Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Oh how I love turning clothes I no longer wear into something new. I made a DIY wrap skirt by upcycling old linen pants!
It’s adjustable around the waist in two ways, so I can always get it to fit. This is one of my favorite pieces in my closet right now.
I’ll tell you about the pattern I used, the materials, my process, and share photos. You might get some ideas to make your own.
McCall’s M7960 Skirt Pattern
I’ve had McCall’s M7960 easy wrap skirt pattern for a while. It’s a level one in their Learn to Sew collection.
So it’s easy and perfect for advanced beginners. It’s a basic wrap skirt with knee or midi length variations.
You’ll learn to sew a patch pocket and/or side seam pocket. Other variations have gathers and tie ends.
Think of all the different skirts you can make from one basic pattern!
Materials
Here’s everything I used for this project. The pants I upcycled were already in my closet!
Fabric
I bought this rust color linen-rayon blend fabric from Joann during a big sale. It’s a bottom-weight fabric that’s good for making pants and shorts too.
The thing about linen is that it tends to wrinkle and may lose shape throughout the day.
However, it’s wonderful for making a wrap skirt. The rayon keeps it from wrinkling so much.
For the lining, I used a lightweight cotton/polyester blend woven fabric from Joann. They only had white, and I thought about dyeing it, but I didn’t.
Other suggested skirt fabrics are cotton blends, gingham, and lightweight denim.
Notions
You’ll need a waistband hook and eye for this skirt. I also used 1-inch knit elastic for the back waist.
I used lightweight fusible interfacing for the waistband. If you put elastic in the back waist like I did, skip the interfacing.
Needle
I used a size 90/14 universal needle to sew the linen. For the lining, I used a size 75/11 universal needle.
Thread
To sew the skirt and lining, I used matching Gutermann universal thread made of polyester.
To serge the seams, I used Maxi-Lock serger spun thread. It’s made of polyester and used for overlocking.
Sewing My Skirt
Making the skirt itself was pretty straightforward. The most time-consuming part was the prepping.
Prepping
I upcycled a pair of old linen pants for my fabric. I made them myself and had only worn them a few times.
They had a baggy fit to start with. Plus, linen pants sag throughout the day, so they just got bigger and bigger!
So the first thing I had to do was deconstruct the pants. This can be tedious in itself, and I saved as much fabric as possible by using a seam ripper along the seams.
Then I sewed pieces together to create yardage. Now I could cut the pattern pieces.
If you make a lining, use the skirt pattern to cut, but shorten the length by at least an inch. You don’t want the lining showing at the bottom.
Construction
After doing all the prep, sewing the pieces came along fine. I just love the side seam pockets!
This is an easy project, but adding a lining makes it challenging.
You don’t have to add a lining, but I typically line all my skirts and dresses.
The pattern doesn’t include directions to add one. And it’s a bit complicated to explain.
I sewed the skirt, keeping the front facings open. This is because I’d have to tuck the lining into them.
After making the lining, I basted it to the inside of the skirt at the waist. I trimmed the sides, which will go inside the facing.
Then I finished the front facings, catching the lining inside. I think the picture tells the story better.
Adjustments
When I finished the skirt, it was a little big around the waist. I had sized up at the time because I was between sizes.
I shouldn’t have done this, though. Sizing down would have fit just fine.
Luckily, a wrap skirt is easy to adjust because there’s overlap to play with. However, you’ll want the side seam pockets to line up on the sides.
So, the best way for me to fix this was to take it in on the back. The waistband can easily become a casing for an elastic back.
So, I opened up the back waistband and ripped out the interfacing. Then I slipped elastic in the back.
Voila! It ended up with a flat front elastic back. That was a great hack!
Finishing Details
I used a hook fastener to secure the waistband at the tie ends. The wrap won’t solely depend on the ties.
Also, you might notice my skirt has extra seams compared to the envelope picture. That’s from making panels from upcycling old pants.
I didn’t need to topstitch those panels, however I usually do when I upcycle fabric.
Project Notes
The linen-rayon blend fabric made the garment drape better. If I were to use 100% linen, it would have been a little stiffer.
The skirt didn’t need a lining, as you can’t see through it. However, I added one because it helps keep the shape.
Plus, it’s more comfortable. Sometimes linen can have that scratchy feel, so I like to line my skirts to avoid this.
Also, the white may show at times when I walk, but it’s not so bad. Next time, I’ll probably dye it to match better.
Self-Drafted Shirt
I self-drafted the top pattern, which goes with many outfits in my closet. You can also find it in my other blog posts.
It’s only three pieces—one in the front, and two in the back.
The rayon fabric gives it a nice drape. I knotted it in the back and tucked it under to wear with the skirt.
Final Thoughts
I like my skirt turned out, and even wore it while exploring Hawaii. You can upcycle old pants into many things.
But my favorite project is to turn them into a comfy, casual piece. Maybe you’ll end up making one of your own!
More Sewing Projects
I have many other related posts on my blog. You might want to check them out.
- If you’re looking for another easy pattern, then look at my tiered skirt in rayon.
- Would you like to hack a regular skirt into a flat front elastic back waist?
- Have you ever thought about making a fun poodle skirt?
I’d love to hear what kind of sewing projects you’re working on!
Originally published: October 4, 2024
