https://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/pool-towel-maxi-skirt • Posted by lilMissPerfectionist
This project was actually for my color theory art class. Our assignment was to create a piece of art that interacted with a location of our choice, aka site-specific art. So I chose my backyard pool and decided to make a towel skirt that transformed into a "shield" that camouflaged me into my surroundings. This tutorial is only for the skirt part of it, not the painting part I did after making the skirt. Enjoy! (:
This project was actually for my color theory art class. Our assignment was to create a piece of art that interacted with a location of our choice, aka site-specific art. So I chose my backyard pool and decided to make a towel skirt that transformed into a "shield" that camouflaged me into my surroundings. This tutorial is only for the skirt part of it, not the painting part I did after making the skirt. Enjoy! (:
You will need two large pool towels, fabric scissors, and lots of pins! (Not pictured) but you will also need a pen and a tape measure. For my two towels I made sure they were a colorful, fun, graphic print!
I would start with one of your towels and wrapping it around your waist to mark/pin the shape you want for your maxi skirt. I did this using the length of the towel to wrap around my waist. The width of the towel was too short for me considering I'm 5'8". So later I will explain how to take the excess material cut from this towel and attach it to the bottom of your skirt to make it longer. You really have to play with pinning and marking the shape you want for your skirt until you get it the way you like. I ended up marking what looked like an upside down "J" starting from the waist down to the end.
Once you mark the shape you want, which in other words should mark wear the seam of your skirt will be, stitch along this line from edge to edge of the towel. Unfortunately towels will unravel when you cut them, so this stitching will secure the towel from unraveling later when you cut off the excess material.
Once you finish your stitch go ahead and cut off the excess towel material, not on, but next to the stitch line.
If you need more length added to your skirt, go ahead and take the excess towel material you just cut off and match the edges up with the bottom of your skirt, right sides together, and pin them in place. (If you want to use your skirt to paint on like I did, then make sure to pin the excess fabric right side up, to the bottom of your skirt)
Sew the excess fabric to the bottom of your skirt.
After sewing, this is how the added on length should look. If you're just making the skirt and not painting on it, your skirt should look like this, only the right sides will both be showing instead of the bottom piece's right side facing inside. If that makes sense..
Now pin together the edges of your towel skirt (where the seam of your skirt will be) and sew them together. Start at the bottom of your skirt and work your way up. But leave about 3-5 inches not sewn at the top of your skirt otherwise you won't be able to fit your skirt up over your hips when putting it on. When laid out flat, your skirt should look somewhat like this.
At the top of your skirt, I would suggest sewing on a hook an eye closure in order to close up that 3-5 inches you didn't sew and make it easy to wear. Other closure suggestions: A button + buttonhole closure, a snap closure, tie/bow closure
Now that you have your closer sew on, move on to the second towel. Fold it in half "hamburger style" to find its center line.
While folded, like up the center line, or crease, with the waist of your skirt. The two corners of the center line, or crease in the towel probably will not wrap all the way around the waist. So it's important that the very center of the waist of your skirt, (the spot along the waist that would be directly below your belly button) is matched up with the very center of that crease/center line. Pin those to points together to stay in place. It would be best to pin it so that it is underneath the fold of the second towel. (Like open up the folded towel and pin where the center point on the center line is matched up with the center point on the waist of the skirt) With that center line, mark out about 10 inches, make sure it is 5 inches out from either side of the center point. Pin this line in place along the waist of your skirt and sew along it. This attaches the second towel to your skirt and should hang off of it folded in half.
The corners of where the second towel folds in half, use ribbon, string, etc., to sew to each corner. These are needed to pull these corners around your waist and tie in the back. (similar to an apron)
Here is a view of the waist of the skirt folded over to kind of show how the folded towel is attached along the waist and the two corners have straps attached.
Here is the same view of the waist of the skirt folded over to kind of show have the folded towel wraps around it and ties in the back.
Your towel maxi skirt should now be complete! You can wear it to the pool or beach over a swim suit. Take it off and open up the folded towel part to lay out and tan on or to dry off with! If you want to know how I took further steps into creating a "camouflage shield" out of the skirt continue on with the tutorial.
With left over towel material from the first towel, I cut two triangle pieces to sew to the out bottom corners of the folded towel. This way when I unfolded it and lifted it above my head, I was able to hold it up without my hands showing.
I then opened up the folded towel and used spray paint to create the section of the background I was going to be shielding myself into. The underside of the towels I chose were white, making it easier to spray paint over.
Tadah!