How to Change a Straight Skirt into a Full Skirt
There are several different ways to change a straight skirt into a fuller one. If the waistband still fits you, but you just want the skirt to be full, remove the stitching from the waistband and set the waistband aside. Cut the skirt in four places: two in the back and two in the front. Align the front and back of the skirt when you make the cuts, so they appear in the same approximate locations on front and back.
Cut four triangles, each the length of the skirt and long enough to allow for the hem. How wide you make the triangles at the bottom will decide on how full your skirt will be when finished. Pin one triangle into each slit of the skirt. Hem the triangles to match the hem of the skirt. Reattach the waistband and the skirt is finished.
If the waistband no longer fits you have a choice of making a new waistband or inserting elastic into the waist. Make the same cuts as previously stated, then make the triangles to fit the skirt, but refashion the waistband. Cut a new waistband that’s slightly larger, then pin the skirt back into place. Or, sew in the new triangular pieces, then stitch the elastic right into the waist area, folding over once to cover the elastic piece. Half-inch elastic is the best choice. If you fold the fabric over the elastic, remember that your skirt will then be a half-inch shorter than previously.
One other way to make a skirt fuller is to simply cut both side seams out, cut a wide strip of fabric for each side, then stitch it into place. If the skirt originally has elastic you’ll have to remove the old elastic and replace it with a longer piece. If the skirt originally had a waistband, you’ll need to cut a new waistband, or wear the skirt only with shirts that are untucked. Skirts that have pleats are even easier to make larger. Simply remove the waistband, take out the pleats, and replace the waistband with a larger one.
Since most of us don’t have the exact fabric from which our skirts were made, look through a fabric store for something similar. If the skirt is patterned or multi-colored, choose a similar fabric with a solid color that matches one of the colors in the skirt. It’s really not difficult to refashion skirts, so if your closet is full of ones that no longer fit, consider trying to revamp some of them. You’ll have a new wardrobe and learn some new sewing techniques as well.
