Polka Dot Panel Skirt

An easy three piece skirt with minimal fuss.
Made from three pieces of fabric, a zipper, a leftover piece of ribbon and a lazy summer afternoon. I think the fabric I used was about a yard and a half's worth of material.

Cut a piece of fabric two inches longer than your waist. Width depends on how wide you like your skirt waist; I made mine about 7" wide to make a completed 3" wide waist.

Take the remaining fabric and cut it into two equal rectangles. Sew one side from top to bottom; for the other side, take your zipper and waist to mark where to stop sewing. I used a 9" zipper I had laying around, so I stopped sewing 4" from the top of the skirt panels.

Next, I basted around the top of the skirt to gather the material to fit inside the waistband. Once it was the right length, leaving an inch free on either side of the waist, I pinned and stitched the skirt and waistband together.

Fold over the waist band, tucking the raw edge under 1/2". Pin in place and then stitch.

Once the waistband is attached, install the zipper. Fold under or cut off any excess fabric- I prefer to fold it so there's more stability when I'm using the zipper, but it all boils down to preference- until it looks pretty. Before sewing it, insert the ribbon ties and then stitch.