DIY: Turn a Maxi Skirt into a Fishtail Skirt

After showing you all my fishtail skirt that I made in this post, I had a few people message me and ask if I could make a tutorial.  Ask and you shall receive!  Hope you all enjoy and message me if you don't understand something or need more clarification.

Instructions:


Step 1: Organize your tools

• Scissors
• Matching thread and a needle
• Tape measure
• Maxi skirt
• Iron (optional)

Step 2: Making the measurements

• Measure from the waist of the maxi skirt to the middle of the skirt where you would like the shortest part of the finished hem to be.  
• Add 1/2 an inch to your measurement.
• Mine was 12 inches + 1/2 an inch = 12.5 inches

Step 3: Folding

• Fold the skirt so that the side seams are now in line with each other.
• If your skirt does not have side seams, do your best to make sure it is as even as possible on both sides.
• Matching the side seams will ensure that your finished "fishtail" will be symmetrical.

Step 4: Measure and cut

• Take the tape measure and measure from the waist band down the diagonal of the skirt to the measurement you got in Step 2.
• This will be your end point for cutting.
• Starting at the side seam, cut in an arc up to your end point.  You can eyeball it like I did, or if you need to, take some chalk and draw a line to cut.
• Do NOT cut through the side seam!  You don't want to have to sew the seam if you don't have to.

Step 5: Examine

• Hold up your skirt and admire it!  
• It should look pretty symmetrical going from short in the middle to long on the sides.  You're almost there!

Step 6: Prepare needle and thread

• Take a good length of thread.  Though not too long as it will get tangled if you're not careful.
• Thread it through the needle and knot one end 2 times.  My material is sheer so I made sure to make a good knot so it wouldn't slip through the material.

Step 7: Sewing the hem

• To get a finished edge, you will want to make a rolled hem.  To achieve this, you will roll the raw edge toward the inside of the skirt and then roll one more time.  Note the picture.
• Use an iron (optional) to keep the hem neat.  It will make it easier for sewing, but it's not necessary.

Step 8: Hidden stitch

• A hidden stitch is used on most skirts and even pant cuffs.  If you have a serger, you can use one, but I find hand sewing to be neat.
• Start by grabbing a little bit of the skirt fabric at the start of the side seam and grab the rolled hem and pull the needle and thread through.
• Continue in this manner all the way until you reach the side seam on the opposite side.
• This part is tedious, but you will get a nice finished hem this way. :)
• You will need to get more thread as you go along.  So just knot the current thread and then start at Step 6 again and continue.

Step 9: Admire and wear

• Admire your newly transformed maxi skirt into a fishtail!  Easy and fun right?  To view my finished skirt click here!

Don't forget to leave a link in the comments if you tried this.  Let me know how it goes!  Have fun!