Adjustable Bow Skirt Tutorial

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Over the weekend while going through my clothes I came to grips that one of my favorite pink shirts was irreversibly stained. So, I rehabbed it into something for Penelope. I don’t have any pictures of that particular refashion, but there will be some tomorrow when I get Penelope actually in that skirt. I was inspired by Minikin’s gorgeous long tutus. While the pink refashion has zero tulle on it, the silky jersey & beaded details just scream girliness.

 

 

My original idea was to thread the casing of the skirt with pure ribbon & use a bow as a way to tighten it around Penelope’s waist. As I fitted it to Penelope I soon realized that she needed something stretchy in order to wear it, so this idea was birthed in about 10 minutes. Click the “Read more” link below to find out how you can do it. This skirt takes a mere 15-20 minutes to do & requires minimal sewing or expertise. I do hope you’ll give it a try!

The above clip was shot just after our little photo shoot. I made her sing for me & she was clearly annoyed with my constant pestering so the clip ends in her signature, “Hmph!” That little lady cracks me up!

 

A D J U S T A B L EB O W S K I R TT U T O R I A L •


S U P P L I E S •

  • sewing machine
  • matching thread
  • old t-shirt or dress
  • scissors
  • 6-8 inch elastic
  • wide ribbon
  • pins

Cut top part of the skirt or top off, leaving the desired length plus about 2 inches. I just estimated this part.

Turn inside out & fold over raw edge about 1 1/2 inches & secure with pins just about every 6-8 inches.

Sew the fold closed using your widest stitch. Be sure not to push or pull fabric through, or you’ll get puckering. Thankfully, the way the waistband gathers, if there so happens to be some puckering, it’s no big deal.

Cut ribbon in half and pin shiny side to the elastic. Sew with a 1/4 inch seam allowance.

 

Fold ribbon over & topstitch ribbon into place to secure the ribbon to the elastic.

Cut two holes in the middle of the front casing about 1 inch high & 1 inch apart. There’s no need to finish the edges if you’re working with jersey or knit fabric.

Wrap the end of the ribbon around a hair clip or through a safety pin & feed through the casing. I can never seem to find safety pins when I’m on the hunt for them, so I used a hair clip instead. Honestly, I’m going to go with the hair clip in the future. It’s MUCH easier to feed through! I hate feeding things through casings, but the slickery hair clip fed through quickly & without making my hands hurt like crazy. I love discovering time savers on accident.
Adjust the gathering & space it evenly. Tie a bow with a double knot or secure it into place by stitching the bow together. ENJOY! This tutorial was made with small girls in mind, but it doesn’t mean that you couldn’t do this on a grown-up scale!

At first, I styled this with her shirt tucked out & the skirt at her hips. It’s cute, but I think the high-waisted option looks more put together & age appropriate. Plus I like how it showcases her little bow more.

She was so cute to watch dancing while I was snapping away. I love this little girl.

Isn’t she just beautiful!? Like I mentioned before, this tutorial is easily scalable to a grown-up size. Click the link below for the printable version of this tutorial. I’d love to see how you make this tutorial yours! Email me pics or link to your pics in the comments.

This tutorial is free for personal use and should not be distributed/republished without my consent. Altering the file NOT ALLOWED. If you would like to use this tutorial for commercial purposes, please email me. Thanks!

 

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    1. Khali says:

      Oh my goodness, I can’t get over how adorable Penelope is.

    2. […] Adjustable Bow Skirt Tutorial – 2 freebie(s) […]

    3. Jenn says:

      why are your kids sooo adorable? : )

    4. Bmerry says:

      this type of waistband works really well. super cute.

    5. Emily says:

      What a little cutie!! Love the elastic. :)

    6. Liz says:

      “Are you mad at me?”

      *silent glare*

      Hahaha. Too cute!

    7. […] voila! I did this refashion in under 20 minutes (minus the beading) using my adjustable bow skirt technique. It was incredibly easy & really fun. Penelope loves that she has two new twirly skirts in her […]

    8. jen says:

      oh she is hilarious! Nothing like a bit of ‘tude hey?! Gosh she is going to give those boys hell in a few years!!

    9. Cute skirt. The video is hilarious. Mine does the same thing. hahahahahaha

    10. Meghan says:

      The skirt and Penelope are both super cute. Also, I love that her singing kind of sounds like she’s rapping. She’s so cool.

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