide critical advice and sanity when I just cant tell if my ideas have gotten too crazy! And of course, Thanks, Mom! for always having a fresh supply of rich, colorful fabrics hanging around the house for me to play with!

DO YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH A FABRIC, but there isnt enough on the bolt to make curtains? Or maybe your couch is already loaded with pillow experiments? Does your grandmother or mother live too far away to sew for you? Or did she finally rebel against being your sewing slave? Do you refuse to pay over $100 for a simple cotton skirt with an unfinished hem ruffle? I could make that! you declare out loud, talking yourself into a territory never before explored.

This book is for the risk-taker who bucks authority and doesnt like being hemmed in by rigid rules, sewing patterns, and instructions. With very little sewing background, some creativity, and some resourcefulness, you can make a playful and wearable skirt tailored to your unique style and shape. This is an opportunity to define your personal style through fabric, color, textures, trims, and buttons, without getting hung up on whether or not your seams are perfect and your stitching is even. Sewing a simple skirt is fun and playful and, most importantly, stress-free!

Using this book as a guide along with your adventurous spirit you can sew a variety of skirts to fit any mood, occasion, or event: a casual elastic-waistline tiered skirt, a serious straight skirt, a flirty circle skirt. You are encouraged to blend skirt styles and experiment with finishing touches. This is your chance to make a style statement, minus the sweat and frustration! Once you are familiar with the process, you will be able to finish a skirt project within a couple of hours (unless you have to let the cat out, in, out, et cetera, or get interrupted by the phone). So, go get yourself some funky fabric and rickrack, pick your skirt project of choice, and have some fun!

You sew, girl!

IT IS POSSIBLE TO MAKE all of the skirts in this book with a few basic sewing skills. If you have a new sewing machine but have been afraid to take it out of the box, this book is for you. Even if you have sewn your entire life, you can still find fun and inspiration in these patternless skirts and stylish embellishments.

While none of the skirts are difficult to make, we have arranged them from easiest to easy, with the easiest skirts at the beginning of each chapter. The skirts described in can be put together start to finish in a couple of hours. The skirts in the later chapters, while not more difficult in terms of skill, do take a bit longer to put together. This is mostly because there are more pieces to cut out and more seams to sew.

WE ASSUME that you have a basic sewing machine and can find the instruction booklet that came with it! (Replacement manuals can often be found online.) Every sewing machine is different, from your great-grandmothers old treadle machine to todays computerized machines that do almost everything except bring you coffee.