How to fix a skirt that's too large

When wearing a skirt, it's important that it fits correctly. A skirt that's too large looks baggy and doesn't hang properly. It's simple to adjust a large skirt to make it fit better. By taking the skirt down to size and giving it a better fit, it will stay in place on your hips and give you a neater appearance. Spending just a little time, you can create a reversible stitch to help fix a skirt that's too large.

Fold the skirt and match up the side seams to locate the back centre of the skirt. Insert and close a safety pin into the back centre of the skirt.

Turn the skirt inside out and slip it on. Slide it around on your waist so it's on backwards. Ensure the skirt fits your hips comfortably. Match the safety pin with your belly button to ensure it's centred on your body.

Grasp the waist and pull out the extra material until the skirt is tight. Pinch the waist together in front of your stomach, adjusting it to the desired tightness. Adjust the waist and extra material so the safety pin is in the middle of the bulging material. This ensures the adjustment to the skirt is made in the centre of the skirt.

Hold the skirt tight and sit down. Ensure that you can sit comfortably. Stand up and insert a second safety pin into the waist of the skirt, holding the material in place around your waist. Remove the first safety pin. Take off the skirt.

Sew a straight stitch into the waist beside the safety pin. The stitch should measure about 40 mm (1-1/2 inches). Remove the safety pin as you sew. This stitch holds the adjustment in place.

Push the extra material flat onto the waist. The centre of the extra material should be lined up with the stitch directly in the centre. This creates a pleat in the back of the skirt, not only adjusting the waistline, but minimising the fullness of the skirt as well.

Sew along each side edge of the pleat, making two stitches measuring about 40 mm (1-1/2 inches). Sew the top of the pleat down to the waist of the skirt.