Sew & Tell: Fishtail Skirt

Back in the cold days of winter I took a trip with Linz and some of our friends to La Paz, Mexico. I decided to convert this old skirt into a pretty item to wander the beaches of Mexico, drink in hand. I was then also lucky enough to go to San Juan, Puerto Rico this Summer for a cousin’s wedding, where I busted out this skirt once again. It seems like the perfect beach wear skirt.

Here is the skirt I received from my grandmother.

I used a very simple tutorial from A Pair & A Spare to make the skirt.

You will need:
-skirt
-needle and matching thread
-scissors
-iron

Step 1: Try on the skirt and decide where you want the shortest part of the skirt to be, then add a safety pin just below this point.


Step 2: Lay the skirt out, folding it so the front part is folded in half and one side of the skirt is on top (instead of the usual front to back). This will allow you to cut the front part out evenly.

Step 3: To make your cut, you want to start with a straight line that tapers off after about 30cm. Start smaller than you expect on this part, that way you do not take off too much. Remember you still need to hem the skirt as well, so leave a little extra room for that. Try it on after each cut to see if you have the desired look.

Step 4: Iron and hem your skirt. I found it much easier to use a sewing machine than to hand sew it.

I’ll admit, my skirt is a bit on the short side. Don’t be turned away from this project because my skirt is on the extreme side. A skirt can be easily altered to create the same look with a little less leg showing.