TARTAN MIDI {TUTORIAL}

Jacket: Choies c/o  Top: Style Lately c/o (similar), Skirt: me, tutorial below (fabric found here / similar skirt), Shoes: Seychelles (similar), Watch: Michael Kors, Wrist: INPINK c/o, Glasses: Steve Madden

Tartan is one of my favorite prints this season.  I feel like it is a sophisticated way to incorporate Christmas colors into your wardrobe.  When I found this gorgeous fabric at Michael Levine I had to have it.  I wasn't quite sure what it would become, but the print was too perfect to pass up.  I decided that a high-waisted midi pencil skirt would be perfect for the holiday season.  But this fabric would work great on a button up collard shirt, or even a cute small detail on a sleeve.  I am going to use the little extra that I had to make a pocket square for Garrett.

Click through for the full skirt tutorial...

Materials:

• 1 1/2 yards of fabric with no stretch (I used this fabric- fantastic cotton quality)
• 7-9" zipper (I used a thick gold metal zipper like this one)
• Matching thread
• Pencil skirt for pattern
• Pattern Paper (optional)

•  1: Using an existing pencil skirt that fits you well, create a pattern by tracing each section of the skirt onto your pattern paper, and use a 1/2" s.a. when tracing.  Be careful to note any darts along the back.  Make sure to use a skirt with little or no stretch in the fabric to match with the fabric you will be using.  Make the length of the skirt longer to hit at your mid-calf.  Mine measured 29" long (including a 2 1/2" hem and 1/2' s.a. at the top).  Cut out your pieces (cut two of each of the waistband pieces)

• 2: Stitch the front and two back sections of your waistband together (rt sides together) with a 1/4" s.a

•  3:  Stitch up the darts.  Press the extra fabric toward the sides.

•  4:  Serge the sides and bottom of your skirt pieces.  With rt sides together, stitch the back skirt sections to either side of your front skirt section with a 1/2" s.a.  Press seams open.

•  5:  With rt sides together and fully opened, sew the back waistband sections to either side of the front waistband.  Fold over enclosing the raw seams and press.

•  6:  Attach your waistband to your skirt.  Open your pressed waistband and pin one side onto the skirt rt sides together with 1/2" s.a.  Iron the remaining raw edge of your waistband under 1/2", fold over encasing all the raw edges (this should be on the inside of your skirt) and carefully stitch in the ditch right on top of the stitch you just made to attach your waistband to the skirt.  Stop sewing when you get about 2" away from either side of the back center edge. 

•  7:  Attach your zipper.  I chose an exposed zipper for this look.  It was very easy to insert because I wanted the look of some of the white fabric on the zipper showing.  Fold over the section of the waistband that you left open earlier, and hand stitch closed, encasing the extra top zipper part.

•  8:  Continue stitching down the back center seam starting from the bottom of the zipper.  Stop stitching about 7" from the bottom of the skirt.  

•  9:  Fold the remaining 7" of the bottom back center under about 1/2" and stitch in place to create a slit.

• 10: Hem your skirt using a blind hem or straight stitch using a 2 1/2" wide hem.