Twirl Your Way Through Spring With This DIY Lamé Skirt
At the beginning of our shoot, Kurt, our photographer, bluntly asked me, “What is a LAME skirt?” The accent over the “e” in lamé (pronounced la-may) was left off our shoot’s calendar invite, so instead of using metallic fabric to make a twirly skirt, Kurt thought I was straight-up going to make something terrible. Don’t worry — Kurt and I are on good terms. We had a good laugh, and besides, I didn’t think Kurt would automatically know what lamé fabric was anyway.
A lamé skirt is definitely something you should have in your closet. It’s that piece you put on when you want to turn heads, yet still feel comfortable and twirly. Today, we’re showing you how to make your own. :)
Materials and Tools:
- tape measurer
- 3 yards lamé fabric
- 1 inch elastic
- sewing machine
- pins
- scissors
Instructions:
1. Draft your pattern by first determining how long you want your skirt to be. Measure from your waist to how far you want the skirt to go. I’m measuring my skirt’s length to 30 inches.
2. Measure your waist, subtracting one inch, then dividing that number by six. For instance, if your waist is 25 inches, you will subtract one, equalling 24. 24 divided by 6 is 4.
3. Draw the pattern on the fabric four times and cut out. Be sure to cut an inch around your lines to account for hemming.
4. Take two pieces of fabric and sew them together along one of their sides, right sides in.
5. Sew the other two long ends of the fabric together, along the sides, right sides in. Sew the two pieces together.
6. Hem the bottom of the skirt.
7. Fold the top of the skirt down 1 ½ inch. Pin and sew, leaving a hole for the elastic to go in.
8. Measure a piece of elastic to the size of your waist. Use a safety pin to feed the elastic through the hole at the top of the skirt.
9. Sew the ends of the elastic together. Sew the hole closed. You’re done!
Draft your pattern by first determining how long you want your skirt to be, measuring from your waist. I’m measuring my skirt length to 30 inches. Measure your waist, subtracting one inch, then dividing that number by six. For instance, if your waist is 25 inches, you will subtract one, equalling 24. 24 divided by 6 is 4. If it helps, draw out a diagram of the skirt on a piece of paper, like this one above.
Draw the pattern on the fabric four times and cut out. Be sure to cut an inch around your lines to account for hemming. Take two pieces of fabric and sew them together along one of their sides, right sides in. Sew the other two long ends of the fabric together, along the sides, right sides in. Sew the two pieces together.
Hem the bottom of the skirt. This fabric frays really easily, so if you want to ensure zero fraying, hem the bottom by folding down the fabric twice and then sewing.
Fold the top of the skirt down 1 ½ inches. Pin and sew, leaving a hole for the elastic to go in. Measure a piece of elastic to the size of your waist. Use a safety pin to feed the elastic through the hole at the top of the skirt. Sew the ends of the elastic together. Sew the hole closed. You’re done!
Time to frolic!
You HAVE to shimmy when you wear lamé.
Fellow DIYer, Kelly, is a legit ballerina, but I think everyone is a ballerina in a lamé skirt.
Twirl, twirl, twirl.
Show us your latest DIY project by tagging us on Instagram + using hashtag #iamcreative!
DIY Production and Styling: Irene Lee
Model: Kelly Bryden
Photography: Kurt Andre
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