The Best Shirt to Skirt DIY (with a real waistband)

Today I'm sharing my ultimate shirt to skirt tutorial with a real sewn waistband.  Most tutorials I see for these skirts have an elastic band, so I wanted to kick it up a notch.  I'm also using two shirts instead of one for some added fullness.  Depending on the size of the shirt, you can use either one or two shirts.  It's up to you.  The key is to use as much of the shirt fabric as you possibly can without wasting a scrap.  

Watch the video tutorial here!

YOU'LL NEED

Two men's shirts

Sewing machine 

Matching thread

1/4 yard iron on interfacing

E-6000 Stitch Less Iron On Glue

Scissors

Ruler

Straight pins

Iron

 Cut the front of the shirt along the side seams, across the front right under the collar band and down the side seam again

Cut out the back of the shirt removing the stitched side seams, across the upper back and down the side again

Do this to both shirts

Cut off the tail and up the center back of both shirt backs

Cut a straight line from the hem of the shirt to the shoulder 

 Pin the two back pieces from one shirt to the sides of the front of the other shirt and stitch together using 1/2" seam allowance

*This is the skirt front

Cut off the button and buttonhole plackets on the other shirt, pin and stitch together to create one piece

Pin the back pieces from the other shirt to the sides of this piece and stitch together using 1/2" seam allowance

*This is the back of the skirt

Stitch the front and back together to create the skirt

Press all seams together and zigzag over each one to finish the raw edges

Gather the waist of the skirt to your waist size

Cut the sleeves apart at the seams, remove the cuff and iron flat 

Measure a 3" wide strip down the center of each sleeve (this will be your waistband)

Stitch the two 3" wide strips together to create a long 3" strip

Measure your waist, add 1" and cut the long fabric strip to that size

(if your waist is 32", then cut the strip 33")

Cut an identical piece of iron on interfacing and iron it to the strip

 Finish one edge of the waistband with a zigzag stitch

Pin the raw edge of the waistband to the gathered waist of the skirt (right sides together) leaving a 1/2" overlap on both sides

Stitch the waist band to the skirt using 1/2" seam allowance

Fold the waistband over (right sides together) and stitch the 1/2" overlap on each end of the skirt

Cut the corner at an angle and flip right side out

Press the waistband into place

You will now be hiding the gathering of the skirt inside the waist band

Stitch over the waistband, trapping the gathering inside and catching the finished edge of the waistband on the inside of the skirt

Add a buttonhole above the line of buttonholes in the center front

Stitch on a button

Hem the skirt by turning the hem 1/4" and then 1/4" again

*This is called a turn and turn hem

If you don't want to hem, you can always use E-6000 Stitch Less Iron on glue and iron your hem in place