I bought this red fabric about 100 years ago to make the ‘5 minute skirt’ tutorial from Angry Chicken. It’s a bias cut a line skirt with a fold over elastic waistband and rolled hem. I finally made the skirt this weekend. I’m just plowing through old projects!
It’s okay. It’s certainly fast, and I enjoy the idea of the fold over elastic waistband. However I’m not crazy about how it fits and the pattern itself is only okay (but free, so I trust that I’m not complaining–just noting that it’s not my favorite). Here are my notes in case you try it:
I wasn’t sure if by waist measurement I was supposed to use my actual waist (as in the smallest part of me) or where I wanted the skirt to hit on my waist. I went with the latter, since it’s larger. I ended up needing to chop 3″ off the skirt (the exact 3″ that she has you add to your measurement, so I’m guessing maybe you’re supposed to use your actual waist and the 3″ lets it sit lower). It didn’t need any ease–once I’d altered the skirt it measured exactly where I wanted it to sit (I think because of the bias cut).
The straight waistline doesn’t work so well. There’s a lot of ‘extra’ at the top when you put it on–it kind of bunches near the belly button and small of the back and then dips down at the sides. But that makes sense when you look at most commercial patterns, since the waistline dips in the center and the waistline is curved for those patterns. So if you make the pattern, don’t leave the top straight–curve it down in the center. (I need to dig out my pattern drafting book to remember exactly the right way to do that.)
You definitely need it to dip down at the hemline, too (it’s noted in the pattern as optional)–otherwise the skirt comes down at the sides much longer and has a strange triangle shape thing going on. I had actually curved it by the 1/2″ she recommended, but needed a lot more taken off.
The sweep is too wide for my taste–instead of adding 22″ I’d try adding 18″.
Bottom line: Okay, but not great. And even if it only takes 5 minutes, you’re still using precious fabric! For the extra thirty minutes (and because the fabric yardage required is 2 yards in each case) I’ll stick with my latest variation of the yard sale wrap skirt.
smartasana - Thanks for sharing your assessment! I was just about to embark on the 5-minute skirt but your comments made me realize that I should probably stick with my own 15-minute version. I make a casing for mine and add self-fabric “ties” to the elastic, which I think makes it look a bit less like I made it in 15 minutes. (but just a bit.)