1# The Uneducated Seamstress' DIY (no sewing needed!)

I sunbathed in the back garden today, listening to the Red Hot Chili Peppers and, as it grew colder, wrapped in a blanket.

Weeks ago, when my mum came back from the Caribbean, she opened her suitcase which released a pungent musky smell (it had got stuffy due to the long, long flight). She pulled out clothing which had been given to her by a friend, a green corduroy trouser suit, a black skirt and batwing top set, all of which were not 'her thing'. I kidnapped the batwing top and gave it to my Oma and kept the long black islamic style skirt to customize.

Regular readers will know I'm obsessed by high waisted skirts right now,

Step 1: I pulled the skirt from hip level to waist. It had a stretchy waist so this was done easily.

Step 2: After deciding what length the skirt should be, pick up a pair of sewing scissors and start snipping. Cut the skirt so its longer than you actually want it and (warning:) add a couple of inches onto the length you want as it will probably shrink in the wash. Cut as evenly as you can, remembering that the back should be a little longer.
Step 3: You've got rid of most of the material now, so now cut up to the length that you want it to be, remembering to add a couple of inches. (In a later post I'll show something you can do with this piece of excess material.)

Step 4 (optional): Hem the ends of the skirt. I didn't do this as my skirt was really long and had flowing so it's hard to see the ends of the skirt clearly.

Sorry i have no before pictures-here's the after.

Sorry to go on about it but don't forget I'm trying to get rid of that new military jacket (it's too big) so if you like it, name your price and it could be yours!

Readers of Sally Jane Vintage will notice that she did a post like this not so long ago, but it turns out the same weekend before I had done the same thing to my skirt and wanted to share the idea. I don't want to be accused of copying posts. =)