How to Recycle Jeans Into a Skirt -
The Four-Panel Method
(Page 2 of 2)| Getting Started | The Back | The Front |
| The Sides | Finishing | The Two-Panel Method |
Click here for text-only printable instructions.
| The Front to the top |
 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 to the top |
 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 to the top |
 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. |
  Pictures of the finished skirt. |
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| The Two-Panel Method to the top 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. |
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