How to Make a Shirred Skirt

Creating a simple skirt with a shirred waistband can be quick and easy and only requires a rectangle of fabric and some elastic thread. Nicki LaFoille shows you how it’s done!

Shirring

In order to make this fun and easy skirt with a shirred waistband, you must first shirr the fabric. Nicki begins by explaining why kind of fabric she likes to use for this project and why. She shares how it can be easier to shirr fabric that is lightweight, and how lighter-weight fabric can also drape better. Nicki also shares where she likes to find her fabric for these types of skirts.

Nicki then begins to explain how to create the shirred waistband using elastic thread. She demonstrates how to wind a bobbin using the elastic thread and stresses that this type of thread should only be used in the bobbin, never attempted in the needle. Nicki winds the bobbin by hand, which is the most common way to wind a bobbin using elastic thread, though some machines may allow you to wind it by machine. Always consult your machine manual for this step.

Nicki then shows how to begin stitching parallel lines of stitching along the upper edge of the rectangle to create the shirred waistband. While some fabric gathers great with the first line of stitching, other fabrics may require more. Nicki explains that the fabric will gather more after several lines of stitching are completed.

Once the desired number of shirring lines have been stitched, Nicki explains how to finish the skirt. All finishing of the skirt is done with regular thread in both the needle and the bobbin and includes finishing the upper edge, hemming the lower edge and stitching a center seam. For another fun skirt project, learn how to make a drawstring strip skirt.