Sometimes it happens that you have an old skirt left in your wardrobe, but you feel sorry to throw it away. There is no need to rush with this, since with the right approach you can sew a rather original thing. This article tells you how to sew shorts from a skirt with your own hands and what you need for this.
What types of skirts and shorts are there?
Women's clothing is becoming more stylish and diverse every year. It is not for nothing that the short skirt has been so popular among the fair sex for several decades. This item is quite practical to wear, but at the same time it adds lightness and tenderness. Therefore, it is suitable for different ages. However, you must have beautiful legs. The short skirt can have many styles, from bright to ordinary. Short and long, tight and light, with decoration, with flounces, with a wrap. Denim models with a large belt are often used in everyday style.
Small folds on the sides make the hips look neater. You can complement the product with a light top or shirt. Almost any shoes will suit the skirt, but it is desirable that there is a small heel. In the summer, a product made of light and airy fabrics will look beautiful. Open shoes with a small heel, a small clutch, a satchel bag will perfectly match the style.
Style according to body type
Attention! When choosing a skirt-shorts, you need to be careful. Because the wrong model can highlight all the flaws of the figure.
Below is a description of how to choose a product according to your body type.
For a woman
High-waisted items – this style is suitable for both full figures and thin builds. It is only important to choose the right length of the item.
In the summer of 2019, girls preferred both very short shorts and knee-length styles. If girls have large hips and buttocks, it is advisable to buy a skirt-shorts just above the knee. A skirt-shorts will emphasize the waist and remove the excess belly, thereby correcting the figure. Shorter options are best purchased by girls with round buttocks and thin legs. Sneakers or trainers can be a good addition to them.
If girls don't have buttocks or hips, you can use a little life hack. You need to buy shorts that have large and voluminous pockets, this will visually enlarge the buttocks. To emphasize the waist, an elastic band is sometimes used in the waist area.
Plus size girls should not take risks and wear miniskirts, as this will emphasize the volume of the hips and legs and will also restrict movement.
Please note! There is a golden rule: for full girls to wear only loose clothes, and for thin girls, tight clothes are recommended.
Women over 40 are advised to choose skirts that are just above the knee, as a mini will be completely out of place.
For a girl
For girls, this type of product is perfect for wearing to school. Shorts-skirts are not only comfortable to wear, but also look like a classic style. In such clothes, you can safely run around during breaks at school and not be afraid that the skirt will ride up. For work, it is better to use thick materials and add an extra flare. For little girls from 3 to 6 years old, a small skirt-shorts with a wrap or a small flare will look beautiful.
It is important that the child feels comfortable in clothes; at such a young age, it is unacceptable for things to restrict movement. You should also pay attention to the fabric. It is advisable to take natural materials for children so that they do not cause redness or itching. These include cotton, wool or chintz. Making children's clothing requires more careful preparation - from the correct choice of pattern to materials.
Materials and tools
In order for a thing to turn out beautiful and be sewn well, you need to have a certain set of tools at hand.
What tools are needed to start sewing:
- material (fabric);
- pencil and soap;
- measuring tape;
- needles and pins;
- threads to match the fabric;
- thimble (to make sewing safer);
- textile roller;
- buttons or zippers;
- pattern;
- sewing machine and overlock.
If there is no ready-made pattern for a skirt-shorts, then the template can be copied from ordinary old products. You can also use a sketch of trousers, but first shorten it to the required size.
Attention! For a basic pattern, you can use shorts. They need to be carefully laid out on thin paper, traced along the lines with chalk, cut out and used as a pattern.
If you are planning to sew a thing for winter, then a thick fabric, such as wool or drape, will be perfect. But in this case, you won’t be able to make the thing manually; you need a machine that can pierce the fabric. For summer seasons, some sew short styles and add a long train made of fleece or tulle. It looks really gentle and feminine. But it only goes with heels.
Ready-made patterns
This type of culottes is distinguished by its uniqueness and comfort, in the process of work it is necessary to include all the imagination. Such products are also called transformers. Ready-made patterns can be found on the Internet.
Progress of work:
- First, you need to create a pattern.
- Carefully turn both parts (front and back) so that they are right sides facing each other.
- Make lines on the sides to the center of the elements.
- Make two parts that are needed for the smell, then rearrange their location.
- Next, you need to make a whole canvas. In total, two of them are cut out.
- Sew the pieces along the buttock line.
- Then you need to make a belt and ties for the culottes.
Skirt-shorts based on a basic pattern
The easiest way to give shorts a new look is to make their legs more voluminous, like a skirt. To do this, make cuts on the sketch, increasing the size of each element. Darts can be reduced if desired.
Step-by-step work:
- Draw a straight line on the front and back side of the pattern.
- Cut along the marked points, spread apart by 3 cm.
- The design is transferred onto the fabric, you must not forget about the 2 cm allowance.
- Cut out and sew all the elements.
- Make a hem and finish the edges of the product.
- If desired, make a wide belt.
The basic pattern can be taken from shorts or old trousers, they are almost the same, only the trousers need to be shortened, so it will take a little more time.
What to wear with
Wrap skirts are the most popular models. They visually reduce the hips and suit all types of figures. For the top, it is advisable to choose tops tucked in or short T-shirts. Additionally, the image can be decorated with stones or beads.
Asymmetrical styles are the best option for a spectacular style. It is advisable to choose the most ordinary top and accessories so that the image does not seem bulky.
Wide short skirts made of lightweight materials are almost indistinguishable from a classic skirt. This model is quite feminine and delicate. You can complete the style by adding a short top with a print. You can't overdo it with the choice of jewelry, a simple bracelet or earrings will suffice.
The wrap-around skirt-shorts style is suitable for teenagers and young girls who like uniqueness in their wardrobe. Comfortable, stylish and very practical clothes. For sportswomen, the style made of knitwear, bright colors, is suitable to combine with sneakers or trainers.
For a date or a festive reception, it is advisable to choose elegant styles with decorative parts - in the form of buttons or zippers. Such items look great with high heels. If desired, you can use a small clutch. A blouse or a light shirt will do as a top, you can choose blouses with frills or a high neck. It is important that the top of the clothes does not distract all the attention, since the emphasis is on the skirt.
How to choose
Among the huge number of models, it is very difficult to choose the right one. A tastefully chosen product can emphasize all the advantages of the figure. It is important to pay attention to the features of the body, height and the place where the girl is going.
If girls have long and slender legs, then, of course, they can wear short skirts and shorts.
If the hips are quite voluminous, it is better to use knee-length skirts. Some girls, on the contrary, want to hide their legs, so it is advisable for them to use models below the knee and with folds. It happens that the buttocks are large, and the legs are thin and slender, in this case you do not need to take very flared items, so that the shapes do not seem even larger. Shorts just above the knee and tight are perfect.
DIY Shorts from a Skirt
A short skirt differs from traditional shorts in that the legs are not narrow at the bottom, but have a flare. The material that is cut off when sewing a classic straight skirt is left without adjustment in this case. Therefore, you can get flared shorts, straight or "sun". Below is a description of how to make shorts from a skirt with your own hands without a pattern quickly:
- cut the belt and two parts of the skirt along the side seams;
- fold the front side of the product with the outer part inward in the center, attach the sketch;
- trace around the pattern, make a section with 2 cm allowances;
- cut out the template and stitch the edges;
- treat the back of the skirt in the same way;
- try on the shorts-skirt and stitch it on the machine.
Attention! A short skirt is easier to make than a traditional model. It is not necessary to make a pattern.
After work, you can decorate the product if you wish. This can be a braid, satin ribbon or lace. Teenage girls will appreciate various brooches or patches. For an office style, the main thing is not to overdo it with decoration, so that the thing does not seem pretentious.
The product will look beautiful on a yoke. The element of flying flared fabric gives the skirt more tenderness. It can be cut and sewn to the shorts. You can also cut out halves of the skirt and add them to the shorts.
So:
- As with any work, you first need to make a pattern;
- define the marks for the half-sun skirt on the sketch;
- measure a few centimeters from the waistline (the height of the yoke plays a role here);
- move the lightning to the right side;
- cut the fabric according to the pattern;
- add shorts details on the sides if the sketch of a half-sun skirt is used as a base.
Some skirts have overlays. Manufacturing process:
- First, a template is built. To make this faster, you can simply trace old shorts;
- mark an additional line approximately 5 cm from the center;
- at the hip mark, mark 10 cm in width (taking into account additional elements);
- from the central seam you need to add 2-3 cm for allowances on the material;
- make smooth curved lines on the back and front parts (should be in the form of a semicircle);
- cut out 3 elements (after transferring the main pattern onto paper);
- make a braid from the leftover fabric (about 3 x 4);
- sew the ribbons at a 45 degree angle;
- Fold the material in half with the right sides together and sew. You can use a straight stitch or a zigzag stitch.
After work, you need to remember the rules for caring for things sewn by yourself. If the entire process of work was done manually, then when washing, it is desirable that the water temperature does not exceed 60 degrees, and only liquid powders are used (due to aggressive agents, the threads may begin to fade and will stick out in different directions). When ironing, you also cannot get carried away, the permissible iron temperature is 100 degrees.
If the seams were processed on an overlock, then more aggressive washing and machine drying are allowed.
In conclusion, it should be noted that the short skirt has not gone out of fashion for several decades. Its advantage is that it is comfortable, but at the same time it is very stylish. You can wear it to work, to school or just in everyday life. Some models can be sewn even without using a pattern. Therefore, even a novice needlewoman can cope with the task.
