One-Hour Skirt - Worth the two hours ;)

If you're like me, you never trust anything that says it can be done in an hour. This is true of this skirt, especially if you're a novice sewer as I am. But it can be done in two hours (um...maybe give yourself three, just in case) which isn't too bad! Since you only need a yard of fabric and a little bit of elastic, you can get away with a new skirt for under $10! Plus, you'll feel pretty fantastic wearing something you made.

This sewing project comes free of charge from Brett Bara, author of Sewing in a Straight Line and a regular contributor to Design*Sponge with her Sewing 101 column. You can access her post here. She even has a video tutorial to check out! No excuses now :)

Since she does a great job of explaining the how-to (it is her project, afterall), I thought I'd just give a few tips coming from a gal who has made one and made mistakes doing it.

1. She says to use an elastic that has a width of 1 3/4 inches. I will definitely do a skinnier elastic next time and recommend the same to you if you have a heavier-weight material. Plus, I think the skinnier band will look a little more chic.
2. Make sure your elastic casing is wide enough. If you're a newer sewer as I am, you'll make mistakes, and you'll make it too skinny, which means you'll be fighting to stuff that elastic in! 
3. Make sure you have a large, sturdy safety pin. I spent way too much of my valuable time trying to get the elastic through using a stupid tiny pin. Once I got the right pin (thanks, Debbie!), it was much easier!
4. Use the same color of thread as the material you have, especially when top-stitching the band. I thought a contrasting color would be neat, and it probably would have been, if I had the skills to make it look great. Sewing through a thick band is tough, and my stitching is terrible there! (Hence the white tank covering it up, haha!)
5. Double-check the length. I definitely made this a bit short, especially around the, uh, rear portion. Note to self: factor that little aspect in next time.

Besides that, though, it's a great easy sewing project. With Easter just around the corner, you can whip up this little number in whatever color your heart desires in no time! Better yet, make it for your little girl! (I'm envisioning E and A in matching ones, Steph!)

Have a spring idea to share? Please do!