Refashioned (New) Shower Curtain to Skirt

In search of a skirt with a large geometric print, I decided to make it myself when I stumbled upon this cotton exterior shower curtain at a thrift store. The shower curtain had not been used so it made a perfect fabric to be refashioned into a skirt.

Step 1: Find a Pattern

To get a general idea of length and width, I used a skirt I already owned in a fabric most similar to the one I used. My fabric had no stretch, so I used a skirt with no stretch as well.

Step 2: Cut the Fabric

After determining the desired size of the fabric panel (I used just one rectangular piece of fabric to give the skirt a straight fit down my hips and legs), I folded over the fabric in half to use the manufacturer's hem as a guide to cut the opposite side of the fabric

Step 3: Sew Your Seam

Because I used just one piece of fabric for the skirt, it only has one seam.

Fold the fabric, right sides together, to create the seam that goes vertically down the back. In the photo above, you can see that I sewed one seam (to the right of the foot) that resulted in a skirt that was too wide. So I remeasured and sewed another seam (under the foot above) to correct the sizing. Then I added a zig zag stitch along the seam to prevent fraying. Don't forget to cut off the excess fabric along the seam.

Step 4: Press the Seam

Press the seam flat with an iron.

Step 5: Cut Hem to Desired Length

Determine the desired length of the skirt. Although I used my own skirt as a guide, it ended up being a bit longer than I wanted. So after pulling the unfinished skirt on, deciding how long I wanted it to be, and adding a couple of inches for elastic casing, I trimmed the excess fabric as shown above. (Because I relied on the manufacturer's hem along the bottom of the skirt, I cut the excess fabric from the waist.)

Step 6: Elastic & Casing

Create the casing for the elastic. I used 3/4" knit, non-roll elastic. Many options would work here. I added a half inch to the size of the elastic to leave a bit of space in the casing. I folded the fabric down 1 1/4", pinned, and sewed a double straight stitch to create the casing. Be sure to leave an inch or two open through which to thread the elastic.

Measure the elastic to fit around your waist tightly. My elastic ended up being about 4-5" less than actual measurement of my waist.

Step 7: Thread Elastic Through Casing

Using an elastic threader, thread the elastic through the casing and create the waistband. A safety pin attached to the end of the elastic would work just as well as the elastic threader. Be sure not to pull the other end of the elastic into the casing; it's tough to get out without re-threading the entire piece of elastic.