Upcycle Sexy Denim Skirt

SEXY

Side view check out the rear-right!

Hey friends, I am delivering promise, here it is: A denim skirt from Silver jeans I bought at thrift store into a SEXY ruched denim skirt.  You can wear with leggings, bare legged when or where it is warmer (it is not in Minnesota right now so I will wear mine with tights or leggings and boots.  The jeans were too low cut for my liking and the legs ended in too large of a bell for my taste but Silver, how could I not use them for something I will wear quite a lot.

You can make this skirt any length you want but I did a hi low (slightly), tattered the bottom and front, and put inset in front for posterity but you could easily leave out the insert if you are more daring.  The pictures show how your rear end looks great hugged by the rushing detail. Takes a little time but worth it.

Sexy upcycled denim skirt:

Rear view

Front view

Here we go!!

Lay jeans out on table and smooth out.  Cut along entire inseam, through crotch leaving about 1/4 inch to fray.  You are looking at the leg to the right front side.



This is what it should look like when done.

Now cut up back inseam leaving just a little denim.

My cat Star decided she wanted to be part of the fun.  Start pinning from the bottom, overlapping the material from back easing it as you go up.  You may need to re-position pins as you want it to lay fairly flat going up.

As you move up overlap where you cut the seam in the rear.  Really does not matter which side you cut.

Almost there keep pinning!

Should look like this when done.

Now you need to decide the length.  If you want exaggerated hi lo you have to exaggerate because you are going to take up the rear in ruching which will affect the length.  Now cut from split across to the leg seam.

Now cut other side of back to the seam.

Now go flip to the front and cut from your line through seam and curve upward to the end and through front on each side.

Should look like this.



Now cut along the seam (leave a little room) just below the zipper and pin the same way you did the back overlapping so it is flat.

Now try on and remember we are doing major work on rear end.  You are just making sure it fits the way you want it to and that things can be sewn flat.


Now sew the back first sewing a straight seam just inside the edge. Sew down so you can flatten as you go.  When at the end leave needle in and work stitch along the cut with a zig zag so it stays flat.  I remove pins as I go and put in pin cushion to my right-good habit and less work.



Zig Zag back up so it lays flat.

Now fray the ends by pulling toward the seam that will fray with your fingers.  You can trim if you need to but I did not do much trimming around the bottom of the skirt.




Now fray the inside front of slit in skirt.  You will have to pull threads towards where they come from to fray (usually to the bottom on one side and the top on another). Work all threads to the seam as much as you can.





I trimmed these strings and it looked like this.





Now you are going to start at top and pin tucks that we will sew down.  There are a lot of pins and you have to remove them as you go.  We will sew zig zag stitch close to the fold of material and then leaving needle in and switching to zig zag stitch we will go along the edge of material or just inside the material underneath.  You can feel it as you sew your wayback.  This leaves the ruching flat and hugs the rear end.  You decide how many to do but make sure you have a fold under pockets so it will hug rear.  In pic I sewed the top of fold and am on my way back with the bottom.  Note:  When you go over seam, go back and forth a few times to secure thread and wear and you may need to adjust the foot so it goes up over center seam.  This is when it is important that you have a heavy needle or denim needle-or your thread may keep breaking (or the needle-oh no).


Pull the thread from to thread and cut close to the fabric-you don't want to keep taking project out of machine we are using quilting technique of continued stitch underneath.  Then re-position your next ruche and repeat until all are done.  I looked about where I started when finishing each one.


You can really see my stitches here, almost done!


Now turn over and cut the connected bobbin threads.





Cut the bottom of one of your legs where it is worn to your liking and pin inside your slit (if you wish) and make sure it is laying flat.  Place it however hi or low you feel comfortable wearing a skirt slit.





When cutting insert-cut more than you need up to crotch area.




Now pin inside and make sure you pin all of it or you may sew over something you don't want to.




Now sew with straight stitch along seam on inside then sew across bottom to the outer seam and sew your way back.  Double seaming will assure it lays flat.



Sewing back around.



Remove all pins and turn inside out.  Front should look like this.



Now cut as close as you can without cutting through stitch and trim all excess material.




Congrats!  Now wash and dry it a couple times to get the fraying and for the garment to adjust to its new state.  This skirt can be done many ways.  I will post the "Mermaid" version with side ruching/lacing and inserted ruffles tomorrow.  Please comment and enjoy!  I did not get to no sew shrug.  Will be up later tonight or tomorrow morning! Take care<3