Easy Flared Skirt

Here is a quick and satisfying project to complete on a serger.   Choosing the material for the skirt is likely the most difficult aspect of this project.  There are so many types of stretch material (and they are not all desirable for this project).  For this skirt, look for fabric that is not too heavy, drapes well, and is resilient.  By resilient, I mean you can pull the material and it recovers to it's original form when released.  You will want a highly elastic material because we aren't using any closures for the skirt.  We are relying on the material to stretch over the hips and recover it's elasticity enough to hold the skirt in place around your abdomen.  The amount of fabric you will need will depend on the length of the skirt you want, the width of the fabric, and the amount of flare added.(My skirt pattern required 1 & 1/4 yards.)
To begin, you'll need to take the measurement around the area where the skirt will sit and the length of the finished skirt.
(EX: The skirt I am making will sit at the lower abdomen (34"), and the length will be to the knee (16")). 
With these two measurements the pattern will be made.  The circumference measurement will be divided by four (EX: 34/4 = 8.25").  Draw a rectangle with the quarter of the circumference measurement by the length (8.25 X 16). After your rectangle is drawn, divide the width measurement again into four parts (EX: 8.25/4= 2-ish).  Use this measurement to draw lines as a guide to cut to (not through) the top edge.
Here is where you get to decide how much flare you want in your skirt.  The pattern here will open 180 degrees total, or a half circle. It's important to remember you are working with 1/4th the measurement, so only add 1/4 the degree of flare you are wanting.  If you have a mat that has the angles marked, you can use it as a guide. Here, the mat I am using has the 45 degree angle marked. So I lined up the center front with the straight edge and flared the remaining "legs" until they lined up with the line of the angle for 45 degrees. Tape the pieces down when you get the angle you want and each leg is evenly spaced.  Next, lay your pattern paper over this and trace around it.  Be sure to draw a vertical line and mark it Center Front.  You could use the pattern as a half piece which you would need to cut on the fold, but I prefer to have the whole pattern piece so that I can line it up better.  After tracing the new pattern, I fold it along the center front line and trace the other half.  This way, I don't have to line up the pattern on the fold. I will cut two pieces of fabric from this pattern.
For the seam allowance, (assuming you are using a serger) I added 1/4 inch around the top and both sides.  What you will add to the hem will vary depending on the method you will use to hem the fabric.  I added a 3/4" hem. The next pattern piece will be the waistband.  This will be the structure of the skirt since it will hold it in place.  Although it's just a simple rectangle which will be folded, this waistband requires more thinking.  You will need to remove inches from the circumference measurement to make sure that the fit is snug and stable.  However, how much to remover depends on the elasticity of the fabric.  I removed 4" from my measurement, but I also added an elastic strip to secure the fabric (because it didn't seem to rebound as well as I'd like). The less the fabric stretches, the less you should remove; the more the fabric stretches, the more you should remove.
The height of the waistband I used is 8".  The waistband is worn folded over.  You can definitely make the waistband taller if you plan to scrunch it up.  (My sister-in-law prefers a 16" waistband which she folds over and gathers). 
Once your measurement is decided upon, divide the circumference in half, and use this as the measurement for the width (which will be cut on the fold).  My finished waistband pattern was 15" X 8".  Add 1/4" seam allowance around the rectangle, except the center front. 
Now you are ready to cut out the pattern pieces (One waistband on the fold, and two skirt portions, if you traced out the other half of the pattern). After all three pieces are cut you will:

1. Sew the front and back sides of the skirt together.
2. Sew the waistband at the center back.
3. *if* you decide to add elastic to hold the stretch better, sandwich it between the waistband raw edges as you fold it horizontally and pin it in place.
4. Line up the raw edges of the waistband with the top edge of the skirt and serge (catching elastic if you are using it).
5. Fold up the hem and sew.