Kitchen Utensils Gathered Skirt

So here is my "Kitchen Utensils" skirt. Kitchen Utensils is the name of the fabric print that my sister got me for Christmas last year. She got the fabric on Super Buzzy, which is a online Japanese fabric shop. Lots of cute prints.

This is a simple gathered skirt with a zipper in the back. It is an original design.  I made this skirt in time to wear to the Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Symphony this past fall. Lots of fun!

I started by cutting 4 panels out of my fabric like this. The total inches at the top of the panels was made much larger than my actual waist size which would leave me fabric with which to do the gather. THe bottom was flared out and curved up at each side so the skirt length would be the same all the way around the skirt.

One of the panels was cut in half down the center. This would become the center back of the skirt where the zipper would go.

I stitched the panels together leaving the center back open then pressed the seams flat and finished them off.

Then I cut a rectangle for the waistband. This would be a fold over waistband. I also cut a rectangle of interfacing that was half the width of first one.

I used a basting stitch to gather up the skirt to the waistband. Once that was done I pinned and stitched the waistband to the front of the skirt (right sides together).

Then I ironed the waistband upwards and in half. The seam allowance was then neatly tucked up and ditch-stitched at the back.

Then I basted up the back seam. I pressed it flat and hand basted in the zipper. Then I machine stitched it in securely and opened up the seam, removing all the basting stitches.

Then I hemmed the skirt and added a bow detail at the waistband.

So I have changed my posting day to Wednesday evenings to better work with my new schedule for this term. Hopefully I can stick to it! ;D