Last week Karen inspired me to stop thinking about making the girls some ruffly skirts and just get sewing.

Armed with a copy of Ottobre, some denim and a stash full of colourful quilting cottons, I made each of the girls an elastic waist ruffly skirt trimmed in bias binding. The Ottobre pattern started at Clare’s size, so I winged the measurements for Stella’s skirt by just cutting each layer a little shorter. The top layer is possibly a bit too short on Stella’s skirt – almost more like a peplum! The bias binding was made using one of Anna Maria Horner’s Bohemian fabrics.

Clare’s skirt became three layers rather than two. She chose a striped fabric for the bias binding, and I used the leftovers to make a little bow.

This is such an easy pattern. A rectangle for the waistband/yoke, about five inches larger than the hip measurement, with an elasticised casing in the top. Then another two (or three) rectangles all cut across the width of the fabric (or less, depending on the width of your fabric and the size of the child you’re making it for) that vary in depth. Starting with the shortest layer, bind one edge, gather the other, then sew it to the yoke. Repeat with the next layer. Done!

Clare’s only complaint? That the skirt is too long – she wanted something just above the knee. So I have another one cut out in corduroy ready to go.