Fashion Fix: How to make a cotton lycra pencil skirt from scratch

Images from www.messqueen.com and www.effortlessanthropologie.com

The beauty of this project is once you know the method you can make skirts of all lengths, mini's, maxi's mid calves and the good old classic pencil skirt. Be bold with prints and wear with a slouchy knit for these waning summer evenings.

You will need:

• 1 metre cotton lycra
• pins
• scissors
• sewing machine and complimentary thread
• iron
• 1 inch thick elastic the length of your waist measurement

How to do it:

1. Measure the width of your hips and the length from your waist to the desired length.
2. cut two pieces of fabric half the size of your hip measurement and the length of waist to calf.
3. on the front piece of the fabric mark two darts 12cm long and 8cm wide. do this on the back too but make the darts 15cm long and 8 cm wide.
4. tack the darts and sew in place 
5. with right sides facing, pin and tack the front and back panels together down the sides
6. using the overlocker, sew down both sides.
7. cut a piece of elastic the width of your waist and sew it around the top of the skirt
8. fold the elastic down and press the seams.

styling and skirt length ideas from ASOS and www.ipreferheels.com