American Girl doll skirts

We have a week off for winter break right now. Seriously, who does that? It's too cold and snowy to go anywhere, plus it is tax season which means we really aren't going anywhere! Anyway, I digress.

So to entertain the kiddos we have been trying to do different themed days. (Thanks to the suggestions of friends and family).

 Today was American Girl doll day. They play with their dolls and I sew for their dolls. Win win!

So here is a quick tutorial on how to make these skirts. By the way, this is how I make all of our elastic waistband skirts.
And if you don't want to make one, I have them for sale in my etsy shop!  Link is in the sidebar!

Supplies:

6 x 17 inches piece of fabric

11 inches of elastic

Start by sewing the piece of fabric for the skirt together. Sew them right sides together with a 5/8 inch seam.  Hem the skirt at this point. If you use the knit ruffle material, you don't need to hem it!

Sew the elastic together. (See the end of the tut for more help on the elastic). 

Then divide the skirt into 4 equal parts.  I have done this with pins as you can see in the pic below.  Do the same with the elastic.

Then match up the pins from the elastic to the pins in the skirt.
You will have more skirt material than elastic so you will have a hole like in the pic below.

Then as you sew, you will pull on the elastic so it is now even with the skirt.  You are gathering the skirt material to the elastic. 
I sew from one pin to the next, then readjust my hands.  This part takes a bit of practice!  Be patient!  

Now for the elastic.  Sew it right sides together.  Like in the pic below.

Then open it up and sew 1/4 inch away from your original seam.  This makes the elastic more stable with all the pulling that it goes through!

Now you are done!  You can enjoy these American Girl Doll skirts and they don't take very much time to put together!
Thanks for looking at one of my first tutorials ever!