Western Bandana-Style Skirt for Rodeo Day

February and March means Rodeo season in Texas, and it always starts out on Go Texan Day in Houston! On this day, everyone is supposed to dress up in their cowboy gear. Okay, Northerners, we do not ordinarily wear cowboy hats and boots to school and work, but on Go Texan Day, you bet your boots, we do! 

Typically, the night before is spent finding bandanas, straw cowboy hats, and plaid button downs to create our outfit, but as my boys have grown older, their enthusiasm in the clothing has diminished substantially, which is just one more reason I love having a little girl to dress up. Months ago I found this adorable pink fabric with ropes on it at Wal-Mart for $2 a yard. My original plans were for a full circle reversible skirt that I found on pinterest. However, I had made a full circle skirt for Christmas and wanted to try something different. Thinking about my boys' bandanas gave me this idea. While I know not all my lovely readers are blessed to live in Texas, many of you still might enjoy this dress. (Okay, so I joke about being blessed to live in Texas... sort of.)

You'll need the following:
1 yard of cotton print fabric
1 yard of matching plain print fabric
1/2" elastic, a few inches longer than the girl's waist
fabric pen
measuring tape
pins
matching thread
sewing machine
scissors




Here's how to make it:
1. Fold each piece of fabric into fourths. At the corner that would be the center of the fabric if unfolded, you will draw your arc for your waist's circumference. To do this, first measure your girl's hips. Yes,  hips. Now, we need the radius so use this formula: R = C/2pi or R=C/6.28. Next, take that radius with your fabric pen and measuring tape, and start measuring from that corner out in about six to eight places. Connect the dots.  

 

2. How long do you want your skirt to hang? Remember, since this isn't a circle, you'll need to decide how short you are willing to have some areas and how long you can have the points. If this were a circle skirt, I would have had it about 11", so I decided the longest point could be 18" while the shortest could be 9". Of course, we have to take into consideration extra inches for the seams. To do this, determine the shortest point and add the length of the radius plus 3 more inches. In my case, I ended up with 16" (not 18" as is shown in my picture; that ended up being too long for my daughter, so I remeasured without taking a picture). Starting at the corner of your circumference markings, measure out as to the number you came up with every few inches. Then connect the dots. Do the same on the other side. Then cut. You will end up with a square with a circle cut out. Use this as a pattern for your second piece of fabric. 

3. Now that your fabric is cut, you are ready to sew the hemline. This is easy since they are straight lines. Fold 1/2" and iron. Then fold over another 1/2" and iron again. Do this to all four sides of each square. Now sew using a straight stitch and allowing a 3/8" seam.

4. So far so good, right? We are ready for the waist, so line up your two pieces of fabric as shown and pin at the waist in about eight spots. Next, grab your left-over fabric in the solid color. You will need to cut a strip of fabric 2 1/2" wide and several inches longer than your girl's hip circumference. To avoid fraying, fold the fabric in half and give a quick zig zag stitch along the edge. I also recommend doing the same with the top of your skirt. Then remove those eight pins and lay your fabric out again. 

5. Lay the long strip of fabric on the skirt's waist so the cut edge matches up with the cut edges of the skirt and pin every couple of inches. You should have a few inches of your fabric strip left over. That's okay; better too much than not enough, right?  Cut off any leftover, but allow about 1/2" to over lap. Sew your waistband to your skirt with a straight stitch. 

6. Now we need to insert the elastic. You'll need your girl's waist measurement and add an inch. Using a safety pin, insert the elastic and pull through the waistband. Once it's all the way through, pin the two pieces of elastic together and try on the skirt. You may need to tighten it as the elastic will have stretched a little.

6. Sew the two ends of elastic together with a straight stitch. I back stitch the whole thing as well. Next, to close up this hole, tuck one end of the waistband fabric into the other slightly. Then use a zigzag stitch over the opening. Yes, it will sew through your elastic too, but that is not a problem.










Now that your skirt is finished, let your girl try it on and twirl and twirl and twirl!
I know the shirt my daughter is wearing doesn't match very well. It's just what she already had on. Next Friday I will show you the shirt I made to match this bandana-style skirt! 

  

I'll be sharing this post at some of these parties here.  

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