The inspiration for this two piece is really the fabric. I had been looking for some tiki fabric for a while but just couldn’t find what I was looking for until I found gold in the op shop! I wanted to make a half circle skirt & a top with it but there was only 2m of it and it’s only 109cm wide and has a directional print! I knew I’d have to get creative, so I set the fabric aside for a while waiting for inspiration to strike. And it did, in the form of a 1950’s wrap top pattern from Subversive Femme on Etsy. I knew if I added some contrast fabric & trims I could make a tiki two piece happen!
The very day that I had this fabric out, figuring out the plan for this two piece, I got an email from Lizzie over at Killer Kitsch. She was wanting a top and skirt tutorial to show in one of her famed Sew Alongs. I got straight back, saying that I was planning this tiki set and it was on… I’ve had such fun making this set! I tried two new sewing machine feet out and loved them both and I’ve tried a few new techniques too. For variety, I used my overlocker to finish the skirt (but it’s okay if you don’t have one) and more vintage finishes on the wrap top. I like to mix things up. Both projects are pretty straightforward, especially the top. But as always, I try to take you through all the little details. I learned to sew via these sorts of tutorials and I really appreciate those who made their tutorials beginner friendly. So if you are newer to sewing, I hope this makes things clear and for the more seasoned stitchers, I’m sure a quick glance will explain all. So please don’t see how long this is and freak!
I will say that this project is very, very heavy on the bias binding! I love the vintage vibes of bias binding and always use it for my skirt hems, so using loads of bias doesn’t put me off at all. And if you’re looking to build your bias skills, this project is perfect because it’s used in 3 different ways. But don’t panic if it’s not your thing! You could line the top to avoid using bias there and omit the piping and bias hem on the skirt and simply hem instead. I used purchased bias because I’m lazy like that and I keep a few 25m rolls on hand. If you want to make your own, I find this method the easiest way to cut my strips and this tutorial from Dana explains how to turn the strips into binding. I did make my own piping but you can buy it premade if you’d rather not make it from scratch. I just wanted bigger piping than I could find, plus it’s not difficult to make. It’s hard to tell you how much fabric you’ll need for this because it will depend on your size and width of fabric and if you’ve chosen a directional print. Same goes for bias etc. I have detailed what I used, hopefully it will help you gauge how much you will need. This fabric reads really pink in some of the photos but is definitely the same raspberry red as in the tiki print. The lighting in this tutorial changes a bit because it was a record breaking 47C (116F) on the day I made this and we were opening and closing blinds for pics.
For the skirt I used:
- 1m tiki fabric (109cm wide)
- 1.8m contrast fabric (112cm wide)
- 8m satin bias binding (19mm single fold)
- 4m piping cord
- 30cm zipper
Making a half circle skirt pattern is really easy! Do that tiny bit of math, mark out the lines as shown (yellow & red) according to your measurements. Then to fill in the curves, pivot a tape measure from the corner and mark a dash every few centimetres and connect the dots. Don’t stress if your line is a little shaky, you can smooth it out when you cut out the pattern. If you need more pics of the drafting process, see this previous tutorial (I would have taken more photos of the pattern drafting but my skirt doesn’t fit on my table and so these graphics are much clearer). It is really easy but if the math scares you, try this calculator out.
When drafting, I added an extra 1” or 2.5cm to the length to allow for a ½” seam allowance where the tiki and contrast fabric meet. Pro tip: Since the piping goes in that seam, it’s handy if the seam allowance on the skirt pieces and the piping are the same, it’s just easier. Once I had the basic pattern drafted, I added a 1” or 2.5cm seam allowance to each side seam (I went with a big seam allowance to allow for french seams on future makes, go with what ever pleases you). You can decide on where you want the contrast fabric to start and measure out a curved line, just like the lines for the waist line and hem. Since I was trying to use as much tiki fabric as possible, I laid out the pattern on the fabric and figured out where that line should be and drafted it in. Pro tip: fold the pattern in half and make sure that the contrast fabric line starts and stops at the same point. This will avoid a mismatch at the side seam. Cut the pattern out and you are ready to start you skirt.
The pattern is only half the skirt, so I cut two upper skirt pieces from the tiki fabric, cutting in a single layer so that the print was up the right way. I cut two lower skirt pieces from the contrast fabric, also in a single layer to minimise fabric waste. Because of my waist measurement and desired length, the only way to fit the pieces on my fabric was to cut them on the cross grain (down the length, hot dog style). I often cut skirts on the cross grain as any sort of circle skirt is bias-y and at all weird grains anyway. I also cut out two waistband pieces that were 6” or 15.25cm deep and half my waist measurement plus seam allowances.
To avoid changing threads, I started by making the piping first. I measured the length of the seam between the tiki and the contrast (remember, the pattern is half!) added seam allowance and 2” or 5cm to be sure and cut a length of bias to that measurement. I took it to the iron and opened the folds and pressed it flat. I folded the bias around the piping cord and put a pin at the start. I don’t typically pin (other than the start) as I find it more of a hindrance than anything else.
The trick with making piping is to sew as close to the cord as possible but not through it. A zipper foot works nicely, as it allows you to get close but a cording foot makes things really easy! I show both above for fun. I have always used a zipper foot but decided to give the cording foot a go. It has a notch out of the base of the foot where the cord slots in and you can adjust you needle position until it’s in the right place – brilliant! Whichever you are using, sew close to the cord using thread that matches the bias. Just readjust so that the cord is neatly in the bias and feed it though the machine. If you feel you haven’t got as close as you’d like, you can always have a second pass. Set your freshly made piping aside for now and let’s move on to the skirt.
Before we get started, you can stay stitch along the curved edges to prevent them from stretching out. I am deeply lazy and never do but now is the time if you’d like to. I wanted to have as few seams as possible through the piping and the skirt is going to have a zip in the left side (as it’s worn). So I want to get that right side seam sewn first. I took the two upper skirt panels and laid them right sides together, I pinned them together along right side (as the skirt is worn, left side as you look at it). Rinse and repeat for lower skirt panels. I overlocked each of the seams to finish them. If you don’t have an overlocker, you could use a sewing machine mock overlock stitch or zig zag to finish them. If the seam allowance is large you may want to trim them down first. Press seams so one is toward the back and one toward the front to avoid bulk in the piped seam.
It’s almost impossible to get a decent finish without basting the piping, so even lazy sewists like me baste. I lined up the raw edge of the piping to the raw edge of the upper skirt, that was right side up. My piping seam allowance and skirt seam allowance are basically the same, so its raw edge to raw edge but if they differ, you’ll need to pin the piping so that the stitch lines on both line up (better explained here). Run a quick basting stitch to hold the two together, no need to be close to the edge, you just don’t want shifting in the next step.
I laid the skirt upper and lower right sides together and matched up the side seam and pinned. Now you are easing two opposite curves together and it can take some time. I just pin and repin (or clip) until everything fits together. I like to sew with the longer edge (the lower) against the feed dogs, it helps to take up any slack. I switched over to the cording foot (or zipper foot) and stitched the seam, sewing right up against the cord in the piping. Once I was done I overlocked the seam (or use whichever finish you chose) and pressed the seam up towards the waistband. And take a cat break if you need one….
I prepared the waistband pieces by sewing the short ends (side seam) together, so that I had one long waistband piece. I overlocked that short seam and also one long edge of the waistband. I pinned the waistband to the waist of the skirt, right sides together and raw edges matching. I started by aligning the side seams and worked my way out. Back to my regular foot, I stitched the waist to the waistband and pressed the seam up towards the waistband.
Before I started on the final side seam and zipper, I overlocked both raw edges to finish them and then pinned the side seam. I like a regular (not invisible) zip that comes up through the waistband. Before sewing, I marked my zipper placement, 3” or 7.5cm from the top of the waistband. Just make sure that when you fold the waistband down toward the skirt body, it just exceeds the waist line stitch line, so when we sew down the waistband it will get caught in the seam (keep reading if confused, it will make sense in a few steps). I marked just above where the metal bit at the end of the zip is, so there is no danger of sewing through it.
With those points marked, I hit the sewing machine to baste for the zipper and sew the rest of the seam in one step. I changed my stitch length to 4.5, you want a long basting stitch and stitched from the very top of the waistband right down the mark where my zip will end. Then without moving anything, switched to a 2.5 stitch length. I took 3-4 stitches forward, backstitched 3 and then continued to sew to the hem as normal.
Are you ready for my unconventional technique? I pressed the seam open, nice and flat and grabbed my zipper and some masking tape. I positioned the zipper between my earlier marks and taped it down. Making sure that everything was super flat and there were no rucked up bits and pressing down the edges of the tape (you don’t want the skirt to get stuck to the sewing machine). With my zipper foot on and my skirt facing right side up, I stitched down the right side, then pivoting to sew across the bottom (back stitching back across once for security) and then pivoting again to sew down the left. Peel off the tape, it should just tear where it is perforated with stitches. Carefully, use a seam ripper to remove the basting stitches and reveal your beautiful zip. You can even use the left over tape to remove pesky bits of stitches after ripping. I love this technique! It ain’t crazy if it works!
Let’s finish the waistband! I folded the waistband inside the skirt and pinned from the right side but made sure I was catching the inner part of the waistband as I go (that’s the zipper placement thing from before). To secure the waistband inner, I like to sort of ‘stitch in the ditch’ and sew along where the waistband and skirt meet. Sometimes I use my regular foot and eyeball it, sometimes I use my blind hem foot. I adjust my needle position and use the scoopy bit of the foot to get pretty close the waistband. Before I felt comfortable with either way, I used to topstitch on the waistband. In this case, I went with the bind hem foot and stitched around from zipper to zipper. I don’t bother to but if you like a neat finish you can hand stitch the inner waistband to the zipper tape.
You are so nearly done, can you taste it? Many people like to leave bias cut skirts to hang for at least 24 hours and then trim the hem before hemming but I can never wait! If I finish it today, I can wear it tomorrow, so I am hemming now. I think bias is the easiest way to hem curved hems, so more bias binding. I want my binding to end up on the wrong side, so I am starting on the right side (slightly confusing). I never pin, I find it gets in the way. I open out one side of my binding and align the raw edges of the binding and the skirt. I position my foot so I can sew right down that crease in the binding and sew all the way around the hem. Then I take it to the iron and press the bias to the inside of the skirt with lots of steam for a crisp press. Back at the sewing machine, I change my bobbin thread to match my bias and my top thread to match the skirt. I figure out where I need to aim, that is which line on the throat of my machine I will be sewing to and adjusting my needle so I am sewing on the edge of the bias before flipping the skirt so I am sewing from the right side. Then I can sew along and know I am catching the bias on the inside. And that’s it! Well maybe a good press but we are done with the skirt.
I am so in love with how this project turned out! I never tire of a half circle skirt and I have been keen for this kind of contrast for a while, so glad I finally made it. The piping on the skirt matches the bias on the top so nicely and I love how the red contrast gives the tiki print a lift. The set looks great together but I think the skirt would look great with a black top or even one of my tees from Mischief Made Me. You can bet you’ll see it in various combos on Instagram in coming days!
Of course, such a wonderful tiki set needed a special place for photos! My photographer (my lovely Mum) and I headed to Hades Hula House in Semaphore South Australia. They very kindly allowed me to snap a few pics while I sipped on a cocktail (definitely ask first!). If you’re local, I highly recommend checking them out. They have an amazing selection of cocktails and food including vegan options. We had a lovely chat with our bartender Honni and the cocktail she made was just beautiful – both to look at and to drink!
Thanks for staying with me through part one, if you have questions, please ask away in the comments. Part two will be up very shortly, so stay tuned!
Other Outfit Details
- Floral headpiece was handmade by my mum
- Monstera earrings from Miss Golly Gosh
- Carved wooden shoes from Crafts Hawaii
- Bamboo bag from eBay and repaired by 3D printed parts my husband made
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