Getting started

Step 1: Decide how long you want your skirt to be, and cut off the legs at the right point. If

you want to hem your skirt, be sure to leave extra fabric. But you also have to be use the left

over leg pieces are long enough to be the panels in your skirt.

Step 1: Measuring up from the hem of

the pants will help you get a more even

cut.

Step 2: Cut out the inner leg seam. Turn the pants inside out and just cut along the seam

line. (Since there is too much fabric here anyways, don't waste time and effort ripping this

seam)

Step 3: Now use your seam ripper to rip out the side seams as far as you want

your side panel to go. I ripped the side seams on this skirt to half way up the

pockets. On jeans these are usually flat-felled seams or seams with many

stitching, so the easier way is just to start to pull the fabric apart and rip any

threads that get in your way.

The Back: Step 4: Now bring the sides of the skirt together and lay on a good working surface (can

be a clean floor).

Step 5: Cut off the excess fabric on a line a few inches below the yoke (see the next

picture) to the raw edge. This line is shown in red.

Step 6: Now lay the skirt down with the back to the front.

The cut should come just an inch or two below the yoke.

Step 7: Rip the seam from the cut to the yoke.

Step 8: Press the raw edges under from the hem up to the yoke..

Pressing the seam allowance under at the yoke. Repeat for the other side.

When the seams get to the yoke, they will overlap by one seam allowance worth

(about 1/2"). Turn the skirt as shown and press at the yoke.

Step 9: Cut the legs apart at the seams. Again, you don't need the

seam allowances so there is no need to use the seam ripper -- just cut them apart.

Step 10: Lay the skirt out on a good working surface and lay one leg panel over the back.

Tuck the leg panel under and pin the pressed seam allowance to the panel. Make sure the

panel is even and that you're not introducing any waves or puckers. To prevent pinning

other layers of fabric, it may help to place a piece of cardboard in the middle of the skirt.

Step 11: Topstitch the panel in place along the pinning. Do one row of

edgestitching and then topstitch 1/4" away from that so the stitching blends with

the style of the jeans. Be careful when you're stitching not to catch the edges of

the leg panel. It can help if you pin the corner of the leg panel in place as well.

Be sure to backstitch at the yoke point.

Step 12: Turn the skirt inside out.

Trim away the extra fabric 1/8" to 1/4" from the last row of stitching.

The Front

Step 13: Lay the skirt with the sides together.

Cut the excess fabric out by cutting on a line from 2" below the zipper to the

hem.

Step 14: Make a 1/2" cut along the seam on the bottom layer of fabric (if

the pants don't have a flat-felled seam, rip the seam up 1/2")

Step 15: Press the seam allowance in for both sides. (note: at this point I

spilled distilled water filling up my iron, so you will notice a wet splotch in all

the subsequent pictures)

Step 16: Lay the skirt down on the working surface as shown.

Give the seam a slight twist and tug so the two edges overlap by 1/2". This will

give the seam a slight curve to it.

Step 17: Lay another leg panel underneath and pin in place.

Step 18: Sew up the "underlap" side first, so those stitching ends are hidden under

the seam allowance of the other edge.

Step 19: Sew up the other edge. When you get to the seam, pivot with the needle

and then stitch over the existing seam. See the next picture for details.

Detail of the front stitching.

The Side

Step 20: Lay the skirt down with sides together and lay a leg panel underneath one

side. One side should have the seam allowance tucked under (the back), and the other

side will have the seam allowance straight out. If this isn't hte case, take your iron

and make it so.

Step 21: Take a washable fabric marker or pencil and trace the edge of the front

seam allowance. The piece is pulled out here to show you the markings. Now,

this line is the final seam. So cut 1/2" away from this line to you have a seam

allowance (the red line shows the approx. cut line).

Step 22: Line up the panel with the seam allowance of the skirt and stitch along

the stitching line up to as far as you ripped out the stitching.

Step 23: Press the panel back over the stitching line and the seam allowances and

edgestitch and topstitch so it matches the other seams.

Trim off the excess panel at the top.

Step 24: Place the other side over the panel and pin in place.

Step 25: Edgestitch and topstitch in place.

Be sure to anchor the stitches at the top where the two seams overlap.

Step 26: Turn inside out and trim off the excess panel fabric.

Repeat steps 20-26 for the other side of the skirt.

Finishing Step 27: Hem your skirt, or leave it frayed. If you do leave the skirt frayed, do a

simple bar tack across the ends of the seams to they don't start to unravel, too.

The Two-Panel Method

This skirt can easily be made with only the front and back panels.Just omit

step 3 and proceed with the rest of the front and back directions. I prefer the

four-panel method because it gives the skirt more of an A-line, particular if

your jeans have a very shaped thigh or seat. However if the pants have a

loose thigh, or you want less of an A-line, the 2-panel method works fine.