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May
10
Who doesn’t love a little Mini-Boden?? Any heart palpatations when you receive that little catalog in the mail??
For Heidi’s spring “Knock It Off” series over at Elegance and Elephants, we opted to take a mini-Boden design {the “Embellished Summer Skirt”}, and knock it off for a fraction of the price.
Ready?? On your marks, get set. . .let’s knock it off!
Materials you will need:
Finished skirt length + 1.5″ main fabric (for instance if your finished skirt length is 16.5″, you will need 18″ of fabric or 1/2 yard) *And by all means if you want to LITERALLY knock it off, choose colors similar to mini-Bodens and knock yourself out!
1/2 yard of contrasting fabric for flower design
1 package of bias tape (we used extra wide double bias strips)
3/4″ elastic (length should be the child’s waist measurement minus 1″)
Matching thread
Stiff bristle hairbrush
1) Cut skirt fabric, 1.5″ longer than the finished length (the additional length will be used for the waistband). The width of the skirt will go selvage to selvage.
2) Use the floral design (found here). Be sure to print it at 100%, and tape the tiled pages together. The embroidery design is a standard 44″ long and may be used on a woman’s skirt for that matter!
3) There are several options how the design may be used: embroidery, paint, ribbon/cording, or bias strips like we chose to do. You might consider using a light colored fabric for ease of transferring the design. If you choose a darker fabric, it will be necessary to cut out the design, then trace around the outside edges {as seen in the photo below}.**The idea of using the bias strips originated at Riley Blake {with a few modifications}.
5) To make the strips, fold the fabric on the bias {diagonally}. Pin in place. Start about 1/2″ from the fold and sew a straight line, parallel to the fold. The second line needs to be sewn 1/4″ away from the first line. Continue on, sewing parallel lines every 1/4″. Press.
6) Next, cut between all stitching lines (1/8″ on either side). We went the slow, tried and true way – good ‘ole scissors, but if you are comfortable operating a rotary cutter, by all means go for it!
7) Initially, I pinned the bias strips down to the traced line, but found that even though I am very extremely addicted to pins, it was easier to manipulate the fabric and sew as I went without pinning (place the stitched line of the bias directly on top of the traced line and sew) . Backstitch at the beginning and the end of each strip.
8) As one bias strip ends, overlap the ends about 1/4 of an inch and proceed until the entire design is covered.
9) After the floral design is attached, use a stiff bristle hairbrush to scrub the thin bias strip design until it frays.
10) Next, for the bottom edge of the skirt, open up the double folded bias strip, stitch right sides, raw edges together.
11) Stitch skirt back seam with the bias tape completely unfolded. Press seam open.
12) Fold the bias tape to cover the raw edge at the bottom of the skirt, as well as the seam allowance, and topstitch to finish the bottom edge of the skirt.
13) Finally, for the waistband casing, press 1/2″ to the wrong side of the skirt. Then, fold an additional 1″ to the wrong side of the skirt. This will form your casing. At this time, feel free to add a label or piece of ribbon so that the skirt back is easy to identify. Stitch the bottom edge of the casing, leaving about 2″ open for inserting elastic. Next, stitch close to the top edge of the band to keep the elastic from curling.
14) Insert your elastic, using safety pins to feed it through the casing. Overlap your elastic about an inch, and stitch a rectangle to secure the ends to one another. Release elastic back into the casing, and then stitch the remaining 2 inches of the casing closed.
15) Congratulations!!! You have just ‘knocked it off’ for a fraction of the price!
And, as a special treat to the Elegance and Elephants readers, as well as our own. . .a freebie! Simply click here for your very own floral template and this tutorial formatted for printing. Think of it as our gift to you!
19 Comments
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Your skirt is even more adorable than the original! I love the frayed edges and the loud color contrast. It’s perfect for summer!
You ladies have been working hard! I love the skirt. And it’s much more interesting with the bias tape than the original. Better texture. And that tutorial file is awesome. Great work!
Love the result! I was just looking at the same skirt in their catalog! Thanks for the template. I think I actually like your version better.
Love it, thanks!
Thanks you guys!! You ROCK my sewing world! This is AWESOME & I can only pray I do it justice! kweenbee_612@yahoo.com
Thanks for the tutorial and template
Awesome skirt! Love the color, love the template and your niece is took cute!
Adorable! You’re so clever, one I will be able to do this
Thank you for sharing xx
Oh wow ladies – what an impressive piece of work you have done here! Well done…and the result is adorable!!
Too cute! Thanks for the template!
I love Mini Boden so much. You ladies ACED it! Thanks so much for sharing the template. I am definitely adding this to my “gotta make soon” list!
perfect knock off. seriously, spot on. super, super cute.
Glad you all liked it…..our niece thought she was ‘something else’ after putting it on!! Wow, at the moves.
Oh very clever
Gorgeous skirt 
Thank you for sharing 
This is a very cool idea. I have seen it before for quilts and pillows but I have never thought about applying it to a skirt. I love how you used the template to map it all out. This is on my pin to inspire list.
Thanks,
Scary
I love the colors! And your little girl is adorable…
Oh I LOVE IT!!!! So cute oh so is the skirt I was looking at your adorable niece she is so sweet!!!! Thanks for sharing and the tutorial is once again great!!!!
I used the flower template to make a sundress instead of a skirt. Thanks for the floral design template. http://xoxograndma.blogspot.com/2014/05/floral-sundress-toddler-size.html
I like yours better!
I am so wanting to try this!! 