Sew a Skirt & Top with Zero Waste | Style Revive Season 3, Episode 2
|Sponsored| Zero waste patterns use up an entire piece of fabric with no scraps left behind. Every studio has a scrap bin, but what if you could reduce your fabric waste by sewing more styles that utilize your entire yardage? If you have been saving a precious piece of fabric, why not cut it in a way that uses it all, so you can end up with a lovely garment that doesn’t add to the garbage bin. In this episode, I walk you through making a pleated skirt from just 1 yard of deadstock fabric and then go over some ideas for zero waste sewing.
Watch below to see how I both measured and stitched together a pleated skirt from just 1 yard of fabric! It’s easy to simply just cut a rectangle and gathering it into a skirt—so I decided to retrofit a side panel that pleats to create fullness. The waistline is finished with either a waistband or bias binding and is closed by an invisible zipper.
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About the Patterns: No-Waste Skirt + Top
Click the links below to download the corresponding diagrams for the pleated skirt and off-the-shoulder top:
Download the 1 yard skirt cutting diagrams
Download the 1 yard top cutting diagrams
Use the patterns above to sew your own zero waste garments from precious fabric where you want to use every scrap!
Sewing the Zero Waste Skirt
Here are two different version of my skirt:
The one on the left was sewn in a gorgeous deadstock fabric from FABSCRAP. It was so much fun to virtually explore the warehouse and see which fabrics I could choose from. The large print ended up working so well in this skirt, and since the fabric was 44” wide it ended up being an above the knee skirt which suited the fabric. Love my new summer skirt!
This zero waste skirt also stiches up nicely in solid fabrics. Here is a green linen version that ended up being midi length since the width was 56”. The wider the fabric, the more long and gathered it will be, but it will still use up every little bit of the piece of the 1 yard.
For drawing the lines out on the skirt, I used fabric chalk, a measuring tape, and a L-square ruler. The solid version of my skirt I didn’t want to attach a waistband to, so I used complimentary bias binding to hold the gathers in and finish the waistline edge.
For solid fabrics in this design, you can accentuate the panel seams by adding decorative stitching! I selected a fun circle stitch in a lighter green thread to add extra decoration to the skirt. I never seem to use decorative stitches enough in garment sewing.
Sewing the Zero Waste Top
Off-the-shoulder tops are one of my favorite styles to wear in the warm weather, and this project in particular is great for not wasting any of my Organic Cotton Woven Panel in a marvelous map print from Mary Tilton.
Zero waste patterns are so perfect to sew with panel prints, and I love working with them too. This one drew my eye because of the muted blue, taupe, and turquoise colors along with the crisp drape. Also, I think because I haven’t travelled in so long, looking at a map was inspiring.
All I had was 1 yard, and I used every inch to make this adaptable off-the-shoulder top fitted with elastic along the top.
Sewing the Garment Body
Print the cutting diagram and cut out pieces as needed.
Along the top edge of the side panel pieces, finish the edge and press 4” towards the wrong side. For a larger armhole opening press 5-6”.
These are my side panel pieces from the wrong side.
Align the bottom edges of the side pieces with the front hemline. Pin.
Stitch starting at the top fold line at ½”.
Finish the allowances together and press towards the front piece and topstitch. Repeat to stitch the other side panel edges to the back piece.
Stitch a basting stitch at 3/8” along the top edge of both the back and front pieces.
Sewing and Attaching the Ruffle
Now it’s time for the ruffle!
Finish the short edges of the ruffle piece separately and stitch right sides together.
Press allowances open.
The seam on the ruffle is the center back, and half the ruffle piece to mark the center front.
On either side of the CF and CB ruffle notches, mark 7½”.
Match the front top center to the ruffle center wrong to right side as pictured.
Gather the top to match the 7½” marking on the ruffle. Repeat for other half of the front top.
Along the back ruffle mark those same 7½” on either side of the center back.
Match the centers of the back top to the ruffle and gather in edges to match notches. Remember to pin the wrong side of the top to the right side of the ruffle.
Stitch the gathered top to the ruffle at ½”.
Stitch both the fronts and the back along the top.
Finishing Instructions
Wrap the elastic around your shoulders until a desired tightness and stitch ends closed.
The seam is the center back zipper and the halfway point is the center front.
Match the elastic centers to the top and pin to the wrong side of the ruffle piece.
Serge or stitch the elastic around the top of the ruffle stretching the elastic to match the circumference.
Flip the ruffle to the right side over the seam.
Finish both the ruffle and top hem then press up 1” to the wrong side.
Topstitch hems.
Finished Garment: Zero Waste Top
Finished! Such a fun an easy-to-wear garment, and with no scraps left over!
Stitching the ruffles wrong side to right side with the elastic finishes the top edge with a seam so you don’t need to topstitch, and the elastic makes it fit nicely around the shoulders without falling down.
I love all the fullness that this top gives with all the gathers and elastic—perfect for a breezy summer day to keep cool.
You can belt this top for a cinched in look as well. Have more than 1 yard of fabric? With 1½-2 yards you could easily turn this into a zero waste dress pattern. That’s definitely on my list.
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Happy Sewing!
Meg
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