Neoprene Flared Skirt Tutorial 8

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Sewing Bee Fabrics Tutorial
Sew Your Own Neoprene Flared Skirt

 

how to sew a neoprene flared skirt - tutorial by sewing bee fabrics

I've been loving all the short neoprene skirts that are popular at the moment, but with an 11 month old and a 2 1/2 year old, I am bending over far too much not to be flashing everyone in sight! So, I decided to use that idea to draft my own flared, knee length, high waisted neoprene skirt.

This would also work well in scuba fabric which is a little lighter and holds a little bit less structure. If you want to know more about the difference between that and neoprene, then check out our neoprene and scuba fabric guide.

This design is easy to draft, pretty quick to make and doesn't require any kind of extra work to make a waistband or fastening.

 

What You Will Need:

Neoprene - about 1 metre

Thread

How To Make It:

First of all, you need to draft your own pattern. This is super easy. Simply measure around your waist and divide that number by 7. That's your top width. Now multiply that number by 2 1/2 and that's your bottom width. I made mine about 50cm long. I am pretty short though, so you may want to add a bit extra to the length if you've been blessed with more leg than me! Draw a slightly curved line from the top to the bottom (you may want to fold your paper in the middle to get the same curve both sides). The greater the curve at the bottom 1/3, the bigger the flared appearance will be. If you want it to be even more flared, you could always make the bottom even wider. If you don't want it to be high waisted then you'll need to take into account your hip width more, as if you haven't flared the skirt enough by this point, it will want to keep riding up to look high waisted.
 
The best thing is, if your making it out of neoprene you don't need to worry about adding in any seam allowances. The stretch in it will just make it fall down if you make it too loose. If you are using a different fabric or aren't convinced, then by all means, add a little. You can always take it in a little after and snip off any excess. Because you have no waistband, you want it to sit snuggly at the top or it'll fall down as soon as you try to twirl or rush!
 
When you lay your pattern out on your neoprene to cut, you'll notice that your neoprene is likely to be more stretchy one way than it is the other direction. This bit is important - make sure the direction of stretch is across the pattern width, not the height, otherwise it might not have enough give for you to easily get it over your hips.
 
Cut your pattern out 7 times. Make an effort to cut your top and bottom edges neatly as these will be on display.
how to draft the pattern and cut the fabric for a neoprene flared skirt
Draft your pattern and cut it out 7 times in your neoprene fabric
Most plain neoprene doesn't have a right side and a wrong side, so the best thing about that is that it really doesn't matter how you sew this as long as you have your top and bottom of all your pattern pieces the right way up. If you are using something patterned though, just do all of your sewing with right sides together.
 
Neoprene also doesn't fray and trying to hem it just adds unnecessary bulk, so consider your top and bottom edges finished!
 
Now all you need to do is line up top and bottom on 2 pieces and sew approximately 1/4 inch seam allowance. I prefer to sew neoprene with a twin needle and a knit foot.
how to sew the neoprene with a knit foot and double needle
Sew the neoprene with a knit foot and double needle
Then just repeat that until you have a strip of skirt. Simply make sure all the seams face outwards and join the edges together exactly the same way that you've done for joining all the segments.
how to clip the pieces together to sew
Neoprene skirt sections clipped together ready to sew
Now it's finished! All ready to go put it on and swish around in!
 
Have you made your neoprene skirt yet?
 
 
how to make your own mid length neoprene flared skirt
Finished neoprene flared skirt
how to make your own mid length neoprene flared skirt
make your own mid length neoprene flared skirt
neoprene flared skirt sewing tutorial
neoprene flared skirt sewing tutorial

We hope you enjoy our tutorials and love hearing what you think so please leave us a comment or send me an email to linda@sewingbeefabrics.co.uk

Happy Sewing!

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8 thoughts on “Neoprene Flared Skirt Tutorial”

  • Reply ↓
    Nelly

    Other than the whole neoprene and no waistband deal, which is easy enough to do myself, this is exactly the information I have been looking for! Over multiple attempts at searching over a couple hours each. Every time I try to figure out how to do this, all I find are a bunch of pictures of the skirts and not always the type I’m looking for which makes me question what it’s called and if I’m doing it right, a bunch of links to go buy one, or patterns to buy. I’ve only found one other tutorial and it was incredibly vague, I wound up doing my curve in the opposite direction and making an almost milk bottle type shape but it doesn’t look right so I never finished it. Now I can take that one appart, cut the sides of the pieces so the curve goes in, resew it, AND make a second one with the new fabric I got that prompted me to look for a tutorial again! Thanks!

    • Reply ↓
      Sewing Bee Fabrics Post author

      Haha I’m the opposite… I can never be bothered to switch over to it to top stitch! I should have a go!

    • Reply ↓
      Sewing Bee Fabrics Post author

      Thank you Denise. That’s really kind of you and fantastic that your publishing it. Most appreciated 😀

    • Reply ↓
      Sewing Bee Fabrics Post author

      I wouldn’t pick it for a really hot day, but because the skirt flares away from the body and holds it’s shape away from the legs, I haven’t got hot in it yet and I’ve worn it several times already! I think if you made a pencil skirt from neoprene it would definitely be toasty though.