very easy chiffon skirt for you summer!

We are quite enjoying our stay in Costa Rica, in fact we are LOVING it! I don't know how you couldn't really. So far the highlight of this trip involves a family of monkeys visiting us just outside our deck and Oli making monkey noises. He is so stinking cute sometimes, I just can't even handle it. It was fun to watch them jump from branch to branch, eating leaves and dangling from their wrapped tails. I was waiting for them to jump onto our deck and hang out with us or bite us. Instead they just stared and howled. Plenty of more tutorials to come. Supplies: chiffon or flowy type fabric in the length you need + 4 inches (selvedge to selvedge should be at least your hip size plus 2 inches - if not, then you will need twice as much) 1 yard of lining (optional) - I chose a tricot knit so I didn't have to hem or serge it (I'm all about easy) and it stretches. elastic - one side of your waist - from side seam to side seam at the backside of your waist thread sewing machine scissors pins Instructions: 1. Refer to the diagram below....Cut as directed. If need more than your selvedge to selvedge, then buy twice as much fabric, and sew two pieces together. Making sure that the edges are selvedges (So you have a nice edge you don't have to hem). If you need, you can hem the edges first (like there is writing on the selvedges) before you sew up the seam just to make things easier. 2. Fold the fabric so the selvedges touch with the front of the fabric touching, pin. Then sew a straight stitch down the selvedges or hemmed edges to where you want the slit to begin. I stopped just before my knee. 3. OPTIONAL - You don't need lining if you just want to wear a slip under it or if you want to make it a sheer coverup or something. But if you are like me and you want to where it outside if vacation, then cut out the lining by looking at the pic below. Cut 2 pieces of lining fabric making it an A-line type shape. Start the top of it to be your hips width (divided by 2 and + 1" for seam allowance) and have it taper out for walking comfort. Make it's length to stop a few inched above your slit. Then sew those two pieces together. Hem the bottom if you don't have a knit type fabric. 4. Measure and cut some elastic that is stretched to be the length of your backside of your waist. Place your skirt on a flat surface inside out, putting your seam and slit where you want it to be (mine is over my right leg). Then measure where your side seams will be (half width of your waist), and mark them in the front (no elastic will be in the front so it can look nice and flat. Pin one end of the elastic to where your side seam will be on the OUTSIDE of the skirt's waist, only sewing a quarter inch of the elastic and edges of skirt together. Stretch the elastic as you sew it to the back with a zig zag stitch. 5. This is what it look like flipped right side out with the elastic flipped inside now. The front and the back should be the same length from side seam to side seam. 6. Fold the elastic and front under and iron. Try to fold under the front an 1/8 to 1/4 inch first, then again, to hid edge. Unless you are serging. 7. Slide the lining inside the skirt, making the inside of the skirt touch the outside of the lining. Pin the elastic and the ironed under hem over the lining and pin them together. Hiding the top edge of the lining under the hem. 8. Sew the hem and elastic down. I did this by straight stitching the front down, and stretching the back as you sew the straight stitch. Then sewing a zig zag stitch or straight stitch to the edge of the elastic to the skirt. Then you will see a bunched waist in the back.