Summer Skirt Tutorial and Summer Shoes

One of my top wardrobe requirements for the summer is having an easy pair of comfortable shoes that I can wear daily.  They have to be comfortable, stylish, and also stand up to the elements for trips to the pool, the park, and barbecues.  I don’t like to spend a lot of time planning outfits for our summer activities and I love the ease of having a pair of shoes that will carry me through whatever we’re doing each day.  When I got a peak at Crocs new line of shoes, I thought that they just might fit the bill for my summer shoe needs.  Today’s post pairs a tutorial for a casual summer skirt with these fun wedges! These A-leigh Shimmer Leather Wedges kind of blow my mind.  They have the incredible “sink your toes into marshmallow pillows” feel of all the Crocs shoes I’ve tried on and they are so stylish!  I pretty much haven’t taken these off since I got them! You know when you walk in your door after running the kids to school or running errands and the first thing you do is kick your shoes off to let your feet be free?  Not with these shoes!  They’re more comfortable than walking around barefoot!  I’ve never worn wedges that didn’t feel hard under my heels, and I really love that these are so wearable.  The uppers are black shimmery leather – they look nice, but I’m not worried about getting a little dirt, grass, or water on them.  The strapping also feels flexible and soft around my toes.  My only issue was that the strap was a bit loose, but I just punched an extra hole and now they’re fine! The bottoms of the shoes have traction, making them suitable for many of the outdoorsy places we like to go in the summer.  I pictured wearing them lakeside and needed a flowy summer skirt to go with them.  So, naturally, I rummaged my knit stash and came out with this yummy blush knit.  For a flowy skirt without a bunch of bulk around the waist, I decided to sew a long circle skirt with a dropped waist.  Let’s see how to do that: Choose a fabric that is very lightweight – tissue weight – and has some slink in it.  Begin by folding your fabric into fourths and then creating your circle pattern.  There are oodles of circle skirt tutorials out there if you need more help creating the pattern.  It’s quite simple once you have your fabric folded.  You can see more details in this circle skirt tutorial if you’d like.  Cut out the hole for your waist.  If you have larger hips and want to make sure the knit falls loosely over the hips with a dropped waist, you can use your hip measurement here.  Then, measure down to the desired hemline; there’s no need to hem this fabric, so you don’t need to add extra length for hemming. Next, make the waistband.  Cut a strip of fabric the length of your waist (or hips if that’s the measurement you used for your skirt opening) and 8″ wide.  The stretch of the fabric should run the lengthwise.  Join the two raw edges together (right sides together) and serge or sew. Now, grab some 1″ wide elastic and cut a piece the length of your waist measurement.  Sew the two ends together and try it on to make sure it’s snug but comfortable around your waist.  Now place it around the loop of fabric that is your waistband and move it to the center, as shown in the middle picture above.  Fold the waistband down around the elastic so that the elastic is encased inside.  Pin the raw edges of the waistband together.  Now your waistband is ready to attach to the skirt. Slip the waistband over the waistline of the skirt so that all the raw edges are facing up.  Fit and pin the waistband to the skirt and serge (or sew using a zigzag stitch) together. Flip up the sewn waistband and wiggle the elastic to the very top. You can leave the skirt as is or add a narrow zigzag stitch all the way around the waistband to hold the elastic snug at the top. And that’s it!  A breezy summer skirt!  It’s lightweight and comfortable – easy to wear, but still looks pretty! Paired with my new wedges, I feel ready to get outside and explore with my family this summer, while also feeling put together. I love creating outfits like this! Now, it’s your turn to create a summer outfit that will keep you feeling good! Click here to check out all of the new shoe styles that Crocs.com has to offer! How would you style your favorite pair?