A few years ago I designed a skirt pattern for girls and had intentions of making a women’s pattern but never got around to it until now. These two skirt patterns are so easy to make up, and better yet, you can recycle some of your clothes to do it.

Whether you want the length of the skirt to be just above the knee or mid thigh, the pattern is adaptable. The comfortable fold down yoga waistband makes it easy to get on and off and is easy to sew.

Here are a few tips when choosing fabric or recycled clothing for your skirts.

• Large sweaters either cotton/synthetic blends or wool blends are great for the eight panel skirt.
• Check the clearance sections for long knit skirts or dresses. They have a lot of yardage and can be used either for another skirt or the waistbands of other skirts. (Check the fabric content. If they have a high percentage of spandex, and it is a good color and quality, most likely the clearance item will be cheaper than buying fabric. Spandex fabric at the fabric store can be quite expensive and the selection is usually poor).
• Don’t forget to check the thrift stores and yard sales for sweaters and skirts to use as fabric yardage.
• If using sweaters, be sure to check for any holes before cutting out.
• Try to use fabric or sweaters that are similar in weight for the same project.
• If using wool sweaters, either felt them before sewing, or make sure you hand wash the skirt in cold water. (Shrinking the sweater before may make it too dense to use for a skirt).
• Use your creativity to come up with some fun color and texture combinations.
• Add trim and embellishments if you want to get real creative.

The pattern for these easy to make upcycled skirts include women sizes 2-14 and is available in my Etsy shop or Craftsy shop.