Happy Homemaker and Momma: Jumper to Skirt Tutorial

This took me quite awhile to get this done and together but here is my first Tutorial on how to transform a Jumper into a Skirt. I hope you all enjoy and the directions are very clear:

Items that you will need:

Scissors

Pinking Shears

Pins

Thread

Correct Size Machine Needle for the material you are using

3/4 inch Elastic

Bodkins

Yard Stick

Sewing Gauge

Safety Pin

Seam Ripper(in case of mistakes-hopefully there will be none:)

Items that are nice to have:

Self Healing Mat

Measuring Mat

1 Pair of Small Scissors(just for the little threads)

Rotary Cutter

First off you need to cut off the top of the jumper as evenly as you can. So that your jumper now looks like this:

Your going to take and fold the top edge of the skirt about 1/2 an inch and pin it-be sure to measure it with your sewing gauge, eyeballing or a guesstimate can throw off the measurements at the end. You can space each pin out about 2-4inches wide. After you are finished pinning the whole way around,it should look like the 3rd picture:

Then you are going to take what you just pinned and fold it over itself another 1inch-like shown in the picture. Be sure to use your sewing gauge again to measure 1inch for the fold-this is going to make your waist band. Take a pin and pin the first fold, using the pins that you already have in the garment to pin the whole way around 1inch-DON'T FORGET TO TAKE OUT THOSE PINS INSIDE THE FOLD!!!!THEY WILL HURT IF YOU FORGET THEM:{

When you reach the back part of the "skirt" mark it with two pins about 4 inches wide. This allows you a space in which to put your elastic through as well as a reminder to not sew up the whole waist band just yet:) Make sure you have the correct size needle for your material and do REMEMBER....TO NOT SEW UP THE WHOLE WAIST BAND!:) If you did-take out the handy dandy seam ripper and go to town ripping out the seams:)

BE SURE TO PULL OUT ALL OF YOUR PINS:)

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Next take 3/4 inch elastic and wrap it around your waist until it crosses then pull it just a little(maybe 1-2inches) to be sure that it fits after you get it through your waist band-somehow it seems to stretch a little when you do this-so this is to ensure that it will be the correct size-if it isn't and it is still too big you can fix it before you finish your waist band-anyways cut the elastic. Cut the tip of the elastic in a dome shape so that it doesn't catch in the rolled hem while you are pulling it through.

Place the elastic in between the "tweezers" and then slide down the clamp piece to hold it in place. Next take one end of your elastic and pin it to the skirt by the opening to be sure it doesn't come through when your pulling your elastic through the waist band. Put the bodkin through the opening in your waist band and then scrunch and pull as you go along pulling the elastic through the waist band.

BE SURE THAT THE ELASTIC NEVER EVER TWISTS IN THE BAND-THIS CAN MAKE THE SKIRT ANNOYING AND YOU WILL HAVE TO "RE-STRING" THE ELASTIC AGAIN UNTIL IT IS THROUGH THE BAND PERFECTLY.

Then you should see this(picture below) when you get through the whole band. Unpin the one starter side and be sure to match them correctly so that there are still no twisting in the elastic.

Pin them like so with the ends together and then run a zigzag stitch through the middle. Next pin it under the band and try it on to be sure it fits to your liking-if it is perfect than zigzag the two ends also like the picture below--if not then seam rip the zigzag stitch and pull it together tighter-until you got your perfect match.