Bohemian Maxi Skirt Tutorial (sz 3 to 12)

This Flat Front Bohemian Maxi Skirt Tutorial is the perfect skirt to sew for your little fashionista/tween!

This Maxi Skirt skirt tutorial is great for beginner sewists looking for their next challenge. The skirt has a flattering flat front, with no buttons or zippers. The tutorial includes cutting instructions and measurements for girl’s sizes 3 to 12.

Bohemian Maxi Skirt Tutorial for Girls

Hey guys!   I’ve got a fun new twist on my flat front skirt pattern to share with you today.  

It has the same awesome flat front as my original skirt pattern, but in a longer, maxi length, with side slits for walking ease that is just perfect for our tween and pre-tween fashionistas!

The Perfect Maxi Skirt Tutorial to Showcase Gorgeous Fabrics!

I’ve had this particular cut of gauze fabric in my stash for a few years now- I’m almost certain it came from Hancock Fabrics, but they’re going out of business now,  so I can’t be sure.  The gauze is a bit too sheer on it’s own for a skirt, so I added a knee length lining of the same fabric.  Fabric.com and Etsy has a nice selection of solid and print gauze fabric.

Fabric buying tip:

Something to watch out for when shopping for gauze fabric (and other types of fabric too)…  

You might think you’re getting a good deal on the gauze at a big box store, but regular cotton gauze should be 50 to 54 inches in width and if you’re buying something only 44 inches, it’s not such a great deal, since you will need a lot more fabric. (With the exception of double gauze- I usually see that in 48 inch width, though I have never sewn with it.)  

Another example:  Hobby Lobby sells Premier Print cotton duck fabric at 30% off, but the stuff they sell is only 44 inches versus the 54 you’ll see elsewhere at slightly higher prices.  (Prime example: Anchor Cotton duck at Hobby Lobby and the same Anchor Cotton Duck at Fabric.com (only it is 10 inches wider.)

I’ve got one more version of this skirt coming in September.  It’s a bit fuller and has an attached apron.  I created it for this Laura Ingalls Wilder costume I made back in April.  (Costumes are out of season in April, so I decided to save the tutorial for the skirt and bonnet to post a bit closer to halloween.)

Also, keep your eye out for this top I have a tutorial coming soon!  *update: grab the off-the-shoulder peasant top pattern here.

Be sure to check out my One Shoulder Maxi Dress tutorial, it’s based o my peasant dress and has a wonderful boho vibe as well.

How sweet is this little kitty?  My parents retired her to our place when they moved to the city.  She is 18 years old and a bit hard of hearing, but my goodness- she is the most affectionate cat we’ve ever had and will follow us everywhere just for a few pets under her chin.

Bohemian Maxi Skirt Tutorial (sz 3 to 12) Sewing Instructions:

Tutorial notes:

1. This skirt is made similarly to my flat front skirt pattern, but instead of making you flip back and forth between the two pages for the instructions, I will just cut and paste where necessary.  (So the fabrics used in the photos will vary.)
2. 1/4 inch seam allowance except where instructed to use a different allowance.
3. Fit guide: (open in new tab to see it larger)

Products used and recommended in this post

1. My favorite fabric shops are: Etsy,  Funkalicious Fabrics, Fabric.com and Girl Charlee.
2. My Sewing Machine: SINGER 9960 Quantum Stylist, my coverstitch: Janome Cover Pro 1000cpx
3. My Serger: Brother 1034D 3 or 4 Thread Serger or you can just use Pinking Shears
4. Rotary Cutter
5. I love my large ruler and large cutting mat, but you may prefer to start of with a smaller Cutting set
6. Dritz Dual Purpose Marking Pen and Fray Check
7. Wonder clips (I didn’t use these in the post, but they are just awesome!
8. Gauze fabrics:  Fabric.com and Etsy

Materials needed:

• Fabric (up to 2 yards depending on size and fabric width) Lightweight fabrics work best.
• 3/4 inch elastic
• iron, ruler, fabric marker and other basic sewing supplies

Step 2: Put together waistband.

Fold the front waistband in half, press.

Fold the top of back waistband over 1/4 inch and press.  Fold over another 1 inch, press again.  Sew along the bottom of the folded casing, about 1/8 from edge.

Attach elastic to a safety pin and pull through the casing until end of elastic is just inside the end of the casing.  Pin in place.

Sew back and forth 1/2 inch from the edge a couple of times to secure elastic in place.

Line up the raw edge of the front waistband piece with the raw edge of the back waistband piece, right sides together (the edge where the elastic is attached.)  Sew together and finish this seam with pinking shears, zig-zag on sewing machine or serger.

Stretch out the waistband, the safety pin should still be attached to the elastic and will be in the middle of the casing somewhere.  (Leave it in the casing, we’ll finish pulling it through later.)

Step 3.  Assembling the main part of the skirt.

Finish the edges of the skirt with a serger, pinking shears or zig zag on your sewing machine

Use ruler and fabric marker to make a mark about 3/4 down the length of the skirt.  (Add this mark on all 4 sides of the skirt- it is the stop sewing point for the side slit.)

Line up skirt pieces, right sides together and pin together on one side,  Sew one side together, using a 1/2 seam allowance, stopping at the 3/4 mark.  Press the seam open, folding the unsewn seam over 1/2 inch and pressing.  (Pin in place if needed.)  If you are adding a lining, sew one side together as well and finish the seam as normal.

Sew along the side slit a scant 1/4 inch from the edge.

If adding a lining, baste the lining and the main skirt together along the top.

Change the stitch length on your machine to the highest setting and sew a gathering stitch along the top edge of the main skirt piece, 1/4 inch from edge.

Pull on the bobbin thread until the skirt is gathered to the same width as the waistband.

Tip:  Since the back waistband of the skirt has elastic, the back of the skirt will have more gathers and be more full.  To help even out the fabric distribution, you can line up the side seam of the skirt and waistband, then distribute the gathers evenly from this point:  (note: your maxi skirt will have fewer gathers since the amount of fabric at the top is reduced by several inches.)

(Switch your stitch length back!)  Right sides together, line up the gathered top of the skirt with the bottom of the waistband and pin together.

Sew right below the gathering stitch.  Remove all pins finish this seam and press.

Finish pulling the elastic through the casing and pin in place.

If the child is handy, have her try on the skirt and make any elastic adjustments.

Sew back and forth 5/8 inch from the edge a couple of times to secure elastic in place.

Line up the side of the skirt and sew together, using a 1/2 seam allowance, stopping at the 3/4 mark at the bottom.   (If you are adding a lining, sew the waistband and lining together first and finish that seam, then pull the liner away sew the skirt together, taking care to make sure the liner does not get caught in the seam.)

Press the seam open, folding the unsewn seam over 1/2 inch and pressing.  (Just like you did for the 1st side.)

Sew along the side slit a scant 1/4 inch from the edge.

Step 4: Hemming the skirt.

Hem the bottom of the skirt by folding 1/4 inch and pressing, folding another 1/4 inch, pressing again and sewing along the edge.  The bottom of the skirt has a bit of an angle when folded, so just fold in the corner when pressing.

You are done! Try on the skirt and take some pictures!  Be sure to come back and share a photo of your finished project on my Facebook page or tag me on instagram.

Want to save this project? Be sure to pin it!

Made this pattern/project?

Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and/or a review in the comments section below. If you share an image on Instagram, be sure to tag me and use #scatteredmompatterns! You can also share an image to my private Facebook sewing group!

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