How to make a long formal skirt

Inspiration:

Necessary measurements

• Hips -- It is important to take this measurement on the WIDEST part of your hips and add 1-2 inches to that. This does not include seam allowances.
• Waist: -- this is about where you want your dress to sit. 
• Waist to widest part of hip length

Materials

• 1-2Yards of (stretch) satin
• Measuring Tape
• Invisible Zipper
• Marking tool (I just used a color pencil)
• Basic sewing necessaries (sewing machine, matching thread, iron, scissors, etc)
• Your body, to test out the fit

Helpful tip: To be safe, it's always a good idea to go a few inches bigger than you think you need when cutting.

1) To start, I cut a trapezoid- like shape with my measurements on the bias. I made it about six inches longer and added about 3-4 inches extra on one side just in case. I also draped it on myself to check the measurements. Bias defined here

B/2= Half the waist

A/2= half the hip measurement

C= waist to hip measurement

2) To make sure it was symmetrical, I also cut on the fold of the center front (as seen in the crude paint drawing).

3) Then I draped it inside out as if I was going to wear it and pinned and marked a seam in the fit that I wanted. After marking on both sides of the seam, I took it off.

4) With about a half an inch seam allowance, I cut along the seam line I just drew.

5) As done, in the picture above I finished the edges with a zig zag stich and then did a blind hem at the bottom. This is a good video on how to do a blind hem:

** I hemmed before sewing the skirt together, but generally you want to do this last.

6) Add a waistband (if you want to) and then attach an invisible zipper, and sew the back seam closed. Press all seams. I learnt how to from the same series as the blind hem above.

Final product!!

Done, and happy sewing! (Just so you know, I was not wearing shoes in the picture, which is why there was so much of a train on the ground)

You could also make/buy a top and attach it to the skirt (in that case the zipper would have to incorporate the top) to make it a dress

If there is anything that was unclear in the instructions please leave me a comment! Also, I'm self taught, so any tips are welcome too