"Easy-To-Make Skirts"

My most favorite thrift scores: vintage sewing notions! In all my clothing, I only use vintage seam binding, and hem tape. For durability, I always use new Gutterman thread, and elastic. Zippers can be hard to find, so it's 50/50 on new/second-hand in all my wares. Because elastic looses it's elasticity over time, it's very difficult to have vintage and older elastic that is still good to use. This elastic waistband was a rare rare find! I can't overstate how rare. When my friend, Grace, gave me a monster bag of sewing notions from a lady on her street, and I found this at the bottom of the bag, I swear I almost peed my pants with excitement. I just had to share the sewing project and cute instructions that it came with. Oh, how I wish these were still sold in stores today.

 As usual, I deviated from the directions, honestly I didn't even read them. I scanned them to show you all, and I haven't even removed the paper from my scanner. To hide my raw edge of the skirt, I sewed the back side of the elastic, and interior of the skirt together, bad sides together first, about 1/2 inch from the bottom edge of the elastic. Folding the skirt down, with both bad side up, good sides down, I top stitched along the bottom edge of the elastic, enclosing the raw edge of the skirt. 

And a Sally Ann tag nicely covers up the raw edge of the elastic.

And this is the only photo of the finished skirt, as it was the first thing to sell on Saturday morning at Riverside Arts Market. I'm so excited for the recipient of this skirt to wear it and treasure it, and I hope they find their way to this post, and see the sewing process.

Fun little added fact for y'all. See the infinity scarf on the dressform with the skirt? Well, it's made of vintage fabric from a handmade skirt, and look closely, the same brand of elastic as used in this skirt! My roommate in college bought it as part of a handmade two piece women's suit. The elastic was so stretched out, and the deep purple skirt was way too small, so I finally cut it up, pairing it with some thrifted velour for a super soft infinity scarf.

Happy Monday, everyone! I'm off to wash my giant thrift haul from yesterday, and get to sewing!