Everyone loves a reliable, easy, and
fast sewing project. That, my friends, would be the maxi skirt.
Maxi skirts are one of the best projects because they're a cinch to whip up and perfect for beginners. You can cut them straight down, literally two rectangles, or in a slight triangular shape for some flare at the hem. This skirt is cut with a faint flare and features modest walking slits, which requires the smallest bit of additional work, but I think it's worth it.
First, decide how long you'd like the walking slit to be. I prefer a very modest slit, one that makes the skirt comfortable to move in (climbing stairs, getting up into our van, etc.) but doesn't scream,
"Hey hey hey! Look at my long legs!" Once you've settled on that, simply backstitch when you've reached the right spot and leave the rest of the edges open. You can see how I angled the cut with the pinking shears above the open sides.
Next, you're going to press a narrow edge (toward the wrong side, just like a normal hem) on the open seam, and then fold it over itself and press again. Stitch the pressed edges. If stitching this in one continuous line seems daunting, just stitch up one side and backstitch above the slit, and then repeat on the other side. You can stitch on an angle to form a point if you like as well, but it isn't necessary.
Lastly, sew up your waistband like you would any other maxi skirt with an elastic waist. Then press whatever size hem you want in place and stitch. Voila!
The back looks longer in the photo, but it isn't really. Must be all that hip-jutting and strutting and such. =)
Note: If you prefer to fold the fabric in half from top to bottom, so that you have only one side seam to stitch and the other side is the fabric fold, that works too- just make one walking slit in the sewn side. Done and done. And even faster!
