Here at By Hand HQ we like to keep things cosy. No skyscraper offices and small talk by the coffee machine here, oh no. One studio, a couple of sewing machines, fabric and haberdashery piled floor to ceiling and enough 'erbal tea and -real- coffee to ensure that we really get stuck into the gritty details of our lives. But in our own little way, we are growing... What began as the terrific twosome that is Charlotte and Elisalex, has now become a thricely thrilling threesome as we welcome to our team Victoria!!

Fashion graduate, pattern cutter extraordinaire, lover of leather and studs, hater of food that wobbles... Victoria has already become an indispensable member of By Hand London. So without further ado, over to Victoria for her debut DIY!

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With summer on our doorstep, I'm looking to brighten up my wardrobe and what better way than with this super easy pillowcase skirt with a drawstring waistband; it's quick to make and most importantly, one size fits all! So here's how I did it, bare with me, it's my first time...

What you will need

• 1 pillowcase (this one was approximately 70cm x 75cm to start with)
• 3 metres of ribbon (cut into two pieces - one fitting the length of the hem plus seam allowance, and the rest for the waistband)
• An unpicker/small scissors
• A sewing machine
• Pins
• An iron
• A safety pin

Step 1 

Using an unpicker or small pair of scissors carefully unpick the short sides of the pillow case, these edges will become the waistline and hem of your DIY skirt.

Step 2

To create a waistband, open up your unpicked pillowcase, and at one end press the raw edge onto the wrong side by approximately 1cm.

Step 3

Next, press the waistline in again, this time making sure it is wide enough to thread your ribbon through.

Step 4

Topstitch the pressed edge to create a tunnel for the ribbon.

Step 5

To make threading the easier, attach a safety pin to one end of the waistband ribbon.

Step 6

Feed the ribbon through the tunnel you have created, taking care not to twist it.

Step 7

To finish the skirt, pin the ribbon to the hem, wrong sides together, folding under the raw edges of the ribbon to neaten.

Step 8

Stitch the ribbon across the top edge to secure.

Step 9

Turn and press the ribbon onto the right of the fabric, then stitch to secure.

And there you have it, reinventing your old bed linen has never been easier!

Wear it with: Boyfriend tee, leather jacket and bag and some pointy dress pumps.

Victoria x